Removing Company Email from Phone

[keystone_56]

Hello, I am about to switch jobs and need to knkw how to remove admin acess from my devices. I currently have company exchange accounts and a company G Drive loaded on all of my android devices. My question is should I do a factory reset or would just roving the accounts under settings work? I just need to avoid an admin spying or wiping my devices in the future. Thanks

 

[hallux]

If you have a company GDrive account, it sounds like the company is using GApps accounts. In that case you should be fine with just removing the relevant Google account from the device.

 

[smvim]

When your employer had the work-related services set up on your phone, was it a matter where you did the configuration changes yourself; or did you just hand your phone over, let them do what they wanted, and then picked up your phone when they were done with it later?
If the latter, I'm not saying they did or did not do anything more invasive, but once you give anyone physical possession of your phone, along with complete access to install anything they want, at that point there's nothing you can really do to determine just exactly was done to your phone. Really good spyware/malware does not reveal itself very easily, nor will be easily removable so consumer level anti-virus/anti-malware utilities are only going to give you a relatively low level of actual protection. Odds are nothing is going on, but the fact that your employer doesn't want to have your work-related accounts removed in-house (to document it's been done) is a little odd. A lot of places will have security procedures to follow for exiting staff.

 

[hallux]

Odds are nothing is going on, but the fact that your employer doesn't want to have your work-related accounts removed in-house (to document it's been done) is a little odd. A lot of places will have security procedures to follow for exiting staff.

Honestly, I don't see where the OP says this is the case. It may well be part of the exit interview but it's not yet known.

Honestly, I don't think the company really cares about spying on its employees after they leave the company. Of greater interest is protecting company information while the person works for the company.

 

[keystone_56]

In my case they would have a lot to gain looking in on my device after I leave. Specifically my contact list backed up to my personal email. The device was not handed over to them at any point. Only the following accounts were added. And if I remember correctly both had a lengthy permissions list when installing.

1. G Drive (I belive it is the Google suites).

2. A company Microsoft exchange email account.

 

[keystone_56]

I remember when another employee left in the past, they were able to wipe her device. If that were to happen, is it essentially a factory reset? Or could my employer alter personal accounts also loaded on the device?

 

[ManiacJoe]

Check the phone to see what kind of IT admin controls were added to the phone. These tools are not hidden and are not malicious, but they do need to be removed after you leave their employment. Your HR or IT department will know exactly where to point you to undo everything.

 

[keystone_56]

I'm my situation I can't let HR have my device. Where can I look up these controls?

 

[hallux]

Under Security in the device administrators. If the company installed a profile the administrator should only have access to wipe that profile, not the entire device. It entirely depends on the management used. Keep in mind, you likely had to agree to something when you agreed to register your device as a BYOD, that agreement likely includes language that allows them to wipe the device upon departure from the company if it is felt that it's warranted.

As for the "contact list backed up to personal email" - you may consider reviewing company security policies on that matter. Having personal contacts (even those made while working for the company) is one thing, having contacts on the company mail server is another and having contacts you made an effort to copy from the work email to your personal is yet another and MAY be a breach. Regardless - if the company suspects you took something using your phone, the BYOD agreement may well allow them to confiscate the device to scan it for company data.

In my case - I have done BYOD but the company is using an MDM server and has sandboxed the work apps so if I unenroll my device from the management console side it should not wipe the entire device, only the sandbox for work info.

 

[keystone_56]

Thanks for all the feedback.

 

[AxlMyk]

If you're really worried about it, do a factory reset and get it over with.