With everyone going digital, businesses must prioritize cybersecurity to prevent data breaches and secure sensitive information. Cybercriminals are constantly developing new methods to gain unauthorized access to enterprise networks and steal valuable data. This is why endpoint protection is crucial for businesses of all sizes.
Endpoints are prone to cyberattacks, and hackers may utilize any device connected to your company’s network as a gateway to obtain unauthorized access.
This article will discuss endpoint protection, how it differs from antivirus software, and why you need to implement robust endpoint protection solutions.
What is Endpoint Protection?
Endpoint protection is a security strategy to protect the end-user devices linked to your network. Endpoints are those gadgets, including desktops, laptops, mobile phones, and tablets. It seeks to block cybercriminals from using these devices to access your network by providing them with cutting-edge cybersecurity defense capabilities.
Modern Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions, such as Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Microsoft Defender for Business, offer a centralized portal that provides businesses with a bird’s-eye view of all endpoints connected to their network. These solutions combine cybersecurity defense capabilities to protect endpoints from malware and phishing attacks.
Endpoint Protection vs. Antivirus Software
While endpoint protection and antivirus software share the same objective of securing your work devices, they differ in how they accomplish this objective. Antivirus software detects threats by analyzing file signatures, similar to digital fingerprints. When antivirus software detects a match with a known threat in its database, it flags the file as malicious and quarantines it.
However, cybercriminals increasingly rely on fileless malware, which does not leave any file signatures. Fileless malware attacks typically start with a phishing link leading to a website infected with code that exploits a known vulnerability without downloading any file to the victim’s device. Since there is no file to fingerprint, antivirus software solutions cannot detect such attacks.
On the other hand, endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions can detect fileless malware and other advanced threats by looking for suspicious behavior. When these solutions see something unusual on the network, they automatically respond to the threat.
Why is Endpoint Protection Important?
Today’s enterprise networks are expanding beyond office walls, with more employees working from home, and cloud service provides server rooms. As a result, businesses face more endpoints than ever before, and attacks on these endpoints are becoming increasingly common.
According to research by the Ponemon Institute, 68% of large and small-scale businesses were victims of endpoint attacks in 2019, an increase from 54% in 2017. With robust endpoint protection, companies can avoid costly data breaches that could damage their reputation and result in hefty fines for non-compliance with data protection regulations.
Improving Your Endpoint Security Today
Endpoint protection is now critical to any business’s broader cybersecurity program. The good news is that even small and medium-sized businesses with modest IT budgets can quickly implement endpoint protection. Modern Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions, such as Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Microsoft Defender for Business, are accessible and affordable.
In conclusion, businesses must prioritize endpoint protection to secure network endpoints and prevent data breaches. While antivirus software is essential to cybersecurity, more is needed to protect against advanced threats like file-less malware.
Virtually Manage IT Solutions offers various IT support services, including endpoint protection solutions, to help businesses secure their digital assets. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help protect your business from cyber threats.