What Is an Endpoint Antivirus Software & Why You Need It

What Is an Endpoint Security?

Endpoint security refers to the practice of protecting corporate networks from threats originating from remote or local devices. An endpoint is any device that provides an entry point to company assets and applications and represents potential cybersecurity vulnerability. Examples include desktops, laptops, servers, workstations, smartphones, and tablets.

Until now, most organizations have used conventional security products such as firewalls, VPNs, endpoint management solutions, and Antivirus Software to protect confidential information, prevent unauthorized access to critical computer systems and applications, and guard against malware and other vulnerabilities. However, companies are increasingly adopting mobile applications and cloud services, undermining the once well-defined perimeter of the enterprise network. Cyber​​attackers are becoming more sophisticated and can increasingly circumvent traditional security measures. Many companies are taking a defence-in-depth approach to endpoint security, instituting a broader range of security controls to guard against a broader range of threats.

What Is a Defense-In-Depth Approach to Endpoint Security?

Originally conceived by the US National Security Agency, a defence-in-depth approach employs multiple layers of security to eliminate gaps, reduce attack surfaces, and contain threats.

A comprehensive defence-in-depth strategy for endpoint security includes five key endpoint security and management measures:

·    Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools to proactively identify and investigate suspicious activity on endpoint devices. Most EDR solutions continuously monitor, log, and analyze endpoint events, helping IT and security professionals effectively detect and mitigate advanced threats.

·       Next-generation antivirus and antivirus protection (NGAV) solutions to prevent, detect and eliminate various forms of malware. Traditional antivirus programs use heuristic and signature techniques to identify and remove unwanted programs. Next-generation virus protection (NGAV) solutions use machine learning and analytics to defend against cutting-edge attacks, such as ransomware and advanced phishing that can bypass conventional antivirus programs.

·       Operating system patched to mitigate Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE). All major operating system vendors consistently issue software updates to correct known security issues. IT and security organizations can reduce risk by implementing automatic OS updates and establishing other systems and practices to ensure that all company computers, servers, and mobile devices are running on the latest versions of the operating system.

·      Application patching to eliminate security risks related to specific software applications. By ensuring that all enterprise server, desktop, and mobile applications are up-to-date, organizations can improve their position on security. According to one study, 90% of production applications use a library with known CVEs.

·         Privilege management to grant users and processes the minimum amount of rights they need to perform tasks that are required of them. Privilege management, also known as the principle of least privilege (POLP), removes local administrator rights on servers and personal computers, restricting access privileges to authorized users and applications to reduce risk.

What Are the Key Features and Benefits of An Endpoint Privilege Management Solution?

Privileged access management solutions for endpoints help harden security and reduce risk by removing unnecessary local administrator privileges from endpoint devices and containing malicious applications and other threats on the endpoint. A critical component of a defence-in-depth strategy for Endpoint Security, this solution provides a critical layer of protection when an attack bypasses traditional perimeter and endpoint security controls.

Endpoint privilege management solutions enable enterprise IT operations, security, and compliance teams to:

• Establish the principle of least privilege for endpoint devices, thus strengthening security.
• Protect and rotate passwords for local administrators, preventing credential theft.
• Prevent end-users from installing unauthorized applications, thus reducing exposure.
• Run unknown applications in restricted mode, preventing access to company resources or confidential data.
• Protect, block, and contain malware and attacks at the endpoint, preventing lateral movement and the spread of malware, reducing risk.
• Implement endpoint security policies to ensure compliance with corporate guidelines or government regulations.
• Automatically increase privileges based on policies, improving user productivity, while reducing IT department workload.