settings, called payloads, that you want included. Figure 3-6 shows the payload for passwords.
Figure 3-6: Setting up a configuration file in Apple Configurator on the Mac.
You then connect devices to the Mac running Apple Configurator and click Install Profiles in the Prepare pane to select the attached devices to install the profiles to.
Then there’s the $20 OS X Server application (available from the Mac App Store), which lets you remotely apply the same policies and configurations as the Apple Configuration Utility to Macs and iOS devices does. It works like the Apple Configurator, except that it ties into your company’s user directory, which requires some IT administrator expertise to use.
Both the OS X Server and an MDM tool can create configuration files that set up various security and management settings so that users don’t have to do the manual work – and so that IT can ensure that everyone has the correct settings. If you access those configuration files via links on web pages, through OS X Server’s remote delivery feature, or as email attachments, you’ll have to confirm the installation of the configuration file on your iPad, as Figure 3-7 shows.
Figure 3-7: A configuration file has to be accepted by the user to be installed.
Configuration files can be managed in the Settings app. Go to the bottom of the General pane and tap Profile to see a list of installed configurations. Tap a profile to get more details on it, as well as to get to the Delete Profile button. (But note that configuration files can be made undeletable by the user, so not all profiles will offer the Delete Profile button.)
Exploring VPN Connections
You’ve no doubt read the stories about hackers lurking in cafes and lounges that have public Wi-Fi access, using sniffer tools to intercept the communication between computing devices and the Wi-Fi hotspot so that they can pull out usernames and passwords that they can then sell to criminals.
The Wi-Fi snooping risk is real, though greatly exaggerated. A better target, after all, is your home network, where an attacker can camp out nearby and know it’s your information he’s getting. This is something that a high-level exec or rich family might be targeted for. (That’s why you should always use secured networks at home, as described later in this chapter.)
So, many companies insist that you use a virtual private network (VPN) to access at least some of their systems when connecting via the Internet. A VPN provides a secure connection between your device and the corporate server, even if you connect via a network that your IT departments doesn’t manage – including public hotspots, your home network, and hotel networks.
The iPad has built-in support for VPNs, including the popular Cisco IPSec variant. You set up VPN access by going to the Settings app and then following these steps:
1. Go to the General screen.
2. Scroll down until you see VPN; then tap it.
3. In the screen that opens, tap Add VPN Configuration.
4. Select the type of VPN from the tabs at the top; then fill in the required information (your IT department will need to provide it).
Figure 3-8 shows such a setup screen.
5. Tap Save.
Figure 3-8: Configuring a VPN.
To enable the VPN, set the switch at the top of the VPN screen to On. After that, you’ll see the VPN option at the top-left portion of the Settings app, so you can easily turn it on or off. When you turn the VPN on, you may be required to enter a password, based on the VPN’s settings.
Your iPad will work normally when an VPN is active. All that’s different is that you can use some corporate resources unavailable when the VPN is not on. However, the use of a VPN can slow down your Internet activities because all communications is going through your company network first. That’s a good reason to turn the VPN on only when you need to use it.
You can have more than one VPN installed, as Figure 3-9 shows. But only one can be active at any one time. In the VPN screen, the one that has a check mark is the one that is turned off and on via the switch at the top of the VPN screen. To change the active VPN, turn off the VPN, select a different one from the list, and turn the VPN back on.
Figure 3-9: The checked VPN is the one that is enabled when you turn the VPN feature on.
Adopting Best Security Practices
You should take several steps to keep your iPad secure. After all, it’s got a treasure trove of information on it that you don’t want to lose or have fall into the wrong hands.
So be sure to adopt the security best practices recommended in this section in addition to the work/business separation practices earlier in this chapter, the use of VPNs also described earlier, and the backup process described in Chapter 2. And, of course, know where your iPad is!
Require a password
Every iPad should have a password enabled so that a stranger can’t just wake your iPad and get access to your documents, apps, bookmarks, and so on. If your iPad doesn’t have a password already set up, go to the Settings app to do so:
1. Tap Passcode to open the Passcode Lock screen, shown in Figure 3-10.
2. Tap Turn Passcode On.
3. Enter
