Endpoint Security
Overview
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 endpoints on a network or in the cloud from cybersecurity threats. Endpoint security has evolved from traditional antivirus software to providing comprehensive protection from sophisticated malware and evolving zero-day threats.
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, and represents one of the first places organizations look to secure their enterprise networks.
Today’s endpoint protection systems are designed to integrates innovative technologies like Anti Ransomware, Advanced DNA Scan, and Behavioral Detection System to protect your network from today’s advanced threats. It offers a wide range of advanced features like Advanced Device Control, DLP, Vulnerability Scan, Patch Management, Web Filtering, Asset Management, etc. under a single platform to enable organizations to ensure complete security and enforce control.
Purpose
As the technology advances, many employees opt for working remotely or doing business activities on mobile devices and/or off-site devices. As a result, the sensitive information of your organization is exposed to a greater risk each day. If you don’t invest in proper end-point security solutions, it is highly likely that your data will be breached.
Moreover, the data provided by Absolute indicates that more than 70% of all data breaches are caused by the vulnerabilities of end-points.
How it Works
Endpoint security is the practice of safeguarding the data and workflows associated with the individual devices that connect to your network. Endpoint protection platforms (EPP) 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, freeing 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 a centralized console, which 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—it can either be delivered as a SaaS and managed remotely, or it can be installed directly on the device. Once the endpoint has been set up, the client software can push updates to the endpoints when necessary, authenticate log-in attempts from each device, and administer corporate policies from one location. EPPs secure endpoints through application control—which blocks the use of applications that are unsafe or unauthorized—and through encryption, which helps prevent data loss.
When the EPP is set up, it can quickly detect malware and other threats. 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 is able to 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.
Features
Protection from threats spread via email. An organization's endpoint protection must scan every email attachment to protect the company from attacks.
Protection from malicious web downloads. The technology should analyze incoming and outgoing traffic and provide browser protection to block malicious web downloads before they're executed on endpoints.
Enable easy application and device control. This enables organizations to control which devices can upload or download data, access hardware or access the registry.
Advanced machine learning. This analyzes massive amounts of good and bad files and blocks new malware variants before they're executed on endpoint devices.
Protection from exploits. This protects against zero-day vulnerabilities and memory-based attacks.
Behavioral monitoring. This technique uses machine learning to monitor behavior-based security to determine risks and block them.
Data loss protection. DLP prevents access violations caused by insiders, including employees, and intentional or unintentional data loss in the event of a system breach. DLP enables organizations to block files that are transmitted via email or instant message as well as files that are uploaded to the internet.
Third-party integrations. Endpoint security tools should communicate with other security systems in the organization's environment. These tools should share and ingest threat intelligence so they can learn from each other. Using open API systems, endpoint security products should integrate with other security tools, such as Active Directory, intrusion prevention, network monitoring and security information and event management.
Reports and alerts. These provide prioritized warnings and alerts regarding vulnerabilities as well as dashboards and reports that offer visibility into endpoint security.
Incident investigation and remediation. This includes centralized and automated tools to provide automated incident response approaches and step-by-step workflows to investigate incidents.
Flexible deployment options. Endpoint security tools should adapt to the organization's needs and environment, offering on-premises or cloud deployment options. These tools should also offer protection for every endpoint in the company regardless if it's a PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android device.
Rapid detection. Detecting threats as early as possible is crucial. The longer a threat sits in the environment, the more it spreads and the more damage it can do.
Technology
Browser, Application Encapsulation Technologies
Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit
Malicious Code Execution Prevention
Real-Time Endpoint Or Server Monitoring
Password Management Technologies
Awareness And Training
Stronger Email Security
File Detonation Technologies
Automated Patch And Configuration Management
File And System Behavior Technologies
FAQs
What is an endpoint?
An endpoint is any device that is physically an end point on a network. Laptops, desktops, mobile phones, tablets, servers, and virtual environments can all be considered endpoints. When one considers a traditional home antivirus, the desktop, laptop, or smartphone that antivirus is installed on is the endpoint.
What is endpoint security?
Endpoint security refers to cybersecurity services for network endpoints. These services may include antivirus, email filtering, web filtering, and firewall services. Endpoint security plays a crucial role for businesses, ensuring critical systems, intellectual property, customer data, employees, and guests are protected from ransomware, phishing, malware, and other cyberattacks.
Without such protections in place, businesses could lose access to their valuable data, risking the very survival of their business. Repeat infections can also lead to costly downtime and the allocation of resources to remediating issues over critical business goals.
How does endpoint security work?
Endpoint security works by allowing system administrators (in business applications) to control security for corporate endpoints using policy settings, depending on the types of protection or web access employees and systems require. For example, admins would be wise to block access to websites known to distribute malware and other malicious content.
A next-generation endpoint security solution should be cloud-based, and should use real-time machine learning to continuously monitor and adapt each endpoint’s threat detection, protection, and prevention. A comprehensive security offering defends both physical and virtual devices and their users against modern, multi-vector threats. Ideally, it would use behavioral heuristics to analyze files and executables in real time, proactively and predictively stopping threats. In this way, a next-gen solution offers significantly more effective protection than more traditional, reactive endpoint security solutions.
Why is endpoint security important?
Endpoint security is crucial for businesses of all sizes. Cybercriminals are constantly devising new ways to take advantage of employees, infiltrate networks, and steal private information. And while smaller businesses may think they’re too small to be targeted, it’s actually the opposite. Cybercriminals are banking on your feeling that way, and will specifically target smaller businesses in the hopes that they haven’t implemented adequate security. Whether you’re a small office with under 10 employees or a multinational corporation, you need make sure you have reliable endpoint security services in place.
What’s the difference between endpoint security and endpoint protection?
The short answer: there isn’t one. These terms are interchangeable. Some vendors may define one term to refer to cloud-based or next-gen solutions while the other refers to on-premises products. However, these distinctions are really just a matter of vocabulary, not a difference of functionality or capability.
What’s the difference between endpoint security and a firewall?
While a firewall and an endpoint security solution are both designed to protect devices and users against cyber threats, they do so in different ways. A firewall is a gateway that filters network traffic, and is, therefore, a type of network security (see below).
Firewalls typically fall into either of two categories: network firewalls and host-based firewalls. Network firewalls filter traffic between two or more networks, such as the World Wide Web and a business’ network, and run on network hardware. In contrast, host-based firewalls are installed and run on host computers (endpoints) and control network traffic in and out of those machines.
Although some endpoint security solutions may include firewall technology bundled within their feature set, they are technically disparate types of protection. Businesses should have both in place as part of a layered cybersecurity strategy.
What’s the difference between endpoint security and network security?
Just as endpoint security protects and resides on individual endpoint devices, network security is designed to protect networks and runs at the network layer. While endpoint security protects mobile devices, laptops, servers, and virtual machines from malware and other endpoint threats, network security protects against network based threats.
By filtering web traffic through a network security solution, businesses and MSPs can finely tune and enforce web access policies, ensure regulatory compliance, and even stop threats before they can get into the network and begin infecting endpoints. Learn about Webroot’s network security solution for businesses, Webroot DNS Protection,
