How to track your lost devices with Hexnode’s lost mode for Windows

We are all living in an ever-changing technological world. What we see around us are just consequences of these changes. For instance, can you recollect the evolution our workspaces have undergone? It has embraced technology, leaving behind those immobile desktops which once comprised the soul of enterprises. With mobility emerging as an essential requirement, all boundaries defining your office spaces have disappeared. Corporate data is no more restricted to your office premises. You can carry these devices anywhere; and can also access corporate data from the location of your choice.

But wait, aren’t we missing out on the bigger picture? What if your device gets lost/ stolen? Now I’m sure you have a train of questions in your mind. First, of course, it’s always recommended to be cautious of your devices. But, if things go against all odds, features that help locate your device can be a life-saver. One such feature is the lost mode for Windows devices.

Some built-in features that help you locate your devices

Devices should be well capable of meeting their requirements. But is that all you need? You need some more basic additions. It should also be equipped with other capabilities that can help you in case of emergencies, for example, a device loss. Most operating systems come with a set of built-in features that help find your device if it’s lost or stolen.

For instance, Android offers Find My Device, which is a feature provided by Google. It enables you to locate your device once you have signed in to your Google account from that device. And for Apple devices, you have Find My, which will help you locate your lost or stolen devices. Such a feature offered by Windows devices is the Find My Device feature that enables you to locate your lost or stolen Windows devices.

What is Find My Device in Windows 10?

Windows devices are equipped with a lot of built-in features. One such feature that is of great utility is the “Find My Device.” Find My Device is Microsoft’s feature that aids in locating your lost or stolen Windows devices. For Find My Device enabled devices, locating a lost or stolen device is easier than you can imagine. All you need to do is log in to the Microsoft portal, and you will find a list of all your devices. Further, you can also fetch the device location by selecting the required device, making it easier to find your device.

How to enable Find My Device?

You can easily enable Find My Device on Windows 10 devices in a series of simple steps. These are as follows:

Turning on Find My Device

You can easily enable the Find My Device settings on Windows devices. This can be done either during the initial device setup process or at a later stage. To turn on Find My Device at a later stage; after you have turned it off initially, it needs internet connectivity along with enough battery power to send you the location. The process is as given below:

Find your Windows device

Lock your Windows devices remotely

Limitations

Even though Find My Device can simplify the process of locating your lost or stolen devices, it also has its own set of limitations. Some of these include:

How can Hexnode help you locate your Windows devices?

Enterprise device loss is still one of the worst nightmares for IT admins. The data compromise and subsequent loss that can emerge can bring enterprises to a state of complete standstill. Well, taking such an illogical risk is not something any enterprise would prefer. It’s in this context that a feature that can help lock your lost device remotely and even keep track of its location becomes beneficial. Hexnode’s lost mode in Windows serves this purpose well enough. You will get to know the features better in the subsequent sections.

What is lost mode for Windows devices?

Lost mode provides an easy yet effective method to safeguard your devices if your device gets lost or stolen. It is, in fact, a remote device lockdown mechanism that locks your device remotely, restricting all the device functionalities. This helps in safeguarding your device and data even if it falls into unsafe hands. Further, you can also set a custom message on the device screen to assist you in device recovery.

Enabling lost mode for Windows devices with Hexnode

Once your device gets lost or stolen, you can enable the Lost Mode from the Hexnode portal to restrict all your device functionalities. This helps you ensure that your data is safe even if it falls into the hands of intruders.
You can enable lost mode on it directly from the Hexnode portal. It is as follows:

Locating your lost devices with Hexnode

Once your device gets lost, what is the first and foremost thing you wonder about? If I’m right, you would probably wander around struggling to decipher the spot where you last saw your device. Well, it’s not that tough with Hexnode. All you need to do is enable the location tracking policy on all your devices, and you are freed of all device loss worries.
Configuring the location tracking policy from Hexnode is a no-brainer. It’s as follows:

Disabling lost mode with Hexnode

Once you have found your device, you have yet another small step left before you can get going. You need to disable the lost mode to make your device operational again. For this, the administrator needs to disable the lost mode from the Hexnode portal.
The lost mode can be disabled from the Hexnode portal as follows:

When the lost mode is enabled on the Windows device, all the device functionalities are disabled, and the device just displays the custom message, phone number and footnote. So, if anybody finds the device, they will have the owner’s information at their reach, making the return process even easier. Also, the locations traced by the device at periodic intervals are automatically updated to the portal, giving the admin a clearer picture of the location history and the device’s current location. Further, when the device is found, the admin can disable the lost mode from the hexnode portal restoring the device to the functional state that existed before the lost mode was enabled.

Safeguarding your Windows devices with Hexnode

In addition to the lost mode, Windows devices also offer many features that help you protect them even better. Some of these include:

Passwords

Passwords act as the first line of defense against all attempts of unauthorized access. Well, you guessed it right! The stronger the password, the greater your device will be safeguarded from hackers and malicious software. You can easily set criteria for passwords with Hexnode for all your corporate devices. With options to select password type, length along with others like minimum complex character, auto-lock password history etc., you can be assured of your corporate data safety.

How to enforce a password policy on managed devices

BitLocker

BitLocker is Microsoft’s built-in full volume encryption feature. It protects your data by scrambling it and curbing all chances of unauthorized access. But, enabling BitLocker for every single device manually can be a daunting task. Hexnode provides you a centralized way to configure BitLocker policies to your corporate devices in bulk. Not just that, it also helps store and manage your BitLocker recovery password on your Enterprise Azure directory. That means you won’t have to worry about losing passwords either!

What is device encryption and why do you need it?

Restrictions

Sometimes, the lack of checks and restrictions makes users fall directly into the invisible traps laid by malicious actors. So, it’s often advisable to set restrictions on features you are sure will pave the way for attacks or data loss. You can easily impose restrictions on device functionality, network connectivity, configurations, security and privacy settings, among others with Hexnode.

Remote actions

Even if you try to keep your device protected all day long, there may still arise chances of device loss. However, taking precautions is often the only option in enterprises as device or data loss can be detrimental in such an environment. Hexnode allows you to lock your Windows devices remotely and even wipe them in situations where you can’t find your lost device.

MDM remote access: The essential tool for real-time troubleshooting

Conclusion

In this current era of rising data loss and misuse, the importance of creating a secure environment for your corporate data can’t be emphasized more. As these are situations that don’t have a solution, the only way out is to stay equipped to face even the worst. Even the most secure systems have realized it and have begun implementing measures to reduce the impact of the worst probable situations.

Such endeavors in the corporate front mainly involve safeguarding corporate devices and their data, among other preventive measures like lost mode that aids in locating your device once they are lost or stolen. Hexnode’s lost mode in Windows, along with location tracking, has made it possible to track down your lost devices even when they are around the world.