SkieWhich Skie hardening protections are on by default and which are optional?
Most Skie protections are on by default, including blocks on factory reset, safe mode, developer options, uninstalling Skie, adding users, VPN setup and USB file transfer. The optional ones are lock accounts, lock Wi-Fi settings, block SD cards, turn off cloud backup, disable USB data, block all app installs, camera, Bluetooth, screenshots, SMS, outgoing calls, NFC, Wi-Fi Direct and wallpaper.
The default set is chosen so a new organisation is protected from the first device onward. It covers the ways a student could loosen a tablet: resetting it, booting into safe mode, turning on developer options, uninstalling or stopping Skie, adding another user or profile, changing date and time, setting up a VPN or a private DNS, installing certificates, and using accessibility apps or default-app changes to work around the rules. USB file transfer is also off by default.
The optional set is different. These are protections that change what the device is for. Disabling the camera or Bluetooth is right for an exam tablet and wrong for a photography class. Blocking all app installs suits a fixed-purpose device but not one where a teacher adds apps. Locking Wi-Fi settings helps when the school network is fixed but gets in the way of a device that travels between campuses.
Every one of these is a separate policy switch, so you can turn an optional one on without touching anything else, and you can turn a default one off for a specific group if you have a reason. The dashboard shows the current state for each device.
Practical tip: roll out with the defaults first, watch the compliance score for a week, then add optional switches one at a time. Changing one thing at a time makes it obvious which switch caused any question from a teacher.