What Is an Endpoint, and What Are Best Practices for Protection?

What are endpoints?

Endpoints can be physical devices such as computers, laptops, printers, phones, and tablets, or virtual endpoints such as cloud services, web-based applications, and other network-accessible resources. For example, endpoints used in networking to establish communication are access points on a wireless network or the edge router in a LAN . Endpoints are assigned a network-specific IP address that identifies every device on a network.

The definition of endpoints has expanded with the addition of Internet of Things (IoT ) devices on our networks to include, badge readers, security cameras, and even fish tank thermostats as everything becomes IP-enabled and network-connected.

How can endpoint protection solutions detect and prevent malicious activity? 

The saying goes, "If you can't detect it, you can't protect it." By knowing the identity of every endpoint on their network, admins can gain better visibility and control of their network security posture.

Endpoint analytics is the process of identifying and analyzing data from endpoints to provide greater visibility and control over their use and related activities. It can be used to help ensure that security policies are adhered to, detect malicious activity, identify high-risk activities, provide asset inventory, and more. Endpoint analytics can help organizations better manage their network, reduce risk, and detect and respond to threats.

Using AI/ML -enabled analytics helps security teams quickly identify which endpoints are unknown and provides detailed visibility into endpoint behavior. The AI/ML logic in endpoint analytics helps to quickly recognize and block malicious activity and threats before they become widespread. The analytics can also provide valuable insights into potential security risks and configuration errors. This helps IT quickly respond to any suspicious activity and reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

This type of security technology can be used to protect any network, from small businesses to large enterprises. By having an automated system that can detect and respond quickly to any changes in endpoint behavior, businesses can be sure that their networks are safe from malicious actors and their data is secure.

How are EPP, EDR, XDR, and MDR related to endpoint protection?

Endpoint protection platform (EPP)

An endpoint protection platform, or EPP, focuses solely on threat prevention at the perimeter. An EPP is an integrated security solution that leverages personal firewall, port and device control, and anti-malware capabilities to provide endpoint protection across an organization. 

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Endpoint detection and response (EDR)

XDR solutions have a greater visibility and collect and correlate threat information while employing analytics and automation to help detect current and future cyberattacks. XDR solutions also create a network baseline of normal behavior and incidents when it detects a deviation from that baseline. 

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Managed detection and response (MDR)

Managed detection and response, or MDR, helps organizations manage risks with always-on monitoring by an expert cybersecurity team, advanced threat intelligence resources, and tools. Streamlined incident prioritization, investigation, and response optimize operations to protect valuable data from known and emerging threats. 

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How do XDR and Endpoint Analytics work together?

XDR technology combined with endpoint analytics technology helps IT determine what endpoints are on the network and also how they are behaving. With this information, teams can create policies that reflect the right level of access for each endpoint. They can also detect malicious activity and respond to it quickly. By doing so, networks are protected by helping to ensure that endpoints behave the way they should. 

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Threat Protection

How do endpoint protection solutions protect against threats?

A comprehensive endpoint protection solution should provide visibility, control and monitoring of endpoints connecting to the network. It is designed to protect networks from advanced threats such as malware, ransomware, and zero-day attacks. It provides insight into the behavior of endpoints, allowing organizations to quickly identify, isolate and remediate malicious activity. 

Additionally, visibility, control and monitoring capabilities help network administrators set access policies based on the behavior of endpoints and enforce them. This helps to protect the network from malicious actors and helps to ensure compliant network access

What security measures are related to endpoint protection?

Zero-trust security replaces the traditional network security model of “trust, but verify,” where access is granted to a network or application after a user is authenticated. 

Zero trust is not an application but a network security model that you adopt through enabling authentication processes that verifies the identity of users before granting access. This is achieved through a combination of multi-factor authentication (MFA) technologies, such as biometrics, passwords, tokens, and other identity verification techniques. 

In addition to authentication, zero-trust security dictates that security controls are enabled at the user and device level, as well as at the application level. These controls include the use of encryption, segmentation, application whitelisting, and host intrusion prevention systems. When organizations implement zero- trust security, they can reduce the risk of data breaches and protect their data from unauthorized access by stopping malicious actors from accessing their networks. 

How to enable zero-trust security 

What is multi-factor authentication, or MFA?

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a critical component of zero-trust security. It requires users to present two or more identity factors when logging in, making it much harder for attackers to breach a system. MFA can be as simple as requiring a user to enter a password and a one-time code sent to their mobile device, or it can be as complex as by requiring biometric authentication. 

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Authentication and segmentation

Network segmentation is the process of dividing a computer network into smaller partitions. The smaller segments limit traffic flow within the network. Thus, because it is more difficult for attackers to move between systems and access sensitive data, the network is more secure. 

Micro-segmentation is a more granular and flexible form of network segmentation. Using more information in segmentation policies allows organizations to segment the network at the application level to meet specific needs for control and access to data and applications.Endpoint protection is a component of zero-trust security. It requires organizations to deploy security solutions on the endpoints that users access, such as laptops and tablets. These security solutions provide additional visibility and control, allowing admins to see devices and block malicious activity. 

Endpoint protection security solutions