In the ever-evolving world of hybrid work environments, organizations face the growing challenge of protecting themselves from the rising use of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and other unmanaged devices. Driven by the expansion of remote work, this shift represents one of the most significant changes in the broader cybersecurity landscape. Unmanaged remote devices present a distinct risk to clients: undiscovered BYOD devices are on average 71% more likely to become part of a cyber intrusion.
Understanding the Risk of Unmanaged Devices
BYOD and remote work are not new concepts, but the push toward mobility and the Internet of Things (IoT) has introduced a large number of unmanaged devices that create clear security gaps. Items such as smart lighting, Bluetooth keyboards, smart TVs, surveillance cameras, printers, network switches, and routers often lack built-in security and can be exploited by threat actors looking for network weaknesses.
Definition of Unmanaged Devices
Unmanaged devices are IP-connected endpoints that do not have an installed agent or configuration management solution, making them vulnerable and in need of protection from an endpoint agent. A Forrester survey found that 69% of respondents reported that half or more of the devices on their networks were unmanaged or IoT devices outside their visibility. Additionally, 26% indicated they had three times as many unmanaged devices as managed ones. These findings underscore the importance of addressing device security concerns.
Discovering Unmanaged Devices on Your Network
Locating unmanaged devices is a difficult task because IT partners cannot rely solely on Active Directory to reveal them. Manual reconciliation of AD data and network management information is time-consuming and prone to errors. What IT teams need is a solution that can automatically correlate and deduplicate data to enable fast troubleshooting and accurate device discovery.
Using Data Sources to Detect Unmanaged Devices
When manually searching for unmanaged devices, the following data sources are essential:
- Network/infrastructure data: Gain visibility into all devices by accessing network infrastructure information.
- Directory services: Use services like Active Directory or Azure AD for user and device authentication information.
- Endpoint management solutions: Leverage tools such as SCCM and Jamf Pro to identify managed assets and gaps.
Using Microsoft Defender and NinjaOne to Secure Unmanaged Devices
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint includes built-in features to detect and protect unmanaged devices and network equipment. However, Microsoft’s native tools have limitations, and many IT partners prefer independent, platform-agnostic solutions. NinjaOne streamlines the process by automatically identifying and onboarding assets via Microsoft Active Directory, helping to uncover unmanaged devices and SNMP-enabled equipment more efficiently.
Keeping Unmanaged Devices Off the Network
In a perfect world, detecting and managing unauthorized devices would not be necessary. Yet new devices continually enter networks. To reduce the presence of unauthorized and unmanaged devices, consider implementing policies such as:
- Requiring administrators to assign new devices an inventory status before they are added to the network.
- Implementing logging to track unauthorized devices, their connections, and user activity to support investigations and prevention efforts.
- Providing employee training with defined consequences for repeatedly connecting unauthorized devices.
Challenges and Solutions for Unmanaged Devices
Although unmanaged devices present an inherent security risk, several factors influence the level of threat they pose. IT providers and organizations should be aware of these challenges and take appropriate measures:
- Failure to conduct risk assessments is a major challenge. Flexible, platform-agnostic tools for device detection and management can be invaluable.
- Some devices have serious security flaws that are difficult to mitigate. Evaluate IoT tools and hardware for potential risks and ensure regular software and firmware updates.
- Default configurations have led to many data breaches. Change or remove default administrator credentials and address configuration issues to reduce exposure.
- Poor network segmentation can allow attackers to exploit unmanaged devices. Isolate these devices in dedicated network segments to limit potential damage.
- Poor asset management undermines cybersecurity. Identify every device on the network, including Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth‑connected endpoints, to maintain comprehensive visibility.
By addressing these challenges and adopting comprehensive strategies for discovery, monitoring, and control, organizations can strengthen their cybersecurity posture and better protect their networks from the threats posed by unmanaged devices.