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remote wipe

Definition

remote wipe

Remote wipe is a security feature that allows a network administrator or device owner to send a command to a computing device and delete data.

What remote wipe accomplishes can depend on the device, its specific operating system version and any third-party mobile device management (MDM) software installed on the device. A remote wipe may delete data in selected folders, repeatedly overwrite stored data to prevent forensic recovery, return the device to factory settings or remove all programming on the device, essentially turning it into a brick, meaning that it is no longer of any use to anyone.

In the enterprise, remote wipe capabilities are available natively on most smartphones and tablets through Exchange ActiveSync. Third-party MDM products also offer this technology, as do consumer-focused apps, such as Apple’s Find My iPhone. To remote wipe a laptop, it must have specific security software installed.

Remote wipe contrasts with local wipe (also called auto wipe), a security feature that wipes a mobile device after a pre-specified number of failed login attempts or moves outside of a defined physical boundary (see geofencing).

See also: kill switch

Related glossary terms: Microsoft Network Access Protection (NAP), context-aware network access control, Mobile Active Defense (MAD), endpoint security management, micro-virtualization, PIN lock, mobile information management (MIM), RPC over HTTP

Contributor(s): Colin Steele

This was last updated in December 2012

Posted by: Margaret Rouse

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