Secure passwords are a key component of any mobile security strategy. With mobile device management (MDM), you can easily define and enforce clear and consistent password policies for Android devices. In this article, you will learn how to create such policies step by step and optimize them to meet your company's requirements.
- If you want to create a new policy for Android, first proceed as described here.
- Select Android as the policy that you want to add.
- First enter a name for the policy in the field below as well as an optional description.
- Under Filter policies by enrollment method, select an enrollment type. In the example, the Work Profile on Company Owned Device type was selected.
- Then define your password policies (example in illus.).
- For the example, a low complexity device password and a high complexity work profile password are set.
- Under device, first activate the Force password checkbox (upper arrow in illus.).
- Then select, for example, the password complexity Low (lower arrow in illus.).
Note! We recommend using the predefined complexity buckets with password strengths Low, Medium or High. As of Android version 12, user-defined passwords can no longer be used for device passwords on devices with a work profile (BYOD, COPE).
- Then switch to the Work Profile button and select here, for example, password complexity High (upper arrow in illus.).
- Also remove the check mark from the checkbox Use one lock for work profile and device screen (lower arrow in illus.).
Note! If you want users of devices with a work profile to use a separate password for the work profile, set a stronger password for the work profile than for the device itself.
Close the dialog by clicking OK.
In the next step you need to assign the policy:
- Select the appropriate policy (left arrow in illus.) and click on Assign (right arrow in illus.).
- Now select the users, groups or devices to whom you would like to assign the policy.
Note! When assigning directives, be sure to follow the instructions in our Help article What are the special features of assigning multiple policies?.
Note! You can also assign the policies under Administration→ Users or Groups.
The outcome in the example: The users will be requested to define a compliant password/PIN for access to the device(s) (left illus.). As long as a sufficiently strong password has not been set, the work apps remain locked (right illus.).
