How do Endpoint Security Solutions Secure Data?

When a device connects to organisation networks, cybercriminals may use this connection to compromise corporate data and put the network at risk.

Therefore endpoint devices need to be fully secured to prevent any potential incidents from happening.

To achieve this, organisations must ensure that they utilise appropriate solutions to protect the front line of their cybersecurity at every endpoint.

How do Endpoint Security Solutions Secure Data?

The Solution?

Endpoint Security solutions provide ways in which organisations can protect their network by safeguarding their employees’ devices such as:

Desktops
Laptops
Mobile phones
Tablets
Any other devices which connect to an organisation’s network

As a result of an increasingly digital modern organisation landscape, cyber threats have become increasingly frequent and sophisticated. Cybersecurity has taken a priority in the workplace.

According to Verizon’s Threat report,

‘30% of data breaches involved malware being installed on endpoints’

As a result, organisations must consider every endpoint of their network as a potential entry point for cybercriminals.

As a result, IT teams must ensure that they have visibility of any potential threats and remediate them quickly.

What is an Endpoint?

The number of devices that IT professionals consider as endpoints has increased over the years. In 2022 an endpoint is simply a device that enables an employee to connect to an organisation’s resources.

A device is not limited to a computer or laptop.

Many of the following endpoints are considered lucrative entry points for threat actors too:

Mobile phones
Printers
Servers
Tablets
And more

Organisations must consider all devices attached to their network as potential exploitation targets.

Digital Guardian suggests that:

‘Any device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, provides an entry point for threats. Endpoint security aims to adequately secure every endpoint connecting to a network to block access attempts and other risky activity at these points of entry. As more enterprises adopt practices such as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and remote/mobile employees, the enterprise network security perimeter has essentially dissolved.’

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What are the Benefits of Endpoint Security?

As detailed above, security has become increasingly important with the development of the digital business space. Below are just a few of the benefits of Endpoint Security.

Protect all Network Endpoints

With an increasingly digitalised workplace, there are a growing number of endpoints and devices.

Organisations must ensure that all these endpoints are secured against potential cyber breaches.

Sophisticated Threat Protection

With increasingly sophisticated attack methods and an ever-evolving threat landscape, attackers have many ways of gaining access to organisations’ networks. This is why, endpoint protection is essential to securing every modern endpoint.

Protect Identity

Unfortunately, the traditional process of protecting the organisation perimeter is no longer thriving in the new threat landscape.

Endpoint security enables employees to work wherever they are whilst remaining safe and secure against cyber-attacks.

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What is the Difference between Endpoint Protection and Legacy Antivirus?

Legacy antivirus software helps organisations detect, eliminate, and prevent malware from infecting devices.

This type of antivirus software needs to be individually installed on all devices to ensure they are secured.

Endpoint protection does not just protect an individual device – it aims to cover the entire network; this includes all endpoints connected to it, whether laptops and mobile phones to ATM devices and other industrial machinery.

Covering all Devices

As mentioned earlier endpoint security is designed to protect all endpoints in an organisation’s networks.

Protect from Threats

Rather than relying on using a traditional signature, it takes a holistic view to protect networks from known risks and signatureless malware, phishing attacks, and more.

Continually Protected Updates

Legacy antivirus uses signatures, which means that a network can be open to attacks without updates. Endpoint security connects to the cloud and updates automatically, ensuring the latest protection is continually available.

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Internal Protection

Endpoint security utilises data access controls only to allow authorised employees to get hold of data; this prevents anyone without access rights from accessing the data.

With advanced security technologies such as behavioural analysis, organisations can detect threats based on suspicious behaviour.

Admin Control

Endpoint security moves admin responsibility to the IT or security team, which removes most of the risk of human error, potentially putting devices at risk.

Enterprise-wide Control

Although legacy antivirus not only notifies you when a threat is detected, endpoint security goes one further.

Legacy antivirus provides a centralised portal for admins to have complete control over:

Monitoring activity
Installing and configuring
Patching
Updating software
Investigating traffic
Resolving issues remotely

For more information on the differences between legacy antivirus and endpoint security, please check out our blog post, ‘Legacy Antivirus vs EDR: What’s the Difference?’

Discover how Sapphire can help your organisation take control of all your devices by getting in touch with us!