When a work laptop goes missing, the cost of replacing it may be the smallest concern. What about the business information stored on it? Could someone access customer records, confidential documents or work emails?

One of our customers faced this situation when they lost a laptop. Fortunately, the device was already managed through their business’s Microsoft Intune setup. That gave our engineers a way to take action remotely to help protect the data, even without the laptop in their hands.

It is a practical example of why setting up device management before something goes wrong matters.

What is Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune helps your IT team manage and protect the laptops, phones and tablets your people use for work. Depending on the device and how it is configured, it gives administrators several ways to respond if it is lost or stolen.

Remotely wipe a company device

For a supported, company-managed device, IT can issue a remote wipe to reset it and remove business data, applications and settings.

This can help protect information stored on a missing laptop. However, the device needs to connect to the internet to receive the command, so issuing a wipe is not the same as confirming that it has completed.

Remove business data from personal devices

If your employees use their own phones or tablets for work, wiping everything would also remove their personal information.

With the right app protection policies in place, Intune can selectively remove business data from supported apps, while leaving personal data intact.

Lock supported devices

On supported devices, administrators can remotely lock the screen, requiring the existing PIN or passcode before it can be used again.

The options vary by operating system. Intune’s standard Remote Lock action is not available for Windows laptops.

Help locate a missing device

Intune can help locate supported devices where the necessary location settings have been enabled. This may assist recovery, although it cannot guarantee that a device will be found.

Put protection in place before a device goes missing

Remote actions are useful, but they work best alongside safeguards already in place, including device encryption, strong sign-in protection and a clear process for reporting lost equipment.

For your team, the practical takeaway is simple: report a missing work device promptly. Your IT team can then assess the risk, take the available security actions and check whether they have completed.

If you are unsure how your business would respond to a lost laptop, speak to Beaming about managing and protecting the devices your people rely on.