Best Practice: Get the Most out of Your UEM
Reviewed and updated in October 2026.
Most organizations already run a range of tools to manage and secure their mobile devices, endpoints and network. The question is whether they get the most out of them. A good security posture does not come from deploying every security product and switching everything on. It comes from identifying the risks, assessing them and applying the right measure to each vulnerability.
A Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) platform prevents many mobile threats before detection is even needed: IT policies switch off risky features, and compliance rules act automatically when a device falls out of line, for example by blocking access to email until a missing OS update is installed. Used to its full extent, the UEM you already own closes many gaps that would otherwise need another product.
Why is the UEM your first line of defense?
This article is the first in our best practice series on getting more out of solutions many organizations already have. Protection and defense are necessary, but prevention avoids most threats in the first place. Your UEM is the solution your users notice most, and it is your first line of defense against mobile threats at every level, from device to network to apps. Two mechanisms do the work: IT policy rules that disallow features, and compliance rules that take action when a device is compromised or out of policy. Here are five common threats and how a UEM addresses them.
1. Unmanaged profiles
Some apps need specific configuration profiles installed on the operating system to work. That includes consumer VPN services that are perfectly legitimate but still a risk, because data may travel through a server or network the company neither controls nor can see. Most UEM solutions can use IT policy rules to stop users from manually installing VPN profiles on the device or within the work profile. Background on VPNs is in Demystifying Security: Virtual Private Network (VPN).
2. OS vulnerability exploits
Operating system vulnerabilities are weaknesses in the code that attackers can exploit to gain privileged access to the device, perform unauthorized actions and compromise the whole device. Identify them as soon as they are published and act quickly, usually by installing a security patch when one is available, or by disabling affected features as a first protective measure.
The UEM can trigger OS updates on managed devices as soon as a new version is available, and compliance rules take action on devices that are not up to date. On Apple devices, updates can be enforced with a deadline through declarative device management since iOS 17; Apple describes the options in its platform deployment guide, and our article iOS 27 for Enterprise: What Changes for Software Updates and Device Management covers the current state. Why patching fast matters is shown in Security Breach: Patch or Clash.
3. Jailbroken or rooted devices
Jailbreaking is a privilege escalation on iOS devices that removes restrictions built into the operating system, for example the restriction to install apps only from the App Store. Rooting is the Android equivalent and gives the user full control over the operating system (root privileges). Unlike most other threats, this one is triggered deliberately by the device user to bypass vendor restrictions, so it can be avoided entirely with the right controls in place. UEM compliance rules detect a jailbroken or rooted status and act on it, for example by blocking access to corporate data or wiping the work container. On Android, device integrity checks today rely on Google's Play Integrity API, which replaced the SafetyNet Attestation API.
4. Man-in-the-middle attacks
Wi-Fi is one of attackers' favorite ways to steal valuable information from devices, whether personal, such as credentials and credit card details, or work-related, such as emails and classified documents. In a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack, the attacker intercepts the communication between two parties and can alter it, while both believe they are talking directly to each other. One technique is DNS spoofing or DNS hijacking: the attacker intercepts DNS queries and returns a different address, redirecting traffic to a rogue server. Another is eavesdropping, or sniffing, in which the attacker silently listens to the communication to collect credentials, card data or anything else sent unencrypted. More on these risks in Everyday Security Risks: Wi-Fi.
To reduce the risk, UEM policy rules can stop users from connecting to unknown or unsecured Wi-Fi networks, or disable Wi-Fi on the device entirely if needed. Detecting an active MITM attack on the network is the job of Mobile Threat Defense.
5. Malware
Malware is code or software designed with malicious intent, such as causing disruption, stealing or leaking information, or gaining unauthorized access to a system. With Mobile Application Management (MAM), the UEM defines which apps are allowed or blocked on managed devices and which are installed and configured centrally, and compliance rules act on devices that do not comply. Blocking installation from unknown sources closes the main entry point on Android; see What Is Sideloading?.
Where does UEM need support?
A UEM enforces configuration and compliance, but it does not analyze app behavior or network traffic for threats. That is the role of Mobile Threat Defense (MTD), which detects malicious apps, network attacks and OS-level threats and can report the device risk level back to the UEM, which then applies its compliance rules. Combined with Conditional Access, a non-compliant or risky device loses access to corporate services until it is fixed.
Conclusion
Security threats keep growing, and protecting your infrastructure and devices is essential. The risks will not disappear, but using your existing solution to its full capability helps prevent attacks and deter attackers. For people-focused prevention, read Best Practice: Cybersecurity Awareness.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between MDM and UEM?
Mobile Device Management (MDM) manages smartphones and tablets. Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) also covers laptops and desktops and adds app and content management in one platform.
Can a UEM detect jailbroken or rooted devices?
Yes. UEM solutions report a jailbroken or rooted status, on Android based on the Play Integrity API, and compliance rules can then block access or remove corporate data automatically.
Can a UEM force operating system updates?
Yes. A UEM can push OS updates to managed devices and restrict devices that stay out of date. On Apple devices, declarative device management lets you enforce updates with a deadline.
Does a UEM replace Mobile Threat Defense?
No. The UEM prevents threats through configuration and compliance; MTD detects active threats such as malicious apps and network attacks. Together, and with Conditional Access, they cover prevention and detection.
Want to know how much more your UEM can do? ISEC7 advises on, integrates and operates UEM platforms as part of endpoint management, and ISEC7 SPHERE monitors compliance and policies across several UEM platforms in one console. Contact us.
