What is Endpoint Security?
Endpoint security simply means securing endpoints, which include end-user devices like desktops, tablets, laptops, and mobile devices.
Endpoints act as points of access to an enterprise network, which often creates points of entry that can be infiltrated by cybercriminals.
Endpoint security software ensures adequate protection is offered to these points of entry from unwanted and high-risk activities, malicious attacks and so on.
If your company can guarantee endpoint compliance with data security standards, you can afford greater control over the endpoints to the network.
Types of endpoints
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Mobile devices
- Smart watches
- Printers
- Servers
- ATM machines
- Medical devices
What makes Endpoint Security so vital?
More and more enterprises and their employees are incorporating practices to make access to data easier. Companies are allowing, some even encouraging, employees to use their own devices in the office, and the increase of such policies, in addition to threats targeting mobile device access and networks, create mass/multiple endpoint susceptibilities.
Furthermore, with the number of employees working from home lately or connecting to Wi-Fi networks to work on-the-go means that the enterprise network security perimeter is more vulnerable than ever.
Some time ago, a lot of the security breaches came in through the network. These days, threats are increasingly coming in through endpoints, which means centralized network protection is not sufficient.
The changing security circumference will require better and new layers of security through endpoint protection. It is vital for your organisation’s security to maintain greater control over access points to prevent the vulnerabilities that will likely happen with the use of remote devices.
Endpoint Security and the Network
Endpoint security software employs encryption and application control to safeguard all connecting devices that are accessing your company’s network. So you have better security control on those entry/access points to monitor and block risky activities.
By encrypting data on endpoints and removable storage devices ensures better protection against data leaks and losses. Application control stops endpoint users from deploying unauthorized applications that could create vulnerabilities in your company’s network.
A client-server model of protection usually comes with endpoint security solutions, which employs a centrally managed security solution to protect the network. It will also have client software locally installed on each endpoint used to access that network.
Endpoint Security and Virus Protection Software
Anti-virus software is crucial to endpoint security – although it may not always protect individual devices and servers. By implementing endpoint protection, you have a two-pronged approach to security by also securing all your employees’ devices that are connected to your company’s network.
By employing an endpoint security approach, it makes endpoints more accountable for security than your regular anti-virus software that protects the network alone.
What Endpoint Security Software can offer
- Machine-learning systematization to scan and detect zero-day threats in near real time
- Advanced antimalware and antivirus protection that protects, detects, and corrects malware across multiple endpoint devices/operating systems
- Pro-active web security to ensure safe browsing on the web
- Data classification and data loss prevention to prevent data loss and extraction
- Integrated firewall to block harmful network attacks
- An email gateway to block phishing and social engineering attempts targeting your employees
- Actionable threat analyses to allow administrators to quickly isolate infections
- Interna; threat protection to safeguard against unintentional and malicious actions
- Centralized endpoint management command centre to improve visibility and simplify operations
- Endpoint, email and disk encryption to protect data