A network endpoint is an electronic asset connected to an organization’s network. They serve to send and receive data from various input sources. Some examples of network endpoints are personal or business computers, laptops, smart speakers, and smartphones.
When it comes to network security, endpoints need protection.
Since our last blog post on endpoint network security, threats have changed, and technology has improved, so let’s revisit how managed endpoint security can safeguard your organization.
Endpoint security is a broad term that encompasses hardware and software solutions to secure specific network assets. An effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was a massive shift in work habits. Employees increasingly connect to government or company networks from multiple personal devices, leaving organizations open to more endpoint security vulnerabilities than ever before.
Business endpoint security solutions have increased in terms of services, products, and technology. Anti-malware, spam filtering, endpoint detection and response (EDR), patch management, data loss protection, vulnerability management, mile threat defense, and ransomware protection are just some of the tools available today.
Endpoint detection is all about identifying endpoint vulnerabilities and threats. It is the first part of a comprehensive endpoint detection and response (EDR) system that works to monitor your business’s entire network continually and identify any potential malicious cyber threats.
Endpoint detection constantly scans your entire network and all the endpoints connected to it while simultaneously recording the information in a central database for analysis. The database allows EDR software to detect and investigate any suspicious activities, then create reports and alert network security administrators and endpoint users.
The second half of EDR is what happens when an endpoint threat is detected. This is where the solution gets more complex because the response to a threat will look and act differently depending on the endpoint. Endpoint threat responses should be able to pre-emptively block even unknown or new potential threats without affecting the usability of the endpoint unless the data is extremely sensitive and the endpoint needs to be shut down.
Threat intelligence should be prevented automatically in the endpoint response. Data from the network, the cloud, and all endpoints should be considered in the specific response. Automation normally correlates the data without weighing the network down or taking up a lot of space on endpoints. Security should be lightweight and not hinder system performance.
Chances are that beginning in 2020, your organization’s endpoints multiplied exponentially. Home offices popped up all around the country, both for work and education purposes, leading to a global endpoint protection platform market growth surge. In 2021 the Endpoint Protection Platforms market size was USD 3.33 Billion and is projected to rise this year.
Businesses aren’t shelling out that kind of money for security services for nothing. The reality is that threats are on the rise and changing ever more rapidly as well. Ensuring all the endpoints connected to your network are visible to cybersecurity teams is critical to protecting your organization from a security breach that could result in not only financial loss but can also cause irreparable damage to your business’s reputation and future growth.
Partnering with an experienced cybersecurity management team is your best bet to ensure your networks and endpoints are secure, and here are a few reasons why:
Outsourcing your security management and monitoring can save you space, both physically and technically. To store massive amounts of data, you either need to have secure on-site servers, which take up space, and electricity and require specific cooling techniques, or you need to store it in the cloud, which can put your network at risk. Security management endpoint protection service providers are dedicated solely to managing massive amounts of data, and since they operate at an enterprise scale, they enable you to lower your costs and save the space you’d otherwise have to forego for data monitoring and storage.
Having a managed endpoint protection team can allow you to continue operating with outdated hardware and to choose to invest in new systems at the right time. Legacy antivirus solutions rely on signature keys that recognize pre-identified threats and vulnerabilities. They are incapable of integrating artificial intelligence to identify potential threats that may be unanticipated. Legacy systems can track cyber threats like worms, trojans, malware, spyware, and adware, but they can’t necessarily detect hidden endpoints on the network. Managed endpoint protection service teams can augment your legacy anti-virus systems where needed without forcing you to re-haul what is already in place.
Working with a managed endpoint protection service provider will reduce your costs significantly. Mentally, you’ll save on stress, and financially, you’ll be able to outsource data storage costs and technical training. By working with a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts, you’ll avoid investing in an in-house cybersecurity team or extensive endpoint security training for a non-expert employee. System development, implementation, and monitoring will be faster, easier, and stress-free.
In line with minimizing costs, you’ll maximize the value of your endpoint protection. Cybersecurity experts will be available to monitor your network’s endpoint systems 24/7, a burden that won’t need to be placed on your team. Subject matter experts with deep knowledge of threat and risk defense, such as cloud application attacks, will ultimately be able to handle the inundation of threats more quickly and adeptly than new system users or focusing on other priorities. By using a dedicated cybersecurity team, you can rest assured that all threats are being addressed appropriately and as quickly as possible.
Finally, as businesses continue to evolve and offices are opening up again, the number of endpoints on your network may grow or shrink depending on your specific needs. While the trend seems to be growing, there is still value in being able to adjust your endpoint security bandwidth easily to maximize value and minimize costs. With a dedicated endpoint protection system solution, you can adjust the level of service (and your payment plan) to match your network needs as they continue to change over time.
Managed endpoint protection services can be a game-changer for your organization’s network security. Want to learn more about how you can optimize your endpoint security? Reach out to the Compuquip Cybersecurity team now to discover how you can protect your business from modern cyber threats.