As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, and more companies evidentially become breached, it is imperative to sit down and develop an endpoint security strategy. Endpoint security protects your company’s endpoint devices (PCs, workstations, tablets, phones, servers, etc.) from malicious threats that can greatly impact your company’s data and infrastructure. While many companies have different needs, there are five essentials that should be included in your strategy to ensure the highest functionality in your endpoint protection system.
#1 Data Loss Prevention
Preventing loss of data can be very beneficial in keeping a breach at minimal destruction. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) includes a set of tools that provide system administrators options to manage the network. Administrators can setup a specific set of rules, encryption, and user authentication (such as security questions, PINs, passwords, etc.) to help stop unwarranted access in its tracks.
#2 Mobile Device Management
The day and age of working 9-5 from an office atmosphere have long passed. Many companies are implementing remote policies which means that employees will need to utilize mobile devices such as tablets and phones when working outside the office. The one thing to consider is installing a Mobile Device Management solution (MDM) to help streamline applications and to make sure that the devices are staying protected in the event of a breach, loss or even if they are stolen.
#3 Device Control
Having device control part as of your endpoint security strategy can be beneficial in keeping your user’s endpoints secure. The device control feature will help inspect external devices for any potential malicious content when they are connected to the endpoint. It also helps manage user network accessibility on laptops and mobile devices. It allows for the user to block specific devices from entering the network. Device control also supports the encryption of any data that does make it onto an external device. This means that unauthorized parties won’t be able to access any data that becomes stolen. They will need an encryption key to access that information.
#4 Patch Management
When vulnerabilities strike it is crucial to get those remedied right away. Patch management is the automation of patches company-wide to ensure that endpoints stay up-to-date and security threats are neutralized. Patch management uses a variety of analysis and machine- learning to determine which patches are needed immediately. Also, if multiple patches are needed for one device, patch management can determine which should be addressed first.
#5 Advanced Endpoint Protection
Outside attacks can be devastating to an organization. With advanced endpoint protection, it can thwart off outside security threats that include zero-day attacks. These outside attacks can come from email, social media, websites, Skype, Dropbox, One Drive, and more. Having advanced endpoint protection can detect and automatically remove threats to your system.
While the list above only runs down the 5 essential endpoint strategy items, there are a surplus of other features that can be added to your endpoint solution. It becomes a matter of finding what solutions work best for your organization. At Fixbuddie, our experienced team is ready to assist in the design and implementation of endpoint security solutions. If you have any questions on endpoint security, features, migration process, or any technology related items for that matter, please give us a call at 302-786-5159 or by visiting www.fixbuddie.com.