Symantec MDM Review: Familiarity A Selling Point

Users of Symantec security software will find similar interface.

Michael A. Davis, CTO of CounterTack

November 20, 2012

2 Min Read
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Symantec's MDM system builds on its PC Management Console interface, adding device support for Android, iOS and Windows Mobile devices. Because many companies use Symantec's security products, we wanted to test if IT benefits from using its existing enterprise security vendor instead of an MDM pure play.

The big selling point for the Symantec product is that familiar management console, but at first we found it to be unintuitive, difficult to navigate and generally horrible. But when we asked an administrator steeped in Symantec to take a look, he knew exactly where items were and was navigating the system in seconds.

Symantec's MDM requires an app to be installed on each device. Unlike other MDM systems, its agent provides only policy enforcement. Capabilities such as email, calendar and contacts are handled by NitroDesk's TouchDown for Android and iOS apps.

Enrolling devices wasn't very automated, so the product's not ideal for BYOD. Its asset inventory is solid, reporting is basic and features are similar to those of other MDM products. Symantec boasts about integration with its Data Leak Protection suite, but since DLP forces all traffic across the VPN, we don't think it's practical for mobile, especially using 3G.

Symantec's MDM product doesn't have a lot of unique features, but existing Symantec customers that don't require the most advanced MDM features should consider it.

For a longer review, see our MDM Report

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About the Author

Michael A. Davis

CTO of CounterTack

Michael A. Davis has been privileged to help shape and educate the globalcommunity on the evolution of IT security. His portfolio of clients includes international corporations such as AT&T, Sears, and Exelon as well as the U.S. Department of Defense. Davis's early embrace of entrepreneurship earned him a spot on BusinessWeek's "Top 25 Under 25"
list, recognizing his launch of IT security consulting firm Savid Technologies, one of the fastest-growing companies of its decade. He has a passion for educating others and, as a contributing author for the *Hacking Exposed* books, has become a keynote speaker at dozens of conferences and symposiums worldwide.

Davis serves as CTO of CounterTack, provider of an endpoint security platform delivering real-time cyberthreat detection and forensics. He joined the company because he recognized that the battle is moving to the endpoint and that conventional IT security technologies can't protect enterprises. Rather, he saw a need to deliver to the community continuous attack monitoring backed by automated threat analysis.

Davis brings a solid background in IT threat assessment and protection to his latest posting, having been Senior Manager Global Threats for McAfee prior to launching Savid, which was acquired by External IT. Aside from his work advancing cybersecurity, Davis writes for industry publications including InformationWeek and Dark Reading. Additionally, he has been a partner in a number of diverse entrepreneurial startups; held a leadership position at 3Com; managed two Internet service providers; and recently served as President/CEO of the InClaro Group, a firm providing information security advisory and consulting services based on a unique risk assessment methodology.

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