Endpoints are the things that connect to your company’s network. That includes everything from corporate-issued computers and mobile devices to printers and USBs. With so many endpoints accessing corporate data and information, it’s no wonder that endpoints are popular with hackers and threat actors.
An endpoint security management strategy can help ensure every endpoint on your network stays up-to-date and secure, protecting your network from known and emerging threats.
What Is Endpoint Security Management?
Endpoint security is the tools and practices that protect endpoint devices from cyber attacks, like malware or ransomware. It focuses on hardening endpoint security, like using antivirus software, encryption, and firewalls.
Endpoint security management is the ongoing process of monitoring, maintaining, and enforcing security policies across all endpoints. That includes implementing security solutions, checking a device’s configuration, and managing and deploying patches and updates. It’s one part of a company’s broader security strategy that protects the security and integrity of the corporate network and ensures all endpoints are secure and comply with current endpoint security policies.
Some examples of endpoint security management are:
- Patch management. Regularly updating endpoints with security patches and OS updates protects against known vulnerabilities and ensures threat actors don’t exploit unpatched devices.
- Device management and control policies. Restricting USB access or personal devices from accessing the corporate network prevents unauthorized data transfers.
- Endpoint detection and response (EDR). Using EDR tools to monitor, detect, and respond to security incidents.
- User training. Educating employees on recognizing phishing attacks and social engineering threats.
Why Endpoint Security Management Matters
Endpoint security management ensures sensitive data and endpoints are protected. The increase in hybrid and remote work makes endpoints a primary attack vector, with hackers constantly searching for exploitable vulnerabilities. Sophisticated cyberattacks, like AI-driven threats and fileless malware, are common, and more industries and governments are demanding companies keep data safe.
Without a comprehensive endpoint security management plan, you could leave your corporate network vulnerable to infiltration and your company exposed to possible sanctions.
Endpoint Security Management Challenges and Threats
A Crowdstrike report notes that in 2024, 52% of observed vulnerabilities in corporate networks were exploited to gain initial access to corporate networks, highlighting the need for and challenges of endpoint security management.
Ransomware
Ransomware attacks use malicious software to encrypt files, then demand the user pay a ransom to get the files back. While the attack may infect a single endpoint, that’s not usually the case.
Most ransomware attacks spread across the corporate network. The ransomware can encrypt files across multiple devices, if the infected endpoint has access to shared drives or cloud storage. If an infected endpoint belongs to someone who has administrator access or other higher-level privileges, the hacker can manipulate system settings or disable security controls.
Zero-Day Vulnerabilities
Zero-day vulnerabilities are particularly difficult to defend against because they are unknown. The vendor or developer doesn’t realize there’s a vulnerability, and therefore, there’s no security patch available, making it possible for threat actors to exploit the vulnerability before there’s a fix. Traditional antivirus security software and other security tools have trouble recognizing zero-day threats because they rely on known patterns, while zero-day vulnerabilities are new and don’t fit the pattern.
Unpatched Software
While zero-day vulnerabilities are dangerous because they are new, unpatched software, applications, and operating systems are equally vulnerable. Threat actors scan systems to look for unpatched endpoints and exploit the vulnerability.
Implementing Endpoint Security Management in an Organization – Beyond the Basics
Implementing endpoint security management starts with the basics. That includes:
- Developing endpoint security policies that establish baselines and comply with industry regulations.
- Requiring multifactor authentication (MFA) to access the corporate network.
- A patch management process that regularly updates the operating system and applications on endpoints.
- Educating employees on endpoint security risks, like recognizing phishing attempts and socially engineered attacks.
- Regularly auditing the network and endpoints to uncover security gaps and ensuring all endpoints are in compliance with established baselines.
Taking additional steps will harden your corporate network and increase endpoint protection.
Adaptive Security Policies
Setting an endpoint security management policy is a good place to start. However, the policy shouldn’t be set once or reviewed and updated once a year. Adaptive endpoint security policies that include context-aware security — like adapting to user behavior and real-time risk assessments — provide further endpoint protection.
For example, an adaptive security policy would include conditional access when an endpoint attempts to connect to the corporate network. The endpoint security tool checks the security posture of the endpoint and blocks access if the operating system or applications are unpatched until the endpoint receives and installs the patches.
Ring-Fencing
Application ring-fencing is when all applications are blocked by default, and only authorized applications can be used on endpoint devices. In contrast, blocklisting blocks only known malicious applications. Ring-fencing prevents end users from installing unauthorized applications that haven’t been vetted or approved by IT security and may not receive critical security patches because it’s unknown.
Patch Prioritization
Patch management plays a significant role in endpoint security management and protection, but not all patches are equal. Prioritizing critical patches for deployment ahead of less crucial ones ensures the IT security team focuses on immediate threats first to reduce your attack surface.
What to Look for in an Endpoint Security Solution
A solid endpoint security solution can help teams manage security updates and respond to threats. Choosing the right endpoint security tool often comes down to the organization's size, what corporate data needs protection, and the types of endpoints. While behavior-based threat detection, zero-trust principles, and automated incident response are important features, here’s what to consider in an endpoint security management tool.
Integrates With Other Systems
Endpoint security solutions that integrate with your current security tools provide more robust endpoint security and protection. Combining endpoint data and information with network and identity security logs gives the team a fuller picture of potential threats and helps them respond to incidents quickly.
For example, Adaptiva’s OneSite Health solution can integrate with your organization's security information and event management (SIEM) system to improve security monitoring and response. When OneSite Health detects an unpatched vulnerability on an endpoint, it will automatically attempt to remediate it by deploying the patch. If the update fails, Adaptiva can alert your SIEM, giving the team real-time visibility into security risks, helping them move quickly to identify, isolate, and neutralize the threat.
Access Control
Strong access controls play a significant role in security endpoint devices, regulating who can access what resources and when. It also supports industry compliance and regulatory requirements for HIPAA or GDPR, which have strict access control measures to protect sensitive information.
In addition to MFA, look for a tool that uses role-based access control to ensure employees can only access the resources they need to complete their work. Least privilege enforcement can also limit user and application permissions to reduce potential attack surfaces.
Visibility and Central Management
A single dashboard that monitors all the connected endpoints decreases security blind spots. It helps monitor and identify security threats so the team can quickly contain and remediate them. Centralized endpoint management also helps maintain and enforce consistent security configurations across all endpoints.
Look for an endpoint security management solution with a unified dashboard, automated policy enforcement, and remote endpoint management. These features will help IT streamline operations, improve productivity, and reduce costs.
Automated Patch Management
Unpatched endpoints are a significant attack vector, but manually tracking and patching them is time-consuming. Automating patch management quickly reduces your attack surface, ensures compliance with industry regulations and requirements, and can protect remote endpoints.
A centralized dashboard gives team visibility into which endpoints need patching but should also support remote patching so mobile devices are secure. Also, look for automated patch prioritization, which ensures critical patches are deployed and installed before less critical patches.
Endpoint Security Management Hardens Your Network.
Endpoint security management plays a critical role in protecting corporate systems from attack and helps your company comply with industry standards and regulations. As attacks become more sophisticated, companies with robust security management policies and strategies can stay ahead of bad actors, ensuring your company’s day-to-day work isn't brought to a halt by a security breach.
Adaptiva’s suite of tools can integrate with your current security tools and provide your security management team with the insights they need to provide endpoint management and protection at scale. Contact us today to set up a demo.
