What is Endpoint Security and How Does it Work?

What is Endpoint Security? 

Endpoint Security refers to the practice of securing endpoints, or devices such as computers, smartphones, printers, tablets, and servers, that connect to your organisation’s network. It involves a combination of technologies, policies, and strategies to protect these devices from cyber threats such as malware, ransomware, phishing, and unauthorised access. The goal is to prevent attacks that could compromise sensitive data or disrupt operations.

How Does Endpoint Protection Work?

Endpoint Protection works by securing devices that connect to a network through a combination of preventive, detection, and response mechanisms. Here's a summary of these:

1. Prevention: Uses anti-virus, firewalls, encryption, and application controls to block threats before they reach devices.
2. Detection: Continuously monitors endpoint activities and behaviours to identify suspicious or malicious activity in real-time.
3. Response: Automatically isolates and removes detected threats, alerts security teams, and may recover compromised systems.
4. Centralised Management: Provides a centralised platform to enforce security policies and monitor all endpoints from a single dashboard.

Together, these Endpoint Protection measures prevent attacks, detect breaches early, and respond swiftly to mitigate damage.

Types of Endpoints

Endpoints are devices or nodes that connect to a network and interact with it, making them potential targets for cyber attacks. Here are some of the main types of endpoints commonly found in organisations and businesses:

• Desktops and Laptops - Workstations used by team members for daily tasks, including accessing company resources, internet browsing, and running applications. As they can connect to both internal and external links, these devices can serve as entry points for attacks, making them vulnerable to malware, phishing attacks, ransomware, and data breaches.
• Mobile Devices - Includes smartphones and tablets running operating systems like iOS or Android. These devices are often used for remote work, accessing company emails, and apps. Risks include mobile malware, unauthorised access if devices are lost or stolen, and exposure to untrusted public networks. Unpatched operating systems or apps can also lead to security vulnerabilities.
• Servers - Servers host applications, databases, and business data. They are critical to an organisation’s operations and can be physical, virtual, or cloud-based. Since servers often hold sensitive information, they are prime targets for data breaches, denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, and unauthorised access. Misconfigured servers can be exploited by attackers.
• Printers and Peripheral Devices - Printers, scanners, and other peripherals that connect to a network are considered endpoints, especially in office environments where multiple users share devices. Printers can be targeted to intercept print jobs containing sensitive data, or they can be used as a foothold to gain unauthorised access to the wider network. Outdated firmware or insecure settings on these devices pose additional risks.
• Networking Equipment - Routers, switches, and firewalls are essential networking devices that control traffic between endpoints and the network. These devices, if compromised, can be manipulated to monitor or reroute traffic, allowing attackers to access or alter communications. Poorly configured or unpatched networking equipment can become significant vulnerabilities.
• Remote Access Points - These include devices like VPN (Virtual Private Network), remote desktops, or other systems used to access company resources from off-site locations. Remote access endpoints are particularly vulnerable to attacks if users log in from insecure environments (e.g. public Wi-Fi). If credentials are compromised, attackers can gain unauthorised access to the corporate network.

Endpoints can be any device or system that connects to a network and processes or transmits data. They range from traditional computing devices (like desktops and servers) to modern IoT devices, mobile gadgets, and even Printers! Each type of endpoint introduces specific security risks, requiring robust Endpoint Protection measures such as monitoring, patch management, encryption, and user access control to safeguard them from threats.

Why Are Endpoint Protection Platforms Important?

Endpoint Protection Platforms are vital in today’s cyber security landscape due to the increasing number of devices, or endpoints, connecting to company networks. These include not only traditional devices like desktops and laptops but also mobile devices, IoT devices, and remote work setups. Each of these endpoints represents a potential entry point for attackers, making comprehensive Endpoint Protection essential. Organisations must look at their technology holistically, protecting their devices across the board. 

Endpoint Protection Platforms are designed to defend against sophisticated threats such as malware, ransomware, and zero-day vulnerabilities. They use advanced techniques, including real-time monitoring, threat intelligence, and behavioural analysis, to detect and block both known and unknown attacks. By securing endpoints no matter where they are located, Endpoint Protection Platforms ensure that remote and distributed workforces remain protected, even when connecting from less secure networks.

Beyond threat prevention, Endpoint Protection Platforms provide centralised management, allowing IT teams to monitor and enforce security policies across all devices from a single platform. This not only ensures consistency in security measures but also streamlines administration. By safeguarding endpoints, Endpoint Protection Platforms reduce the risk of data breaches, operational disruptions, and regulatory non-compliance, making them critical to business and organisation continuity and cyber security strategies.

The Benefits of Endpoint Security Software

The Benefits of Endpoint Security Software include:

• Comprehensive Threat Protection: Safeguards against malware, ransomware, phishing, and zero-day attacks.
• Real-Time Threat Detection: Identifies and mitigates threats as they occur, reducing response time.
• Centralised Management: Allows IT teams to monitor and control all devices from a single platform.
• Data Loss Prevention: Ensures sensitive data is encrypted and protected from unauthorised access.
• Remote Work Security: Protects devices and networks for remote or distributed employees.
• Regulatory Compliance: Helps meet industry standards like GDPR, NIST, and PCI-DSS.
• Automated Remediation: Automatically isolates and removes threats, minimising impact.
• Reduces Downtime: Prevents cyber attacks that could disrupt business operations.

Sharp’s Endpoint Security Solutions

Our Endpoint Security Solutions provide reliable Anti-virus & Web Protection products to suit every type of organisation. These are seamlessly applied across all your devices.

Managed Anti-virus & Web Protection deliver best-in-class security against the growing risks of both local and web-based viruses and malware. These options can be easily integrated into our comprehensive Endpoint Security Solutions. 

While protecting your servers is crucial, it's equally important to protect devices used by your team to access vital business data. With our Endpoint Security Software, we can effectively monitor and secure critical aspects of your end-user devices, ensuring the safety of your company data against potential threats.

Endpoint Security FAQs

Endpoint Detect & Response (EDR) vs Anti-virus. What’s the difference? 

Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) and anti-virus serve different roles in cyber security. Anti-virus focuses on identifying and removing known malware using signature-based detection, providing basic protection against viruses, worms, and other malicious software. EDR, on the other hand, offers a more advanced approach by continuously monitoring endpoints for suspicious behaviour, detecting both known and unknown threats, including sophisticated attacks like zero-day exploits. EDR also provides incident response capabilities, such as isolating compromised devices and enabling forensic analysis, making it a more comprehensive solution than traditional anti-virus.

What is SOC? 

SOC (Security Operations Center): A centralised team or facility within an organisation responsible for monitoring, detecting, and responding to security incidents in real-time. The SOC operates 24/7 to track network activities, analyse potential threats, and respond to attacks. It typically uses tools like SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems to manage security alerts and incidents across an organisation.

What is a zero-day attack? 

A zero-day attack occurs when hackers exploit a previously unknown software vulnerability that has not yet been patched by the vendor. Since the vulnerability is newly discovered, there are no defences available at the time of the attack, making zero-day exploits highly dangerous.

Endpoint Security vs Network Security? 

Endpoint Security focuses on protecting individual devices, such as computers, smartphones, and servers, from cyber threats by using tools like anti-virus, encryption, and ?Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR). It secures the devices that connect to a network. Network Security, on the other hand, safeguards the broader network infrastructure, including routers, firewalls, and communication pathways, to prevent unauthorised access and ensure secure data transmission. 

While Endpoint Security protects the devices themselves, Network Security ensures the safe flow of data and access control across the network. Both work together to provide comprehensive protection.