What is endpoint security? How to protect your devices
IONOS editorial team7 mins
Endpoint security is crucial for every company nowadays. The term refers to a comprehensive security strategy put in place to protect a company’s devices, which includes smartphones, laptops, PCs, printers, and servers. When implemented thoroughly and promptly, endpoint security addresses vulnerabilities like outdated software or inadequate access controls, helping to prevent data theft and malware infections.
What is endpoint security?
Endpoint security, also known as endpoint protection, is the first and most important line of defense that protects your company network from cyber threats. This requires a combination of the endpoint protection platform (EPP) and endpoint security management. The EPP implements security standards and measures for all existing or new end devices in the company - from smartphones, laptops and PCs to photocopiers - while endpoint security management ensures that these can be fully complied with. In this way, you can prevent cyber threats from malware or ransomware and detect them in good time.
Why is endpoint security important?
Modern offices no longer consist of just a workstation PC, a printer and a server room. The number of end devices accessing the company network is growing every year. In addition, there are new hybrid working models such as remote work or the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) concept, where employees voluntarily use private mobile devices for professional purposes. Despite the many benefits of diverse company networks, such as increased flexibility, mobility, and productivity, they also create vulnerabilities that can lead to cyberattacks through infected or inadequately secured endpoints.
If there is inadequate network protection in addition to the overwhelming number of endpoints, it’s inevitable that malicious actors will find any weaknesses there may be and exploit them. Potential outcomes include data theft, ransomware blackmail, encryption of corporate data, external control, or malware spreading to customers and business partners. All of this not only harms your company financially and technically, but also affects your image and credibility.
Few things are more important than reliable, proactive protection against ransomware, spyware and scareware through endpoint security. This prevents the tedious situation of having to remove malware or recover business-critical data in the first place.
What counts as end devices in the company?
Endpoint security is all about secure endpoints, but what does it actually include? Endpoints stand for all fixed and mobile end devices that are integrated internally into the company network or have authorisation to access them externally.
These include:
- PCs, desktop computers
- Printers, scanners, photocopiers, fax machines
- Servers, routers, modems
- Landlines
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Smartphones
- Smartwatches
- POS systems (Point-of-Sale)
- Switches
- Voice-controlled virtual assistants (i.e. Alexa)
- ATMs
Basically, this includes all internet-enabled end devices that can communicate and interact with the company network in any way. This ability to interact also opens up the aforementioned risks and security gaps as soon as an end device is inadequately protected or accesses the network via an interface that isn’t properly protected.
How does endpoint security work?
Endpoint protection measures are designed to safeguard your network against malicious files, processes, and compromised devices. A critical element of this security strategy is a centralised security and management console for administrators, which enables processes and access to be monitored so that device permissions can easily be granted or revoked. Additionally, it is essential for individual endpoint protection measures to interact within an endpoint protection platform, sharing insights on threats. These security measures can be implemented on-premises, through cloud services, or using a hybrid approach that combines both local services and cloud functions.
A comprehensive EPP usually consists of the following four components:
| Component | Features |
|---|---|
| Endpoint Detection and Response Tools (EDR) | Continuous monitoring of all individual endpoints and endpoint activities Early threat detection and prevention or isolation of threats Integration of threat data through always up-to-date threat databases and user-defined indicators of compromise (IOCs) |
| Antivirus protection and NGAV (Next-Generation Antivirus) | Current modern antivirus solutions for heuristic and signature-based virus and malware detection Next-generation antivirus protection to also ‘predict’ threat trends and new vulnerabilities to defend against zero-day exploits using AI-based functions |
| Application and access control (NAC - Network Access Control) | Users and applications should receive as few authorisations as absolutely necessary (Privilege Management) Administratively managed control of access rights and user roles Control, monitoring and classification of network traffic and accesses |
| Automatic updates | Updates for the network and for integrated end devices are carried out automatically Mobile end devices and BYOD devices are also kept up to date with the latest security standards |
Further endpoint security solutions
In addition to the quadruple combination of EDR tools, virus protection including NGAV, application and access controls and automatic updates, the following solutions are available:
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Protects data from exfiltration through anti-phishing training for employees and the correct use of anti-malware applications.
- URL filtering: Only authorises data traffic with approved URLs.
- Extended Detection and Response (XDR): Using Extended Detection and Response (XDR) means that not only end devices can be protected with EDR, but also cloud services and network processes through alerts and telemetry analyses. This applies in particular to complex infrastructures with many applications and end device types. XDR is generally used as part of SaaS.
- Browser isolation: Browser sessions are only enabled in isolated environments to restrict malicious downloads locally to sessions.
- Endpoint encryption: Encrypts sensitive data of the company or connected endpoints and requires a decryption key.
- Protection against insider threats: Measures such as Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) mean that any suspicious user activity on the network can be identified immediately.
- Cloud security: In cloud environments consisting of end devices, client software or cloud applications, companies can use cloud firewalls and cloud web filtering tools to protect themselves and monitor suspicious activity.
- Email gateway: Secure email gateways (SEG) check and monitor incoming and outgoing email traffic for risks such as suspicious attachments and links.
- Sandboxing: Sandboxing allows business-critical areas of the network and operating system to be isolated and reliably protected against cyber threats.
- Cost-effective vCPUs and powerful dedicated cores
- Flexibility with no minimum contract
- 24/7 expert support included
An overview of endpoint security advantages
An Endpoint Security Platform (ESP) in combination with standardised cyber security offers your company the following advantages:
Protect business-critical and sensitive data
Complete protection of company data, including customer and business partner data, is enormously important not only in your own interests, but also from the point of view of compliance guidelines, GDPR and possible claims for damages. Endpoint security monitors all data access via each individual endpoint and registers unauthorised or insecure access.
Prevention is better than damage limitation
A good endpoint protection platform requires investment. Many companies put off the decision to invest in endpoint security because cyber threats cost nothing as long as they do not affect their own company. So why invest in prevention if there may never be an emergency? The answer is clear: the number of cyber threats to companies, especially ransomware attacks that endanger business and the company, is growing every month. Without adequate protection, the risk also increases exponentially, making it mostly a question of when, not if.
In the event of an incident, measures to limit or repair damage, such as data recovery, resetting all systems and devices, or replacing these devices, typically incur significantly higher costs than proactive, thorough precautions. Most importantly, in serious situations, you risk losing the trust of your customers and partners—a loss that is often hard to recover from.
Productivity and flexibility
Holistic endpoint security management allows for the protection of critical business data in a way that is both time-efficient and cost-effective because protection strategies are applied systematically and in a standardised manner. This significantly reduces the time and effort required from your IT team. When you use Managed Security Services provided by a managed security provider, you benefit from tailored solutions for your infrastructure and devices that your provider will implement and maintain. Over time, this approach boosts your productivity and cuts down on management tasks, as it simplifies the integration of new devices while security measures operate unobtrusively in the background.
Transparency and control
A platform offering solutions for all devices also provides greater oversight and clarity regarding access and data transfers. This setup allows you to manage everything from deployment and access control to registration, updates, and the decommissioning of devices in a manner that is both traceable and verifiable. With a frontline seamlessly protected against cyber threats, any compromised data can be quickly located, isolated, and sanitised in the event of an intrusion, preventing further impact to other endpoints and network areas.
