YOUR boss may be spying on you through your iPhone.
Many workers give their employers remote access to their devices without even realising it – here’s how to keep your messages safe.
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What is Mobile Device Management?
Mobile Device Management (MDM) is a tool that is installed on Apple mobile devices by some schools or workplaces.
It gives an employees’ personal iPad, iPhone and Mac computers the ability to access sensitive and protected content remotely.
To do that, the gadgets are placed on a mobile device management system that’s controlled by the employer.
It allows you to access content and features that are normally locked to your work PC system, from home or on work trips.
That can mean software that’s locked behind a paywall, sensitive company data, or even something as simple as your work email account.
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Drawbacks of MDM
What some employees don’t realise is that remote management gives your superiors access to lots of things on your device.
The system can allow your boss to set up and manage your email account, install apps and manage your settings.
They can even lock your device behind a password and wipe it of all data if they fear it’s fallen into the wrong hands.
Most employers wouldn’t dream of secretly invading your privacy, of course, and you may decide that the rewards outweigh the risks.
However, you may decide that you no longer want your data exposed. If that’s the case, follow the steps below.
In some cases, it may not be possible to perform your job properly without your employer having remote access to your device.
If you’re still adamant that you want the permissions removed, we’d suggest discussing it with your boss or HR department.
Aside from privacy concerns, there are a number of scenarios that may require you to remove MDM from your device, such as:
- Your workplace required MDM and you’ve left that job
- You bought a used iPhone and it has an MDM lock on it
- You’ve forgotten your MDM password on your own device
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How to remove MDM from your device
You can remove MDM from your device in your settings.
Open the “Settings” App. Scroll down and then tap on “General” > “VPN and Device Management”.
Select “MDM Profile” and tap “Remove Management”. If it asks for a passcode, enter your passcode.
From now on, the device will no longer be controlled remotely.
If your device is locked behind an MDM username and password that you don’t know – for instance, if you’ve bought it secondhand – try a factory reset.
If that doesn’t work, a number of apps available on the App Store will remove the MDM lock for you.
In other news, a British woman has told of her horror after scammers used photos of a “silver fox” politician to trick her out of £80,000.
Norfolk County Council is suing Apple over what it says was misleading information about iPhone sales.
The creators of a chilling new horror game say that the title is so disturbing they’ve been forced to censor it on PlayStation.
And, Apple has announced updates to AirTags following claims that the coin-sized tracking devices are being used to stalk people.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
