Organizations of all sizes are at risk from nation-states, hacktivists, organized crime, and malicious and accidental insider threats. Endpoint security is often one of the first places organizations look to secure their network. Endpoint security, or endpoint protection, is the cybersecurity approach to defending end-user devices (such as desktops, laptops, and mobile phones) from malicious activity.
As the volume and sophistication of cybersecurity threats have steadily grown, so has the need for more advanced endpoint security/protection solutions. Today’s endpoint security systems are designed to quickly detect, analyze, block, and contain attacks.
Table of Contents
Why Endpoint Security is Important
An endpoint security platform is a vital part of cybersecurity for several reasons. First, in today’s business world, data is the most important asset, and losing that data (or access to that data), could put the entire business at risk. Second, businesses now have a much larger number of endpoints as well as diverse types of endpoints.
These factors make enterprise endpoint security more difficult than ever. These reasons for endpoint security are compounded even further by the explosion of remote work and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policies, which make perimeter security increasingly insufficient and can create vulnerabilities.
The threat landscape is becoming more complicated, as well. Bad actors are always producing new ways to gain access, steal data, or manipulate employees into giving out privileged information. Add in the reputational damage of a large-scale breach and the actual financial cost of compliance violations, and it is easy to see why endpoint security services have become regarded as must-haves for modern enterprises.
How Endpoint Security Works
Endpoint security solutions provide system administrators with a centralized console, that is installed on a network gateway or server and allows cybersecurity professionals to control security for each device remotely. The client software is then assigned to each endpoint, either delivered as a SaaS (Software as a Service) and managed remotely or installed directly on the device.
Once the endpoint security solution has been set up, the client software can then push updates to the endpoints, when necessary. The solution also authenticates log-in attempts from each device and administers corporate policies from one location.
Elements of Endpoint Security
- Threat protection to guard against threats from within the organization.
- Antivirus and anti-malware protection.
- Machine learning to detect zero-day threats.
- An integrated firewall to prevent hostile network attacks.
- An email gateway to safeguard against phishing and social engineering.
- Proactive security to facilitate safe web browsing.
- Endpoint, email, and disk encryption.
Endpoint security offers a centralized platform for administrators, improving visibility, simplifying operations, and allowing threats to be quickly isolated.
