Why There's an Urgent Need for Companies to Modernize Their Endpoint Protection
Why There's an Urgent Need for Companies to Modernize Their Endpoint Protection

Large companies and small businesses are seeing an ever-growing number of cyber threats that attack their endpoints. Their regular endpoint security software may fail against advanced cyberattacks and render them ineffective and outdated. According to a report by Ponemon Institute, 2018 placed a destructive hit on 64% of organizations due to endpoint attacks. 

Cybercriminals always introduce new threats and upgrade old strategies. This is why a company needs to constantly review and update its security policies and threat management

What is Endpoint Protection?

Endpoint security is the process of protecting any open end to the company’s network. This includes laptops, computers, servers, IoT devices and mobile phones. This practice is required to ensure that these endpoints do not serve as a free pass to individuals with malicious intents. Endpoint protection tools secure these entry points from cyberattacks and ransomware in the cloud or on a network. 

These security systems have been advancing over the years and their purpose has shifted from being solely antivirus. They are now the front line of cybersecurity as they offer complete protection against zero-day malware and all other forms of cyber-insurgency. 

Why There is a Need to Modernize Endpoint Protection 

Inadequacies Associated with Securing Remote Endpoints 

A strong security service needs to possess the ability to protect workers from anywhere. Old endpoint security systems are not flexible enough to connect or safeguard endpoints that are not within a company’s network. Challenges arise when an employee is on an official trip miles away from the company or the employee works at a branch office. As a result, the organization’s endpoints suffer from conflicting configurations, inefficient security approaches and outdated software. 

The policy updates that are carried out won’t affect remote devices. If an endpoint is absent on the local server, the device will be left susceptible to new threats until it gets linked to the company’s network. This weakens a firm’s security system and results in inadequate control since their knowledge of what is happening on a remote device is limited.

Software Programs Are Hard to Update 

Regular updates are a bit hard to achieve with legacy endpoint security systems. Software updates need to occur often due to recent advancements and new additions. The technologies they employ (like application controls, firewalls, IPS, etc.) are uncoordinated and require policy configuration. When these tools are faced with new threats, they will need a new configuration unique to each one. 

To secure their endpoints, companies must work on a single tool independently and update each one accordingly. This is not just time-consuming. It is also hard to implement and error-prone. It hijacks a company’s resources and makes the whole update less productive.

Security Products Lack a Unified View

Old endpoint protection tools have issues with integrating security products. They lack tools that combine your endpoint protection with other products in your security stack. Most companies use threat intelligence and security systems like SIEM (security information and event management). They sometimes include automated services and network security tools. 

Each product is a stand-alone and its management is independent of other products. However, they are hard to control and manage under regular endpoint protection. This creates friction and significantly diminishes the effectiveness of each product.

Slow Response to Threats 

In situations where you are lucky to quickly identify, track and weaponize your best tools against a threat, legacy endpoint security systems will be there to delay your progress. It gets worse if you have limited knowledge of the form of attack, time it occurred or where it came from. Your response will be slow and your strategy will be inefficient. Since speed is your best chance at containing a growing threat, you will most likely lose your edge.

Remediation becomes more complex when your system lacks the right operational tools. You will need to switch tools and change teams while the attacker gets enough time to rampage. It all boils down to an outdated endpoint protection tool as they lack the massive processing power you need to identify and analyze malicious activity.

What Help Does Modern Endpoint Protection Offer?

Modern endpoint protection was developed to include everything legacy endpoint protection lacked. It is an innovative solution against cybercriminals becoming resourceful in recent years. The burden on your company’s team will be significantly reduced and allow them to focus on more productive tasks.

How exactly does modernized endpoint protection achieve this?

  • It uses cloud APIs to unify your endpoint protection with your defense stack to bring them together to exercise their maximum potential. 
  • It adopts many defense mechanisms that prevent cyberattacks and detects any sign of malicious elements.
  • Threat intelligence and automated tools are available to decipher attacks and grant the organization a decisive advantage that keeps them ahead of the attackers.
  • It offers a simple endpoint security management that makes it easier to protect all devices regardless of location. It also accurately performs software updates instantly and without a glitch.

We Can Help With Your Endpoint Protection

If you need help modernizing your company’s endpoint protection system, call Sound Computers at (860) 577-8060 or fill out our contact form.
August 16, 2022
Sound Computers Admin