What is Samsung Knox, and how does it work?

Samsung devices dominate enterprise mobility. But deploying them at scale without understanding the security layer underneath them is a risk most IT teams don’t take. Samsung Knox is built into those devices, and knowing what it does (and what it doesn’t) will directly shape how you manage your fleet.

What is Samsung Knox?

Samsung Knox is a multi-layered, defense-grade security technology built directly into Samsung devices for advanced data protection. It comes pre-installed on most Samsung Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and rugged devices. It is designed to protect personal and enterprise data from malicious attacks through both hardware and software authentication, the moment the device boots up.

Knox creates a secure, isolated environment on the device that separates personal and work data, enforces policies, and ensures OS integrity. It helps combat security and privacy challenges across Samsung devices, accessing sensitive data and apps. It’s not a third-party app or a software add-on. It is deeply embedded into the chipset of Samsung devices right from the manufacturing stage, which is what makes it different from most mobile security solutions.

Key Samsung Knox features for enterprise security 

1. Firewall policy enhancement 

It uses Knox API to block all IP addresses on particular devices, or allow users to access selected domains even if they’re blocked through firewall policies.  

2. DualDAR 

DualDAR (Dual Data-at-Rest) provides security through two layers of encryption, which are independent and protect enterprise data, even when the device is turned off or in an unauthenticated state. 

3. Separate IMEs

It enhances security and user experience by allowing users to choose their own input method editor (IME) or keyboard on their personal profile without posing a risk to the work profile. Users can choose any third-party IMEs, which are kept separate from the one used in the workspace to prevent data leakage. 

4. Knox attestation 

It provides remote capabilities to evaluate device health and integrity, ensuring they are not rooted, compromised, tampered with, or running on unauthorized firmware. 

5. Knox browser 

It is a configurable, secure web browser that IT teams can configure, with settings such as a defined homepage and bookmarking websites for work. IT teams can also implement other policies, such as hide URL UX, block/allowlist, and links to other apps.  

6. Update devices with the latest firmware 

It enables IT teams to securely deploy the latest firmware version and other security updates remotely on devices without any user interaction. 

7. Security center

It lets you track vulnerabilities across a Samsung device fleet from a single console. You can identify which devices need security patch updates, are at risk, and have failed the Knox attestation. 

Benefits of Samsung Knox for enterprises 

1. Government-grade security at your fingertips 

Samsung Knox delivers powerful, government-grade security backed by hardware-level protection from the chip itself. It offers advanced security capabilities designed to meet the highest standards, ensuring strong protection across devices. Key features include Common Criteria Mode, which instantly transforms devices into CC-compliant systems. This allows IT teams to enforce strict configurations, such as blocking bootloader download mode and enabling compulsory key zeroization. Additional protections include DualDAR, which provides an extra layer of encryption using private cryptography to secure sensitive data. Universal Credential Management enables unified control of credentials across multiple storage types, improving security and accessibility.

For industries such as defense, finance, and healthcare, Knox-enabled devices offer a security baseline that is independently verified and ready for deployment.

2. Advanced granular control for ultra-modern security 

Knox provides granular controls that are native to Samsung devices, which also helps separate business and personal apps even on COPE devices. IT admins can remotely check if any device has been compromised. 

Through Knox SDK, IT admins can enforce tailored configurations and advanced VPN settings beyond the normal standards, such as non-bypassable VPN, VPN chaining, VPN over tethering, and HTTP Proxy over VPN. 

This granularity is essential for a diverse device fleet serving different roles; for example, a field technician doesn’t need the same access profile as a finance team member. 

3. Hardware-level regulations

Leverage Samsung Knox’s advanced hardware-level controls to manage devices with precision and flexibility. This includes the ability to remap hardware keys for instant access to specific apps or tasks. Enforce strict control over device settings, such as automatically enabling or disabling a setting, preventing user modifications, or completely hiding certain settings.

Additionally, policies can be extended to DeX mode to optimize the mobile desktop experience. Enable critical system-level protections, like blocking unauthorized device wipes or custom ROM installations, for robust security and compliance.

4. Integration with EMM solutions 

Integrate with major EMM solutions to simplify device management and improve accessibility. This enables zero-day support for the latest Knox features directly within your EMM, ensuring you always have immediate access to new capabilities.

Knox also ensures consistent feature availability across different EMM platforms, providing a uniform management experience. Additionally, it supports multiple deployment modes, including fully managed CODs, COPE, and BYOD. 

Is Samsung Knox right for your organization?

Samsung Knox is well-suited for organizations that need strong hardware-backed security, data separation between work and personal profiles, and granular control over device behavior. 

It’s particularly valuable for companies with compliance obligations that require security controls at the device level, such as government, healthcare, logistics, or finance. 

If your organization deploys Samsung devices, Knox is already part of your environment, whether you use it or not. 

The question isn’t whether to use Knox; it’s whether you’re using it effectively.

Knox provides both a strong device security foundation and a suite of management tools for Samsung devices. However, for organizations managing multi-platform fleets or requiring advanced enterprise integrations, a broader MDM solution is typically used alongside or instead of Knox.

Key differences: Samsung Knox suite vs  MDM 

Samsung Knox Suite is Samsung’s own bundle of enterprise tools that includes Knox Manage, Knox E-FOTA, Knox Asset Intelligence, and others. 

Here are some major differences between Samsung Knox Suite and an MDM solution. 

Features	Samsung Knox Suite	MDM
What it is	A comprehensive bundle of multiple Samsung-specific tools for the entire device lifecycle.	A standalone software app primarily focused on strict and customized policy enforcement, from device enrollment to retirement.
Security depth	Provides hardware-level protection (chip-up) that is physically built into the device.	Operates mainly at the software level, managing apps and configurations within the OS, and enforces hardware-level policies.
Profile creation	Technical: Settings are often nested in complex menus or require manual configuration files.	Visual: Easy toggle switches and dropdowns are available for every setting.
Initial experience	Steep & fragmented: Need to navigate multiple portals (Knox Admin, KME, Knox Manage), each with its own logic.	Flat & unified: One login, one dashboard for a seamless experience. A “Wizard” guides users through the initial setup.
Remote control	Built-in Knox Remote Support with hardware-level interaction.	Built-in remote cast and control with VoIP calling for troubleshooting.
Kiosk capabilities	Provides features that can completely disable physical buttons, but only for Samsung devices.	Offers similar features with remote control, live feedback, customized branding, pre-built kiosk modes, and flexible policies.
Customer support	Support typically goes through standard enterprise channels or resellers.  Advanced support requires a separate ETS account or premium plan.	Complimentary, personalized premium support, mostly across all pricing plans.
Device support	Purpose-built and optimized for Samsung Galaxy devices.	Typically, platform, device, and ownership-agnostic, centralizing management from a single console.

Why your enterprise needs MDM for your Samsung Knox devices

Samsung Knox secures the device, but an MDM solution manages your entire device fleet. If your device fleet is exclusively Samsung, Knox Suite covers the basics. But most enterprises run mixed-OS environments or need capabilities that go beyond what Knox Suite offers natively. This is where a dedicated MDM solution becomes the more scalable choice.

Knox ensures that the device is safe, data is encrypted, and a secure workspace is enforced. An MDM platform handles management at scale, including enrollment, OS updates, policy distribution, app management, remote actions, compliance monitoring, and reporting across a range of platforms (not just Android) and thousands of devices (not just Samsung). 

Without an MDM, IT teams are essentially managing Knox-enabled devices manually or through fragmented tools, some of which are automated. This management approach doesn’t scale. 

An MDM that integrates with Knox APIs can unlock the full depth of Knox’s capabilities while giving admins a single pane of glass to manage the entire fleet.

Key features of Samsung Knox MDM

1. Enrollment

A Samsung Knox MDM solution enables IT teams to bulk onboard devices through zero-touch KME or QR-based enrollment. It empowers IT teams to pre-configure company policies, Wi-Fi, VPN settings, and app access from the moment a device is first booted. 

2. Remote monitoring & troubleshooting

IT admins can remotely view, manage, and resolve device issues. This reduces the need to access the device physically and shortens its downtime, improving the operational workflow. 

3. Kiosk mode 

A Samsung Knox MDM can lock all your devices into a single or multi-app kiosk mode. This turns your standard device into a dedicated kiosk, which helps with productivity, usability, and prevents misuse. 

4. DeepDive analytics

A Samsung Knox MDM provides quick yet deep insights into all your device inventory, including a summary of enrolled devices (platform-wise), the exact number of active and inactive devices, and more. 

5. Location tracking & geofencing 

Real-time location tracking allows organizations to monitor where devices are at any given time and also view the historical route of a device. Enterprises can create and apply geofences for devices and monitor whenever a device enters or leaves the predefined area. 

6. Compliance 

With a Samsung Knox MDM solution, organizations have continuous visibility into device status and user activity, which helps them maintain regulatory compliance and detect potential risks. Organizations can also automate instant alerts whenever a policy violation, security risk, or unusual activity takes place. 

7. Groups & subgroups 

Devices can be grouped together for easy management. This is especially useful when multiple teams use multiple devices across different locations. Policies can be enforced at both group and subgroup levels. 

8. Factory Reset Protection (FRP)

With a Samsung Knox MDM solution, unauthorized factory resets can be restricted by blocking the feature, protecting sensitive data and devices.

9. SD card & storage encryption 

A Samsung Knox MDM solution helps protect data and prevent unauthorized access via features like endpoint DLP, USB blocking, disabling SD card usage, or enforcing SD card encryption. 

10. Disable hardware keys 

Organizations can prevent device misuse, block hardware keys, the power button, volume keys, screen navigation, and even restrict screen capture and sharing using a Samsung Knox MDM platform. 

Benefits of Samsung Knox MDM

1. Centralized management 

Enroll, configure, monitor, and manage every device in the Samsung fleet, regardless of location, from a centralized, intuitive dashboard. IT teams can now spend more time on fleet-level strategy, instead of being overwhelmed by individual device issues. 

2. Compliance readiness 

Leverage Knox Platform for Enterprise (KPE) to enforce policies and maintain enterprise-grade compliance. With built-in compliance workflows, audit logs, and reporting capabilities, make compliance demonstration easy for frameworks like GDPR or HIPAA. Automated enforcement ensures compliance isn’t dependent on manual checks.

3. Enterprise-grade security 

Integrate an MDM’s capabilities with Knox’s hardware-level security to build a layered defense that covers all fronts: device, OS, app layer, and network. Such a security posture is mainly expected by enterprise risk teams.

4. App management 

Push, update, restrict, or remove apps remotely. Keep your devices work-ready at all times and improve productivity with effortless app management. Silently install apps on devices, which means employees don’t need to take action; the right apps appear on their devices automatically. With app allowlisting and blocklisting, ensure only approved software runs on corporate devices. 

5. Knox Service Plugin (KSP) support

Enforce granular Samsung Knox policies easily by integrating KSP, which is a lightweight Device Policy Controller. It empowers IT teams to apply advanced Samsung-specific device policies. It also provides seamless access to other Knox platform features for enhanced device security and management.

Effortlessly manage your Samsung Knox devices with Scalefusion

Samsung Knox secures the hardware and the OS. An MDM manages devices end-to-end throughout their entire lifecycle, including enrollment, policy enforcement, security, compliance monitoring, remote actions, and reporting. Together, they give enterprise IT teams the control and visibility they need to deploy and manage Samsung devices at scale without compromising on security. 

Samsung Knox is a powerful security foundation, but it works best when paired with a capable MDM solution like Scalefusion. As an Android Enterprise Recommended EMM solution and Android Enterprise Gold Partner, Scalefusion Samsung Knox management meets all key management capabilities and provides top-notch security for all Android devices, including Samsung. 

If you’re evaluating how to effectively manage your Samsung fleet, the right question isn’t whether to use Knox; it’s which MDM solution gives you the most compatibility with it.

FAQs

1. Is Scalefusion a Samsung Knox Manage alternative?

Yes. Scalefusion supports Samsung Knox APIs and provides enterprise device management capabilities that go beyond what Knox Manage offers natively. This includes advanced analytics, multi-OS support, kiosk configurations, and more granular compliance controls. Organizations looking for a more feature-complete MDM to manage their Samsung fleet can use Scalefusion as an alternative.

2. Do I need separated apps on Samsung Knox?

Not necessarily. Samsung Knox is built into Samsung devices, so many of its core security and enterprise features are already available without installing anything extra. However, whether you need separate apps depends on what you’re trying to do. Basic Knox protections and device-level controls work out of the box, but if you want to manage devices at scale, enforce policies, deploy apps, or monitor an entire fleet, you’ll typically use a separate MDM/EMM solution that integrates with Knox.

3. Is Samsung Knox a MDM?

No, Samsung Knox is not a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution. It is a built-in security and enterprise mobility framework developed by Samsung that focuses on protecting devices and enabling enterprise-grade controls at the operating system and hardware level. MDM solutions, on the other hand, are designed to manage the full lifecycle of devices, such as enrolling devices, deploying apps, enforcing policies, and monitoring usage across an entire fleet. Samsung Knox works alongside MDM platforms to strengthen security and provide deeper device-level controls, but it does not perform full device management on its own.

4. How do I use Samsung Knox?

Knox is pre-installed on most Samsung Galaxy devices. On the enterprise side, IT admins use Knox through an MDM solution that integrates with Knox APIs. Policies are configured in the MDM console and pushed to devices automatically. End users interact with the Knox workspace as they would with any other app or profile on their device.