WithSecure Elements EPP for Mobiles (Without VPN) Company Managed

What is included in WithSecure Elements EPP for Mobiles (Without VPN) Company Managed?

Reputation-based browsing – Blocks harmful, suspicious and newly registered domains across all browsers.
SMS protection – Scans incoming texts for unsafe links and malicious QR codes.
Android malware protection – Automatic scans after app updates, device restarts and SD card mounts.
Anti-tracking – Blocks tracking domains used by advertisers and cyber criminals.
Elements Security Center – Cloud console for invitations, protection profiles and the mobile device overview.
Important – Not an MDM; OS version and encryption policies require a separate MDM.

What are the main benefits of WithSecure Elements EPP for Mobiles (Without VPN) Company Managed?

WithSecure Elements EPP for Mobiles (Without VPN) Company Managed is the iOS and Android component of WithSecure Elements Endpoint Protection, administered by your own IT team in the cloud-based Elements Security Center rather than by a reseller. The product line was previously sold under the F-Secure brand as F-Secure Elements Mobile Protection, before the business division was renamed WithSecure in 2022.

Browser-independent filtering – Protection works at network level, whichever browser employees choose to use.
Local URL checking – A local VPN profile checks URLs; traffic is not rerouted externally.
Invitation-based rollout – Email invitations let staff install and activate without an IT visit.
Silent Intune activation – Intune grants app permissions and the VPN profile without user interaction.
Lockable settings – Admins can lock profile settings so users cannot switch protection off.
Local SMS analysis – On iOS, text messages are analysed on the device and never uploaded.

Which company size is WithSecure Elements EPP for Mobiles (Without VPN) Company Managed suitable for?

The Company Managed variant suits organisations that want their own IT team, or one responsible person, to handle mobile protection directly in Elements Security Center. Small businesses without an MDM can roll it out by email invitation alone. Medium and large companies usually deploy it through an existing MDM such as Microsoft Intune, which also handles the device policies this product does not cover.

Does WithSecure Elements EPP for Mobiles (Without VPN) Company Managed meet the requirements of Swiss cybersecurity legislation?

Under the revised Information Security Act, operators of critical infrastructure, for example in energy, healthcare, transport, telecommunications and parts of the public sector, must report cyberattacks to the Federal Office for Cybersecurity (BACS) within 24 hours of discovery. Most SMEs outside these sectors are not directly subject to this obligation, but often encounter it indirectly through requirements from customers who are. The product supports the preventive side on mobile devices by blocking phishing sites and malicious SMS links before an employee enters credentials, and by detecting malware on Android. Elements Security Center also shows which mobile devices are enrolled and protected, which helps when you need to establish the state of a device quickly. The product does not file reports, does not provide forensic analysis of mobile devices, and does not cover computers, servers or cloud accounts. This description does not constitute legal advice; please have your specific obligations assessed by a qualified specialist.

Does WithSecure Elements EPP for Mobiles (Without VPN) Company Managed meet the requirements of European cybersecurity legislation?

No product makes a company compliant with the NIS 2 Directive, because the directive requires organisational risk-management measures, not only software. NIS 2 lists measure categories including incident handling, business continuity, supply chain security, basic cyber hygiene and training, cryptography and encryption, asset management and access control, and the use of multi-factor authentication. This product contributes to cyber hygiene by blocking phishing and malicious links on smartphones, and to asset management by giving a central overview of protected mobile devices. It does not enforce device encryption, does not provide multi-factor authentication, backup or continuity functions, and does not handle incident reporting. Those gaps need to be closed with an MDM, identity management and documented processes.

Does WithSecure Elements EPP for Mobiles (Without VPN) Company Managed help with security questionnaires from large customers?

Yes, for the mobile-specific questions, but not for the whole questionnaire. It lets you answer yes to questions such as whether company smartphones have protection against phishing and malicious websites, whether Android devices have anti-malware protection, and whether mobile protection is centrally administered with settings users cannot disable. It does not answer questions about enforced device encryption, minimum OS versions, remote wipe of lost devices, multi-factor authentication, or detection and response on workstations and servers. Malware scanning on iPhones is also not part of the product, so an honest answer for iOS covers web and SMS protection only. For device policies, WithSecure explicitly relies on a separate MDM such as Microsoft Intune. For workstations and servers, extending within the WithSecure Elements family keeps everything in the same Elements Security Center, which is usually simpler than adding another vendor's console.

What is the difference between Company Managed and Partner Managed?

The decisive difference is who administers the subscription. With Company Managed, your own IT team works in Elements Security Center, creates the protection profiles and handles invitations. With Partner Managed, a reseller partner manages the subscription on your behalf and can apply partner-level profiles across its customers. A change between the two models is requested through the partner. When moving from Partner Managed to Company Managed, profiles created by the partner must first be cloned into your own company, otherwise devices lose them.

Which limitations should you know before buying?

The protection scope differs by platform: Android devices get browsing, SMS, network and malware protection, while iOS devices get browsing, SMS and network protection without malware scanning. WithSecure ended the full-network VPN for Elements Mobile Protection on 25 April 2024; the app now creates only a local VPN profile to check URLs, so buyers who need an encrypted tunnel on public Wi-Fi must plan a separate VPN solution. Reputation-based browsing only works when network protection is turned on, and without an MDM each user must approve the required permissions and the VPN profile on the device. The product is not a mobile device management system, so policies such as minimum OS version or device encryption require an MDM, which is the most common follow-up purchase. No region-restricted features were found in the manufacturer documentation.

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Frequently asked questions about WithSecure Elements EPP for Mobiles (Without VPN) Company Managed

Can it be used on personally owned Android phones?

Yes. WithSecure documents deployment through Microsoft Intune with the Android Enterprise profile type for personally owned devices with a work profile, which is the usual setup for BYOD scenarios.

Which MDM solutions are supported for deployment?

WithSecure provides deployment instructions for Microsoft Intune, VMware Workspace ONE, Google Workspace, IBM MaaS360, Ivanti Endpoint Management, Miradore and Samsung Knox. Without an MDM, devices are added by email invitation from Elements Security Center.