4 Questions to Help You Ensure Your Mobile CRM’s Security

In today’s business environment, where more people are working remote than ever before, businesses need a way to centralize customer data and make it accessible on the go, from anywhere. For nearly every company, this means a CRM platform with a mobile app.

According to a recent Mobile CRM Market report by Future Market Insights, modern businesses are placing customer satisfaction at the top of their priority list and are actively seeking fine-grained insights for their sales realms to access on the go. This, in turn, is preparing the grounds for high-scale adoption of mobile CRM platforms across the globe through 2029.

While accessibility from any device at any time is a powerful advantage, it requires added security to protect the valuable information housed in your CRM. When properly managed, CRM data is an important asset to your business. So as you consider introducing mobile CRM use to your team’s daily tech stack, make sure both your CRM provider and your team understand and meet data security and customer data privacy standards. It’s important to your customers and it should be important to you. 

Here are the top four mobile security questions to ask your CRM provider:

1. How do you manage mobile CRM security? Start with the basics. Make sure your CRM uses the same high security standards across all applications, including mobile. Check to see if your CRM has been independently assessed for compliance to SOC 2 Type 2 for secure data management and customer privacy. Double-check the company’s compliance with EU-U.S. Privacy Shield and the General Date Protection Regulation (GDPR).

2. Is there an option for custom user permissions? This may seem pretty straightforward at first, but access is about more than just the number of users on your platform. If your CRM provider uses unified endpoint security solutions, then you’ll be able to control user permissions and role-based access to CRM data consistently across all devices. It’s great to bring cross-functional teams together using a single source of truth on customer data, but not every person in your organization needs access to all of the details of every account and project. Make sure your mobile CRM app can capture different user roles with the added security, so that each role only sees the information that is relevant to their work.

3. What are ongoing proactive security measures? While adherence to established data management and customer privacy standards is non-negotiable, you want a CRM provider to continuously improve overall security rather than just respond to malicious threats. If you are in a highly regulated vertical, like finance or healthcare, you may need custom security solutions and ongoing maintenance.

4. Are there any safeguards against employee oversight? While a mobile CRM offers freedom, convenience, and speed, it comes with certain risks. Your mobile CRM can be used as an entry point into your core CRM system. Phones and tablets get stolen or lost. So in addition to user permissions management, double-check that your mobile CRM has robust user authentication and end-to-end encryption. On your part, include mobile CRM usage best practices in your internal customer data management and user guidelines.

Depending on your industry, you may need a CRM provider with custom security solutions. There are also a few auxiliary things to consider, such as user interface (UI) and integrations, that can impact a mobile CRM’s security. Even though modern CRMs are able to balance user interface with security measures without sacrificing the quality of either, make sure that your mobile CRM app was designed for security, not just to please the eye.

It takes a lot to keep data safe, secure, and accurate. It takes only one data leak or data breach to ruin a company’s reputation and hard-earned trust with the customer. Take your mobile CRM security seriously and you’ll set up your team and business for long-term success. 

Tony Kavanagh is chief marketing officer of Insightly, which provides scalable CRM software for companies to go beyond transactions and grow lasting customer relationships. Kavanagh is responsible for the company’s go to market strategy and execution, focusing on small, midsize, and enterprise businesses. Prior to Insightly, Kavanagh held CMO roles at Actian, DataStax, and Desk, a Salesforce company. He holds a bachelor’s degree from University College, Dublin; a Master’s of Business Studies from the Smurfit Graduate School of Business; and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accounts.