Archives

The Importance of Endpoint Detection

Endpoint Detection Blog

Don’t forget to download our {FREE} Internet Usage Policy below…

Endpoints are one of a company’s greatest assets – and one of their biggest vulnerabilities. The laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other devices your team uses every day are essential for your business, but each one opens a door for hackers and cybercriminals to access your data and wreak havoc on your system. As remote work becomes more common, advanced threats have increased – and so has the need for more advanced endpoint security.

One response to this increased threat is endpoint detection, an advanced form of endpoint security that’s gaining popularity among businesses and security professionals. Here’s what it is, how it works, and why it’s important for your business.

What is endpoint detection?

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is an emerging technology that expands on traditional solutions for endpoint security. The term was coined by Gartner analyst Anton Chuvakin in 2013 and refers to “tools primarily focused on detecting and investigating suspicious activities (and traces of such) other problems on hosts/endpoints.”

Like many elements of cybersecurity, the concept is less than clear for those who don’t “talk tech”. In simple terms, EDR is a category of security solutions that can monitor, detect, and respond to suspicious activities on company endpoints. Where traditional endpoint programs like antivirus software are a company’s first line of defense against common cyberthreats, EDR is a supplemental solution designed to catch advanced cyberthreats that traditional forms of endpoint security may miss – threats like fileless malware, polymorphic attacks, and advanced persistent threats (APT).

How does it work?

EDR works by collecting and reporting on detailed sets of data from every endpoint, such as running applications, event logs, access attempts, performance metrics, and more. This information is then sent to a central repository where any suspicious activity is flagged and reported for review, allowing security analysts greater insight into real-time threats.

It’s important to note that EDR is a security capability, not a product. EDR can come in many forms and formats, from simple systems that only report information for review to advanced tools that use machine-learning to identify trends and irregularities. Some even have threat

response capabilities that can stop or isolate suspicious endpoints before alerting security personnel.

Why is endpoint detection important?

Endpoints are one of the most vulnerable assets a cybercriminal can access. Even small businesses have several endpoints that put your organization at risk if not properly protected, and the recent rise in remote working has only increased that threat. With more and more employees connecting to a business network from personal devices, businesses must be more vigilant than ever to outfit their endpoints with advanced security solutions.

While traditional forms of endpoint security are important for prevention, they are unable to adapt to new and innovative threats. These programs are signature-centric, and modern hackers are constantly finding new ways to bypass the system and infiltrate your endpoints undetected.

In fact, it takes an average of 280 days to identify and contain a data breach, even for businesses outfitted with modern antivirus software. The longer a hacker has access to your endpoints and information, the more potential cost your business could face.

To put it in perspective, here are some staggering statistics from a 2020 report by the Ponemon Institute:

● Sixty-eight percent of organizations reported an increase in the frequency of endpoint attacks over the past twelve months. Over half of those respondents said the increase was due to traditional endpoint security being ineffective at detecting advanced attacks.

● Eighty percent of successful endpoint breaches are caused by new or “zero-day” attacks, typically due to polymorphic malware that traditional solutions can’t identify.

● These types of unrecognizable attacks are estimated to double in the coming year, while known attacks are expected to decrease dramatically.

As you can see, traditional forms of endpoint security are no longer enough to fully protect your endpoints from cyberattack. A comprehensive security solution that includes EDR will allow your security team to gain a more sophisticated insight into your endpoint activity and respond more quickly to real-time threats.

A cybersecurity firm like CyberFortress can help you implement a full endpoint security system that works for you. Our RAMPART Defend product includes full-time endpoint detection and response with 24/7 monitoring to keep your endpoints safe and give you peace of mind, no matter where your team works.

Download Our {FREE} Internet Usage Policy

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest