At the Mobile World Congress, Samsung unveiled the next version of its enterprise security client, Samsung Knox 2.0. The utility will be available to all Samsung devices that run Android 4.4 KitKat, but comes with a set of features that are available only on the Galaxy S5. The utility takes advantage of the finger scanner on the Galaxy S5 to create a two-factor biometric authentication system that allows users to scan their fingerprint and then enter their unlock code to unlock their device. In addition, the utility lets users create two distinct secure containers on each device, which gives them the ability to separate work files from personal data. Knox 2.0 comes with a real-time scanner that checks the Linux kernel for any malware infections.
Samsung has also launched the Knox Marketplace, from which enterprises can discover and install Knox services and other SaaS offerings. The Enterprise Mobility Management initiative is targeted at small to medium sized businesses. The utility features a cloud-based admin console that gives IT admins the ability to monitor enterprise mobile devices, user identities and set user access privileges as needed. Knox 2.0 comes pre-installed on the Galaxy S5, and can be downloaded on other devices running Android 4.4 KitKat. Samsung claims that there are over 1 million Knox users, and that number will only increase once the Galaxy S5 starts selling.