Endpoint Vulnerabilities Cause More Than 70% of Data Breaches
With the increased popularity of BYOD (bring your own device) and IoT (Internet of Things), endpoint connections continue to grow. According to Stringify, more than 127 endpoint devices are added to the Internet each second of each day. That makes endpoint security a critical concern.
Endpoint devices include desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, printers, scanners, tablets, ATMs, medical devices, and more. In short, if a device connects to your network, it’s considered an endpoint.
Because endpoint devices connect to your network via the Internet, they represent the weakest link in your network, leaving you vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Endpoint vulnerabilities cause more than 70% of data breaches, according to Absolute. Yet, endpoint devices often go overlooked by even IT professionals.
In a study of small and medium-sized businesses conducted by BullGuardOne, 23% of companies in the U.K. and U.S. neglect endpoint security. Even among those that do deploy some level of endpoint protection, 32% rely on free, consumer-grade solutions.
With the increase in remote workers owing to the pandemic, companies require endpoint protection more than ever. Centralized network protections are insufficient to limit potential cyber threats. You need to enlist endpoint security best practices to make your network safe.
What is Endpoint Security?
Endpoint security safeguards the data and workflow associated with individual devices connecting to your network. It represents one of the first places organizations should tackle to ensure enterprise network security.
Endpoint protection platforms (EPP) examine files as they enter your network. The EPP gets installed on a network gateway allowing administrators to control device security remotely. Client software is installed on each endpoint and pushes updates to devices. At the same time, it authenticates log-in attempts and administers corporate policies. Application controls and encryption block unsafe or unauthorized applications to prevent data loss.
EPP solutions are available in on-premises or cloud-based models. Cloud-based solutions deliver greater scalability and easier integration. They can also get implemented quickly. Plus, your company will benefit from data backups, patching, and remote system control.
On-premises solutions may be required, however, depending on compliance rules. Unlike a cloud-based solution, on-premise solutions place costs on the organization and typically require investment capital along with installation time.
7 Types of Endpoint Security
Endpoint protection goes beyond protecting connected devices. It’s intended to protect your entire IT infrastructure. For that reason, there are a host of endpoint security solutions. Realistically, the more you deploy, the more secure your environment.
IoT Protection: Unfortunately, few manufacturers prioritize IoT security. So, providers offer IoT security to provide greater visibility into IoT devices for more consistent cybersecurity. Endpoint Detection Response (EDR) systems manage, monitor, and scan for vulnerability. It also pays to encrypt communications and segment your network to isolate issues.
EDR: As mentioned above, EDR systems monitor files and applications entering endpoints. They also provide greater visibility, alert, triage, threat hunting and investigations, and detection of fileless malware and ransomware. Threat identification and remediation alerts are forwarded.
Antivirus: Antivirus solutions scan for malicious threats and protect against signature-based attacks. They can also be installed directly on endpoint devices. Antivirus solutions are never the end-all as they detect less than half of all cyber-attacks. They require support from other types of endpoint security.
Endpoint Encryption: Encryption offers defense even if data is compromised. Through coding and scrambling of data, it makes data indecipherable without a key.
Secure Email Gateways: Cybercriminals target email because it represents the most prevalent data source entering and exiting your network. By securing your email gateways, messages are monitored for suspicious behavior and prevented from delivery. Gateways should always include content filtering, virus, and malware blocking, and archiving.
Sandboxing: This practice involves isolating potentially malicious files to prevent them from compromising devices or networks. Threats get screened before allowing them to enter your network. Sandboxing helps prevent zero-day attacks.
Browser Isolation: Web browsers are another common point of attack for cybercriminals. Browser isolation executes sessions in an isolated environment independent of critical data assets. It also eliminates web browser codes following sessions.
Improve Your Endpoint Protection
Considering the proliferation of BYOD and IoT devices, endpoint security is a must. In addition to improving your defense against cyber-attacks, you’ll benefit from the time and cost savings required from remediation of a breach. For many companies, endpoint security is necessary to satisfy compliance and data security regulations.
If you think your endpoint protection is inadequate and looking to talk with a cybersecurity company near you, call us. We’ll review your current infrastructure and give you a penetration test that uncovers vulnerabilities that could leave you open to a cyber-attack. As a world-class managed IT services provider, we’ve been helping local SMBs in Carlisle, Harrisburg, Lancaster, York, Lebanon, Reading, and Allentown for nearly 15 years to drive their IT success. We can do the same for you. Talk to us about our IT solutions for your business.