Free Edition Endpoints are constantly connected to the internet and they offer a gateway to cyberattacks. Endpoint Security is simply the process of protecting your endpoints, be it inside or outside the corporate network. This thwarts any deliberate exploitation via cyber attacks. You can easily protect your endpoints by patching them regularly, implementing proper security protocols and adhering to security compliances. Traditionally, organizations used only antivirus that identifies an existing threat, nowadays they use an endpoint security solution to prevent any threat at all.
This endpoint security guide covers the following:
Endpoint Security or endpoint protection pertains to protecting endpoints like desktops, laptops, tablets, etc., to prevent any entry points to the corporate network for cyberattacks. Organizations, irrespective of the size, have endpoints and a traditional antivirus solution does not meet the requirement of handling new and evolving malicious cyber threats. Enterprise cyber security is fortified with the help of an endpoint security solution that prevent, identify and rectify the cyber threats immediately.
Endpoints, such as laptops, desktops, smart phones, tablets, etc., in an organization has to be regularly updated to patch vulnerabilities. A common way of managing endpoints is seeking the help of endpoint security software. Generally, an endpoint security solution involves server and client or agent application. The agent application, installed in every endpoint, collects information related to missing patches, monitors overall system health, etc., and sends it back to the centrally hosted server.
Since the information is gathered and presented in a central location, it helps administrators to address the issues, such as, configuring the policy settings across the systems in the network, blocking certain websites, implementing security protocols, patching vulnerabilities, etc., in all the endpoints effortlessly. An Endpoint Security Tool can take care of the security requirements, however, administrators use a Unified Endpoint Management solution to manage all their endpoints under a single platform.
The main difference between endpoint security and network security is that in case of the former, it's main objective is to secure every single endpoint individually whereas the latter involves securing the enterprise's network on the whole. Enterprise endpoint protection involves deploying and installing patches that fix vulnerabilities in endpoints, tracking the license compliancy and status of various software installed, etc.. A network security solution secures the whole network of an enterprise by implementing DNS protection, encrypting communication between two network entities, deploying honeypot servers as a decoy, monitoring the network traffic for unauthenticated or/and unauthorized access, etc..
While Antivirus software helps in eliminating viruses and other malicious software that is already present in the system, an endpoint security software will secure the vulnerable points across the network and help patch various systems to prevent any paths that can lead to security breach. Thus, endpoint protection software focus on safeguarding whereas antivirus eliminate existing threats.
Broadly, an endpoint security software can fall under two categories: consumer endpoint security and enterprise endpoint security. On the one hand, a consumer endpoint security solution is tailored for devices at home. The number of features offered are very few and it usually does not have central administrative capabilities. On the other hand, an enterprise endpoint security solution is well-designed to address any administrative needs, such as, log alerts, patch management, vulnerability detection, checking on hardware and software inventory alerts, implementing IT policies related to USB devices, etc., from a central location. An enterprise security solution, by and large, provides more number of features to help faciliate the requirements of an IT administrative team.
In the first half of 2019 alone, there were 4.1 billion records of data breaches. Therefore, it has become imperative for any organization to employ an endpoint security platform. Here is the list of top endpoint security software features to look for:
Desktop Central is a Unified Endpoint Management solution from ManageEngine to help address the needs of IT administrators comprehensively. It supports Windows, Mac, Linux, tvOS, Android, iOS and Chrome devices. In any organization, endpoint protection plays a crucial and endpoints pose threats, especially in an organization where Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy has been implemented. Here are some of the Desktop Central's features that admins can use to safeguard their network better:
Desktop Central aims to bridge the age-old gap between endpoint management and security with its latest Endpoint Security add-on. This add-on focuses on proactively securing aspects of endpoint security that are often overlooked by traditional anti-virus and other perimeter security solutions. Empowered with the Endpoint Security add-on, Desktop Central is now a complete solution for unified endpoint management and security. The add-on actively covers 5 aspects of endpoint security such as vulnerability management, browser security, device control, application control, and BitLocker management. For a detailed break-down of the features in each of the 5 modules, refer our Endpoint Security add-on feature page.
Don't let your security budget drill a hole in to your pocket. Get endpoint management and the benefit of 5 security solution bundled into one at the best price possible with Desktop Central + Endpoint Security add-on. The other features in Desktop Central that helps secure your endpoints are listed below:
Endpoint Security Management can be a hectic task for administrators. On top of it, administrators may have other urgent requirements to be addressed that can take up a considerable chunk of their time. Therefore, it is advisable to perform standard routine checks across the devices in the network and it is highly recommended to use one endpoint security tool to get a holistic view of the network. Here is an endpoint security checklist that can help administrators to protect their devices better from security threats:
Thus, administrators can implement these endpoint security and management practices to ensure their endpoints are secure.