ManageEngine, an IT management software provider, continues to remind organizations that endpoint security remains a crucial factor in mitigating cyber attacks. Endpoints include devices that the workforce uses, such as laptops, desktops, servers, and mobile devices.
Hyperconnectivity enables personal wearables to be linked to company-issued devices, potentially containing corporate and confidential data. This increases the vulnerability of networks and an organization’s security posture.
“Traditional antivirus solutions that use a signature-based approach are only effective against already documented threats and are not sufficient to tackle the evolving threat landscape,” Mathivanan Venkatachalam, vice president of ManageEngine, told Back End News in an email interview.
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Venkatachalam also pointed out how the hybrid work trend may contribute to the risk if no proper and effective security measures are in place. Remote endpoints might not have the same level of security controls and can introduce vulnerabilities when reconnected. This applies not only to people who work from home but also to the mobile workforce who work from anywhere. This is just one of the many factors that can easily compromise an endpoint.
“As a result, the attack surface of organizations has expanded, and visibility into cyber activity has been reduced,” he said.
Vulnerabilities
Along with these endpoints is perhaps the most important factor in security which is the human factor. Employee education on cybersecurity cannot be emphasized enough as many still fall for phishing or scams and some remain complacent by using weak passwords and connecting to public Wi-Fi.
“Endpoints might be located in less secure environments, where they are more susceptible to physical theft or compromise,” Venkatachalam explained. “Devices might be connected to public Wi-Fi in cafes or hotels, increasing the chances of data breaches.”
Just because the front-end workers usually use the most common endpoints, it doesn’t mean that the back end is not susceptible to vulnerabilities. When organizations allow third-party vendors into their networks, these external endpoints can introduce security risks, especially if they are not under the enterprise’s direct control.
“Endpoints run various software applications, each with its vulnerabilities,” Venkatachalam said. “Attackers can potentially exploit a wide range of vulnerabilities, from misconfigurations to human errors, to gain access to the network.”
Endpoint security benefits
Endpoint security solutions that are designed with advanced technologies and comprehensive security features can provide a more holistic solution that safeguards an organization’s network against emerging threats.
Venkatachalam shared these ways that endpoint security fortifies network security to thwart cyberattacks:
- Vulnerability identification: Endpoint security solutions provide continuous monitoring to identify vulnerabilities in their systems and applications, which serve as potential entry points for threat actors.
- Assessing threats and risks: Once vulnerabilities are identified, endpoint security solutions prioritize them based on the potential risks posed.
- Mitigating known vulnerabilities: Known vulnerabilities are addressed through patching, eliminating well-known weaknesses. Access controls and firewall configurations are leveraged to prevent unauthorized access and attacks through established threat vectors.
- Mitigating unknown vulnerabilities: To address unknown vulnerabilities like zero days and emerging strains of malware, effective endpoint security provides NGAV capabilities that employ heuristic analysis and behavior-based monitoring, which help identify and respond to potential threats.
- Incident response: For incidents that occur despite preventive measures, endpoint security solutions offer AI-based incident response that reduces the impact of an attack.
“These security measures collectively reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation by threat actors, ensuring it is more challenging to compromise the organization’s network security,” Venkatachalam said.
Endpoint security solutions should give IT teams access control policies to limit employees’ access to only necessary corporate resources like apps, data, websites, and documents. It also should have endpoint privilege management to reduce unnecessary access rights and enforce the principle of least privilege.
However, not all endpoint security solutions are created equal. Organizations have to be discerning when choosing what could work for their environment and type of business. The first and foremost among the factors is it should be able to prevent any possible attacks. When there is a compromise it should be able to detect the incident immediately so it could respond at once.
As attacks evolve along with new technologies and applications, so do the security solutions. Depending on the scale of the company’s size, there are traditional and next-generation solutions.
“Traditional solutions rely heavily on signature-based detection methods to identify and block malicious software,” Venkatachalam noted. “Such solutions are often policy-based in nature, requiring manual intervention.”
On the other hand, next-gen solutions naturally have more advanced features including behavior analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) to automate response to threats with little to no manual intervention. The policies adapt to changing conditions, ensuring that security measures are aligned with the current threat landscape and user behavior. Overall, they help businesses enhance their security posture, equipping them to combat today’s evolving threats, minimize downtime, and increase productivity.
Enhancing network security
“Vulnerability detection and response is a crucial feature of endpoint security software that continuously detects weaknesses within systems, like unpatched apps and OSs, misconfigurations, risky software, open ports, elevated privileges, non-compliance, and presence of malware,” Venkatachalam explained.
When malicious software is identified, next-gen solutions prioritize discovered risks, enabling security teams to remediate them efficiently, starting with those that pose the most danger.
Organizations should look at solutions that can reduce the attack surface given the multitude of devices connected to a network. ManageEngine advises companies to be more proactive in securing these endpoints as it has become the norm for the workforce to use their own devices or use their corporate equipment for personal use. Solutions should provide IT teams with the visibility that can help immediately detect potential threats.
“Organizations must implement a layered defense strategy that combines endpoint security, network security, and endpoint detection and response to create a resilient security posture that adapts to the evolving threat landscape,” Venkatachalam said.