What is an Endpoint?

 

An endpoint is a device that participates in traffic flow. It’s a standard address used to define the endpoints of a network transmission path. For example, every device connected to the Internet has its IP address, a unique identifier for the device, and its location.

Devices such as computers, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, set-top boxes, and even some refrigerators all have unique addresses and can be considered an endpoint. The primary function is to identify a specific device on the Internet. 

 

Why Endpoint Security is Important

 

Today’s organizations are seeing an increase in data exfiltration attacks. These attacks result from hackers breaching the network and stealing confidential data, such as customer records, company financials, intellectual property, or employee information. Because of this, endpoint protection is essential to protecting your data.

Endpoint protection can help you stop these attacks by preventing unauthorized users from accessing your system. It also enables you to detect and respond to breaches that may have already occurred. Therefore, it’s essential to have a security solution that always provides a real-time and historical analysis of device activity to know what’s happening on your network. 

In addition to helping protect your data from being stolen, endpoint protection can also help you ensure compliance with industry regulations. For example, regarding healthcare providers’ requirements, businesses must implement technical safeguards that include physical access controls for workstations used to access electronically protected health information.

Endpoint protection solutions can provide controls that allow users to log in to their accounts using strong passwords to ensure that each user has unique credentials. This control helps avoid being impersonated by another user on the system. 

 

Types of Endpoint Security

 

It’s hard to keep up with all the changes in endpoint security. With new threats like malware and ransomware being released daily, you must keep your systems protected.

Endpoint security protects your network by monitoring everything connected to it. The goal is to detect suspicious activity before infecting your entire network with a virus or other malware.

 

There are various types available:

 

On-Premise Endpoint Security

 

When it comes to endpoint security, what you can’t see is just as important as what you can.

You need to be able to block the attackers before they can even get into your systems. You scan your networks for threats and anomalies, so you can take action before it’s too late. 

 

Cloud-Based Endpoint Security

 

Cloud-based endpoint protection is quite crucial in your enterprise. With the right cloud-based endpoint protection software, you can enjoy the benefits of keeping your system safe without worrying about the platform, whether you are on the go or at home. In addition, it ensures that your business applications are secured and that you have complete control over them.

With so many different applications available on the Internet, it is easy to get lost and overwhelmed. In addition, applications can be very frustrating when trying to find a way to protect your business from hackers.

Fortunately, there are some great options for protecting your business from hacking attacks and other security threats. The most important thing is to make sure that you choose a company that offers solutions for protecting and tracking your systems and monitoring them for potential security breaches. 

A cloud-based endpoint protection software solution will help keep your computer safe from hackers by providing a secure connection between your personal computer and an external server. In addition, the link is protected with robust encryption technology. As a result, only authorized users can view the data transmitted between computers. 

Another benefit of using this type of solution is that it keeps track of all activity on the network, so you know who has access to what information on each machine.

 

Endpoint Encryption

 

Endpoint encryption encrypts data at the point of its origin (the endpoint), using software and hardware. With this approach, data is encrypted upon creation and remains encrypted as it moves between the endpoint device and other points along its journey (like a computer or server). It’s also referred to as data-at-rest encryption.

 

Why is Endpoint Encryption necessary?

 

End-to-end encryption keeps your data safe from being accessed by unauthorized parties. For example, suppose you’re transporting sensitive information. You can rest assured that no one in transit can see what you’re carrying when endpoint encryption is in place. 

Protecting your data will help you meet compliance requirements keeping your company safe from breaches. However, that could result in customer credit card information or other personal details being exposed.

 

What are some examples of endpoint encryption?

 

Several kinds of endpoint encryption products are available on the market, depending on what you’re trying to protect.  

 

Forensic Analysis

 

Think you’ve got your endpoints covered? Think again!

In today’s world of lightning-fast technological advances, cybersecurity threats can change instantly. Although traditional endpoint protection tools such as antivirus and malware detection effectively detect known threats. They’re powerless against brand new, zero-day attacks that aren’t yet in the databases.

That’s where forensic analysis comes in. Forensic analysis is a dynamic endpoint protection tool. That constantly monitors your environment to automatically detect new threats and identify suspicious activity before it becomes a serious security risk.

 

IoT Protection

 

One of the best ways to protect your devices is to use an endpoint protection system. But did you know another type of protection is becoming increasingly popular? It’s called IoT protection, and it makes sense when you think about how we use our devices today.

Most people have at least one device that is always connected to the Internet. It could be a computer, tablet, phone, or even wearable. Nowadays, that same technology is being used in your home; self-cleaning vacuums, refrigerators that remind you when you’re low on milk, or lights that turn off and on automatically.

These excellent devices make your life easier. But this growing trend relies on a central hub: the Internet. And because these gadgets connect to the Internet, they need protection against threats. That’s where IoT comes in and helps keep your device safe from attack.

It’s not always easy to tell if you’re using an IoT device, but it’s essential to know how they work to protect yourself from attacks and stay safe online!

 

Email Gateways

 

It’s time to get even more serious about your endpoint protection.

You’re already doing a lot to keep your endpoints safe, but you may be missing something: email gateway protection. After all, most cyber-threats still come from email, and the more layers of security you have in place, the safer you’ll be.

Threats can come through incoming emails, but they can also happen when you send emails that contain sensitive data or customer information. Email gateway protection means you’ll have an extra layer of security around these threats before they even get to your endpoints. And by using this type of protection, you’ll have greater confidence in sharing sensitive information via email with customers and partners.

 

Quarantine Protection

 

Sometimes your devices can get infected with malware that’s so bad that you don’t want to risk it spreading to the rest of your network. That’s where quarantine protection comes in.

Quarantine protection is another type of endpoint protection. It’s a place on the network where infected devices can be isolated from the rest of the network and scanned for threats that might be infecting them. This way, we can ensure that we’re not exposing any other devices on the web to these potentially dangerous threats.

 

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Security

 

The number of attacks against endpoint devices will only rise, so it’s vital for organizations to up their security game to protect against these threats. More generally, organizations need to ensure that their data backups are as secure as possible (server security and cloud backup both have their challenges). The more time you spend fortifying your defenses, the safer you’ll ultimately be.

Endpoint detection and response is a security strategy developed to replace the typical approach of using antivirus software and firewalls to protect against cyber attacks. Instead, EDR software is installed on all endpoints connected to your network. It monitors traffic and the entire activities user accounts perform. 

While firewalls and antivirus programs can be effective ways to prevent cyber attacks, they are not always reliable. EDR takes a more proactive approach by providing real-time analysis of threats and their origins. Then, if an attack happens, endpoint detection and response allow you to stop it before it causes any damage or puts your data at risk.

 

Endpoint is Essential

 

Many businesses and organizations tend to overlook endpoint security. In many cases, this is due to ignorance of the system entirely. Rather than spend time and money on securing a server, they focus on their workstation and skip right over the most vulnerable piece of technology that they are likely to have. If you can identify which endpoints are most important to your business and protect them, you’ll be much better off.

 

Finding Endpoint Solutions

 

Securing your digital assets does not have to be complex. NGEN takes a seamless proactive approach to protect your data from future breaches and cyber-attacks. Contact NGEN today to learn about the array of Endpoint Detection and Response Solutions our team uses to monitor and increase your organization’s network security and stop potential threats.