What is Endpoint Security and Why is it Necessary Today? |
Posted: September 20, 2019 |
Introduction: What is Endpoint Security? Also called as endpoint protection in the world of network security, endpoint security describes the practices and methodologies adopted for safeguarding of corporate computer systems and networks that can be remotely accessed via wireless gadgets (called client devices) such as laptops, mobiles, desktops, tablets, notebooks and the like. General components of endpoint security system include client software and the security software. The former is installed separately on every wireless device that is employed to access the corporate network from a remote location. Security software, on the other hand, is a part of the security system that is positioned on a gateway or server and which can be accessed and managed centrally. Endpoint security mechanisms typically operate on the client server model, although some also work on the software as a service (SaaS) model. The reason why endpoint security is so important is because each device that has access to the corporate network becomes a security hazard. This is the case owing to the fact that each device (also called end point) can become the point of entry for the threat. Operation of the endpoint security software is fairly straightforward. Regardless of whether the system uses the client server model or the SaaS model, the server in the system verifies the identity whenever a client gadget (laptop, mobile etc.) tries to access the network. Moreover, the server checks it the device adheres to all the policies related to security before granting access. Why Endpoint Security is Necessary in Today’s World? Businesses in the United Kingdom lost a staggering £30 billion in 2016 alone due to breaches in cyber security. That is how important endpoint security is these days. Remember the ransomware attack named WannaCry which gave left the national health service of UK scarred and bruised? Most of the security hazards in the past used to arise from the network. This is no longer the case. Data is the currency of the future and, therefore, very valuable. The more your data is secured, the better professional results your company can obtain. Noted below is a list of reasons why endpoint security is necessary in today’s world. It goes without saying that most of these factors are related to companies and their employees resorting to work cultures that make data increasingly accessible: · Policies such as Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) utilized by companies allows employees to report to offices with their own devices and connect the same to the corporate network. If their devices contain a threat, the same can easily find its way into the network. · Remote Working is going from strength to strength. Employees and contractors working with a company log into the network from multiple locations using their various devices. This creates countless points through which malware can gain entry into the network. · Endpoints or the devices that users employ to access the network are the points most favoured by hackers to enter the network. · Theft or Loss of client devices is becoming common as these gadgets become more and more popular. Considering that these are the points of choice for hackers to penetrate the system, endpoint protection is a must. With the evolution of the workplace well beyond the four walls of the office premises, users will need the facility to log into the system from numerous remote locations. Some companies do not allow the connection between the end point gadget and the enterprise network. But this is an extreme measure that amounts, in a way, to turning the clock back for all the wrong reasons. Or say, for all the over careful reasons. How to Ensure Endpoint Security? Here are a few ways using which you can ensure endpoint security for your corporate network: 1. Sharing Threat Intelligence: Forewarned is forearmed. If all the members in your network – the ones that log into the network with their devices – are aware of the threat, they are likely to be doubly careful. Ensure everyone knows the threats. 2. Endpoint Security Software: Such software is installed on all the devices that access the network as well as on the network servers. It is the servers that manage the installation of such software on the client devices and sends alerts when needed. 3. Proactive Approach: Reacting to an incursion is expensive because it has already damaged the network. Make sure your endpoint security solution software is equipped with diverse analytical tools that behave proactively and act before the hazard breaches into the network. 4. Uniformity and Continuity: Provide equal levels of protection to all client devices and ensure that the protection is continuously maintained. Even a brief moment of complacence can cost dearly. 5. Automation: If you automate your endpoint security mechanism, you make the network tougher and prohibitively expensive to infiltrate. Finally Technology has made it easier to connect and transmit data. This also brings along challenges, which endpoint security can efficiently address.
|
||||||||||||||||
|