Endpoint security is the practice of securing endpoints or entry points of end-user devices such as desktops, laptops, and mobile devices from being exploited by malicious actors and campaigns.
Endpoint security systems protect these devices on a network or in the cloud from cybersecurity threats. Endpoint security has evolved from traditional antivirus software to providing comprehensive protection from sophisticated threats and ever-changing zero-day exploits.
Organizations of all sizes are at risk from nation-states, hacktivists, organized crime, and malicious and accidental insider threats. Endpoint security is often seen as cybersecurity’s frontline. It represents one of the first places organizations look to secure their enterprise networks.
As the volume and sophistication of cybersecurity threats have steadily grown, so has the need for more advanced endpoint security solutions. Today’s endpoint protection systems are designed to quickly detect, analyze, block, and contain attacks before they can do damage.
To do so, they need to collaborate with each other and with other security technologies. This gives administrators visibility into advanced threats to speed detection and remediation response times.
Why is endpoint security important?
An endpoint protection platform (EPP) is a vital part of enterprise cybersecurity for several reasons. First, in today’s business world, data is the most valuable asset of a company—and to lose that data, or access to that data, could significantly hinder business operations and drive down revenue.
Businesses have also had to contend with not only a growing number of endpoints, but also a rise in the number of types of endpoints.
These factors on their own make enterprise endpoint security more difficult, but they’re compounded by remote work and bring your own device (BYOD) policies—which make perimeter security increasingly insufficient and create vulnerabilities.
The threat landscape is becoming more complicated, as well: Hackers are always coming up with new ways to gain access, steal information, or manipulate employees into giving out sensitive information.
Added to this list are the opportunity cost of reallocating resources from meeting business goals to addressing threats; the reputational cost of a large-scale breach; and the actual financial cost of compliance violations.
Given all these challenges, it’s easy to see why EPPs have come to be regarded as must-haves for securing modern enterprises.
How does endpoint protection work?
Endpoint security is the practice of safeguarding the data and workflows associated with the individual devices that connect to your network. EPPs work by examining files as they enter the network.
Modern EPPs harness the power of the cloud to hold an ever-growing database of threat information. This frees endpoints of the bloat associated with storing all this information locally and the maintenance required to keep these databases up to date. Accessing this data in the cloud also allows for greater speed and scalability.
The EPP provides system administrators with a centralized console, either locally or cloud-based, that allows them to control security for each device remotely. The client software is then assigned to each endpoint.
Once the endpoint has been set up, it can quickly detect malware and other threats. Updates can be pushed to the endpoints when necessary, log-in attempts can be authenticated from each device, and corporate policies can be administered from one location.
Some solutions also include an endpoint detection and response (EDR) component. EDR capabilities allow for the detection of more advanced threats, such as polymorphic attacks, fileless malware, and zero-day attacks. By employing continuous monitoring, the EDR solution can offer better visibility and a variety of response options.
EPP solutions are available in on-premises or cloud-based models. While cloud-based products are more scalable and can more easily integrate with your current architecture, certain regulatory/compliance rules may require on-premises security. Another reason organizations may choose on-premises security is that it provides the ability to own and control your data.
How to choose an endpoint security solution— 3 questions
To protect your business, you need a comprehensive and unified solution that shields devices and endpoints across your hybrid network. Here are three critical questions to ask when choosing an endpoint security solution:
Question #1: How comprehensive is the endpoint protection?
The solution you choose should proactively guard against threats using robust capabilities for prevention, detection, investigation, and response. It should allow you to gain visibility across your on-premises, cloud, and disconnected environments in a single agent and control all your endpoints.
Question #2: Does the endpoint security solution offer centralized management?
You need to be able to easily scale and manage hundreds of thousands of endpoints from a single console to eliminate security gaps and automate your workflows.
Question #3: Does the endpoint security solution enable proactive risk management?
Staying ahead of threats is key to warding off adversaries. Your endpoint security solution should provide AI-powered proactive threat prioritization, automated alert correlation, and MITRE ATT&CK mapping for predictive security posture assessments.
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