Endpoint protection involves monitoring and protecting endpoints against cyber threats. Protected endpoints include desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablet computers, and other devices. Various cybersecurity solutions can be installed on and monitor these devices to protect them against cyber threats regardless of where they are located on or off of the corporate network.
The transition to remote and hybrid work models has transformed businesses’ IT infrastructures, moving corporate endpoints outside the enterprise network and its perimeter-based defenses. As endpoints become organizations’ first line of defense against cyber attacks, they require endpoint security solutions to identify and block these threats before they pose a risk to the company.
Endpoints are the target of many cyberattacks, and, with shifts in corporate IT infrastructure, are becoming more vulnerable to attack. Increased support for remote work moves corporate endpoints outside of the enterprise network and its protections. Bring your own device (BYOD) policies allow employee-owned devices to connect to the enterprise network and access sensitive corporate data.
Endpoint protection has always been important for defense in depth, but the blurring of the enterprise network perimeter due to remote work and BYOD policies has made it even more important. Endpoints are companies’ first line of defense against cyber threats and a major source of cyber risk.
Endpoint protection works via a combination of network and device-level defenses. At the network level, the organization may restrict access to the enterprise network based on a device’s compliance with corporate security policies and least privilege. By blocking insecure devices from accessing the corporate network and sensitive resources, the organization restricts its attack surface and enforces its security policies.
Organizations may also install software directly on an endpoint to monitor and protect it. This includes both standalone solutions and ones that use an agent installed on the device to allow it to be centrally monitored, controlled, and protected. This allows an organization to monitor and protect devices that may not always be connected directly to the enterprise network.
The modern enterprise has a variety of different endpoints that face a wide range of potential cyber threats. Endpoint protection solutions come in several different forms, including:
The right choice of an endpoint security solution depends on the endpoint in question and the company’s unique needs. For example, as remote work and BYOD become more common, mobile devices are a greater focus of cybercriminals, and MTD is a more vital endpoint protection solution.
An endpoint protection solution should offer comprehensive protection to the endpoint and to the corporate network. Some essential features of an endpoint security solution include the following:
As remote work and BYOD become more common, endpoint protection is an essential component of a corporate cybersecurity strategy. Many potential solutions exist in the endpoint protection space, and choosing the right endpoint security solution is essential to preventing attacks against endpoints and the corporate network.
To learn more about what to look for in an endpoint security solution, check out this buyer’s guide. Then, with these features and criteria in mind, 報名參加免費示範 of Check Point’s Harmony Endpoint to learn how it can improve your organization’s endpoint threat prevention.