Android News
Droid OTA makes Exchange more secure but more annoying for some users
September 3, 2010 | by Andrew Kameka
Android, Productivity, Tools
Google and other members of the Open Handset Alliance want to attract more enterprise users, so making Microsoft Exchange support is paramount to that goal. The latest effort to secure Exchange has also made its use incredibly annoying to some Droid owners.
Androinica.com reader Jordan just let us know that when he applied the FRG22D, the latest Froyo build sent to his Droid in an OTA, his phone displayed the following prompt:
Activate device administrator?
- Erase all data: Perform a factory reset, deleting all of your data without any confirmation
- Limit Password: Restrict the types of passwords you are allowed to use.
- Watch login attempts: Monitor failed attempts to login to the device, to perform some action
- Force Lock: Control when device locks, requiring you re-enter its password.
Exchange veterans will know that this is a feature that has always been in Exchange but previously was unsupported in Android. However, the recent update has turned the feature and is required for use by default (unless network administrators make changes to settings).
Systems administrators are able to remotely lock or wipe devices as a way of securing data if a phone is lost or stolen. Unfortunately, device administrator has to be enabled to access Exchange email from personal phones as well. Would you want to hand over that kind of power to a personal device? Probably not, but you won’t have many options if you have a job that often requires mobile computing.
“I will no longer be using my Droid for my business email,” Jordan told me. Despite being in favor of this new measure as a security tool, he’s going back to a BlackBerry Curve for work-related email.
“It isn’t Android’s fault,” he said. “Those settings are set within our network, not by the Android OS. Android only allows for those settings to be utilized.”
Frequently entering PIN codes is another inconvenient side effect of the new update. Another person who I spoke to complained of having to enter in his PIN every time his phone sleeps. A quick look around forums I visit turned up other Droid users complaining about this problem and resolving to purchase a Touchdown license.
If the recent FRG22D update has made Exchange annoying for use on your Droid, contact your system/network administrators and see what can be done to better balance security needs and your preferences.
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Get touchdown. Been using it for over a year. Rock solid. Great support. Gets rid of all those annoying policies and lets you keep control of your phone.
Touchdown is well worth the cost. You will have to use a pin to access touchdown but not the phone. As long as you don't add your corp email to the phone's built in accounts then the security measures won't activate on the phone. Thankfully Touchdown has no way to take over your phone so it can only secure the app. Also, Touchdown displays emails so much better than the built in client and the calendar widget is far better.
Touchdown will let them keep their Android and not go back to an annoying BlackBerry. Will still need to use your pin- but only to open Touchdown. It doesn't lock your phone.
I can't even access Exchange now after the 2.2 update: http://androidforums.com/droid-support-troublesho…
Update: I finally got it working using a 3rd party app called "Improved email" that took me to the PIN creation setup screen (I'm assuming this is where my Droid kept crashing) Here's the solution that worked for me if your Droid is crashing trying to connect to Exchange: https://supportforums.motorola.com/message/230513… http://androidforums.com/motorola-droid/146006-ex…
I am going to have a spare Droid to test the remote wipe feature soon. My concern from a security perspective is that once it is wiped, I assume that all of the contacts data is going to be readily available on Google's servers to restore to your device which could be a concern for companies.
I've tested the remote wipe feature in my environment. Literally takes only a few seconds the phone to get the signal and bang, your phone starts rebooting and comes up as if you just unboxed the phone for teh first time. 15 minutes later, all of my apps, contacts etc… were pushed back out to my phone. I use my own personal Android phone for work email. I have an original Droid. The new Droid 2 with a corporate plan did not result in the same outcome. Testing the remote wipe on the D2 continued to work as previously described, only there was no restore of anything from Google's servers. I do not know as of yet if this was due to the user being new and only have a few apps installed (no paid apps). However, I thought at least the contacts would be pushed back out. This was not the case. End result is that testing across even similar phones seems to show many differences. Moto has their overlay on the D2 so there are quiet a few changes in how you interact vs. what the original Droid has. Still… you'd think there'd be some continuity.
Good God people! This is NOT an exchange issue. It's FRG22D! I am the exchange admin with over 60,000 users so I know a little about exchange. I have disabled the sync policy and FRG22D still requires a password. The ONLY time the policy will change is when the sync policy is 5 charcters or more. FRG22D is retarded when it comes to unsderstanding exchange sync policies andMotorola/Verizon/Google is clueless if they think it's an exchange problem!
I just got this in Android 2.2.1 for Nexus One (T-Mobile USA). It's my personal phone, so I'm not going to use my work ActiveSync anymore.
thanks for this content My recent post Face Unlock : features to Take On “Siri” iPhone 4S