1️⃣ What is device synchronization for?
👉 Synchronizing your fleet offers several benefits:
View, on each employee's profile, the devices seen recently along with their operating system and version
Know who is up to date and who is falling behind on their updates
Automatically target the DarkSword course to potentially exposed employees, without unnecessarily prompting those whose device is safe
👍 Good to know: as with employee synchronization, Riot only requests read access to your devices. Any data missing from your directory (Google or Microsoft) cannot be surfaced in Riot.
2️⃣ Prerequisites
💡 Prerequisite: an active Google Workspace or Microsoft directory synchronization. If this isn't yet the case, start with the article Synchronize my employees.
3️⃣ Enabling device synchronization
👉 Step 1 — Open synchronization
You can also access it directly from Settings > Team
👉 Step 2 — Connect a provider
Two providers are supported:
Google Workspace
Microsoft
Use an administrator account to finalize the connection and accept the requested permissions (read-only).
👉 Step 3 — Launch (or wait for) synchronization
Once a provider is connected, Riot immediately launches a first synchronization. It then runs again automatically every day. You can also trigger a manual synchronization at any time from the configuration screen.
4️⃣ What Riot displays on the employee profile
On an employee's profile, Riot displays the devices seen recently, from most recent to oldest. For each device, you can find:
The name and type of device (mobile, computer, tablet)
The operating system and its version
The model and manufacturer
The management, compliance, and encryption statuses
The first and last activity dates
💡 Note: only devices seen within the last 60 days appear on employee profiles. An older device will therefore not be displayed.
5️⃣ The DarkSword course
DarkSword is a short awareness course that explains the risk associated with an exploit kit targeting un-updated iOS devices, and invites the affected employees to take action.
👉 Automatic targeting
When device synchronization is enabled, Riot automatically builds an audience of employees potentially affected by DarkSword. Included are:
Employees whose recent iOS device runs on an iOS version from 18.4 to 18.7
Employees for whom Riot has no mobile visibility — as a precaution, so that the course asks them directly which device they use
Employees with a recent and safe iOS version, or with an Android mobile device only, are not included by the iOS vulnerability criterion.
👉 A personalized course
The course adapts to what Riot knows about the employee's device:
iPhone or iPad on iOS 18.4–18.7 → the course flags the possible exposure and invites the user to update
Apple device on a safe version → the course reassures and encourages staying up to date
Android device only → the course specifies that this specific iOS risk does not apply
No known mobile data → the course asks the employee whether they use an iPhone or iPad and to specify their version
6️⃣ Deploying DarkSword: the steps to follow
Connect Google Workspace or Microsoft from the device configuration.
Wait for the first synchronization to complete, then open a few employee profiles to verify that recent devices are properly surfacing.
Check the preconfigured DarkSword audience from the course.
Add the DarkSword course to your program or share the course manually.
Track the course's progress and the synchronization status during the first few days.
💡 Prerequisite: if you had already defined a custom audience for DarkSword, Riot keeps it and does not replace it. So check the audience before launching the course.
7️⃣ Troubleshooting common issues
"No devices appear on the profiles"
No provider is connected yet, or synchronization is still in progress.
The provider's permissions are missing or have been revoked.
The devices have not been seen within the last 60 days.
The devices cannot be linked to a Riot employee (matching by email address for Google; a Microsoft device shared by several users is ignored, as the owner cannot be reliably determined).
"The DarkSword group seems too broad to me"
This is intentional: the audience also includes employees for whom Riot does not yet have mobile visibility. This is a safety net, not a list of people confirmed as vulnerable. For stricter targeting, wait until synchronization coverage improves, or check the audience before launching the course.
"Google or Microsoft synchronization error"
Verify that the requested permissions have indeed been granted to Riot on the provider's side.
Reconnect the directory with an administrator account if Riot indicates that the connection must be re-established.
To remember
Device synchronization (Devices) gives read-only visibility into your employees' fleet via Google Workspace or Microsoft.
It powers automatic targeting of the DarkSword course to potentially exposed employees.
Only devices seen within the last 60 days surface on employee profiles.
The key action carried by the course is simple: update iOS (or enable Lockdown Mode if updating is not possible).