Welcome back to our website, where we discuss hot cybersecurity topics that concern both you and your company’s online safety. Today, among others, we talk about endpoint security, why it is important, and how it works.
What is an Endpoint?
An endpoint is any distant computing equipment that receives incoming communications and transmits outgoing messages to the network to which it is linked. An endpoint is a device that is linked to a network.
Examples of endpoints include desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets, servers, workstations, or Internet-of-things (IoT) devices. The list of endpoints continues to expand to include numerous non-traditional items, such as smartwatches, health trackers, appliances, cameras, digital printers, faxes, navigation and Point-of-sale (POS) systems, and any other device that can connect to the internet.
An endpoint is an important component of network security. Consider it to be a doorway. This is where a user's communication with the network starts. An endpoint is also a critically vulnerable point of entry for threat actors. Endpoints, especially mobile and remote devices, are a popular target for cybercriminals as they serve as entry points for threats and malware.
Why do cybercriminals target endpoints?
To use them as an entry and exit point to move throughout an organization and gain access to its high-value assets.
To access data, intellectual property, or sensitive information on the endpoint to steal or hold hostage, either for ransom payment or simply for disruption.
Also, in a denial-of-service (DoS) attack, cybercriminals will take control of the device and use it to flood servers with web traffic, blocking legitimate users from carrying out normal activities.
Endpoints are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks as organizations' workforces become more mobile and users connect to internal resources from off-premises endpoints all over the world. While work from home and BYOD policies are an indisputable win in terms of staff satisfaction and productivity, as well as for the company culture as a whole, it comes with its own set of challenges. This is why your company needs endpoint security.
What is endpoint security?
Endpoint security, also known as endpoint protection, refers to all of the approaches, practices, and software products used to protect a network's endpoints from malware, viruses, data breaches, and other types of cyberattacks.
Endpoint security deals with the protection of the multiple devices that are connected to a network. It not only improves a company's cybersecurity but also ensures that the organization complies with the regulations that apply to its industry.
Endpoint security solutions use cloud-based threat information databases to provide security administrators with instant access to the most recent threat intelligence without needing them to manually update their systems. The main advantage is that all threats are detected and dealt with more quickly – or even automatically.
Endpoint security solutions constantly monitor the files, applications, processes, and system activities within a network, searching for malicious signs and indicators of compromise, and can be easily integrated into a company's environment.
Endpoint security solutions can be divided into 3 main types:
EPP stands for Endpoint Protection Platform
and primarily focuses on anti-malware capabilities. Similar to antivirus, EPP scan and inspect files as soon as they enter a network, checking for any malicious signature matches.
EDR – Endpoint Detection and Response
offers more granular visibility and analysis. Moreover, it goes beyond signature-based detection, being able to detect threats like file-less malware and ransomware, polymorphic attacks, etc.
XDR (Extended Detection and Response) solutions
employ state-of-the-art technologies to provide even more visibility, gathering and correlating threat data using analytics to help detect current and potential incidents.
What are the benefits of endpoint security?
8 key benefits of endpoint security include:
1- Protection for devices
2- Cost savings
3- Time savings
4- Compliance satisfaction
5- Unified platform
6- Greater visibility
7- Data loss prevention
8- Better user experience
Over the last few years, the endpoint security space has shifted away from traditional antivirus software toward a more sophisticated, all-encompassing defense. This includes:
Next-Generation Antivirus
which takes traditional antivirus software to a new, advanced level of endpoint protection. Initially designed to fight computer viruses alone, it has since evolved to cover a wide variety of threats, by using behavioral analysis, artificial intelligence, machine learning algorithms, and advanced exploit mitigation.
Firewall
is an essential component of endpoint security that blocks unused ports and malicious applications.
Mobile Device Management (MDM)
MDM is a new cybersecurity concept that deals with the administration of mobile devices within a network. If your company has an active BYOD policy in place, MDM is a must for your endpoint security.
Vulnerability management
is an integral part of endpoint security, as it deals with the recurring practice of identifying, categorizing, prioritizing, and mitigating gaps in software security. The simplest and most efficient way to achieve it is by using an automatic software updater that installs patches as soon as they are deployed.
Access governance
Controlling who and what enters your company network is essential to endpoint security, and this is where access governance comes in. One aspect of it consists of privileged access management or PAM, which allows your system administrator to control which accounts have elevated privileges and which don’t, and for how long.
Application control
is another indispensable part of access governance that handles application permissions. This prevents files that have not been previously approved by the IT department from executing themselves in your enterprise system, minimizing the chances of malicious code injection.
Email Protection
Another need for endpoint security is the encryption of electronic conversations inside your organization. Therefore, you should consider investing in email security solutions that will detect and block phishing and malicious attachments.
How you can choose the best endpoint security solution for your organization
Remember that a good endpoint security solution should have cutting-edge detection capabilities, as well as the ability to stop malware at the entry point.
a good endpoint security solution also Uses sandboxes to ensure that suspicious files are isolated and investigated in a secure environment, that does not affect the rest of your network.
Look for automation capabilities and swift response time – these go hand in hand. The more automated an endpoint security solution is, the faster it will detect and respond to threats.
It should also provide 24/7 surveillance.
An efficient security solution should, of course, offer continuous monitoring and recording of all the activities that happen on all your endpoints.
It should have a user-friendly interface. An easily understandable interface is a great addition to the visibility that endpoint security solutions providers, allowing you to quickly understand the status of your company’s network.
Cybercriminals are constantly looking for new methods to gain access to computer systems, exfiltrate information, or dupe users into disclosing sensitive information, and they are not going to stop anytime soon.
In these circumstances, and given the reputational cost of a large-scale data breach, as well as the actual cost of non-compliance penalties, it’s easy to understand why endpoint security is and will continue to be crucial for organizations of all sizes.
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