Smarter Endpoint Security

Smarter Endpoint Security

Endpoint detection and response tools provide more effective protection against evolving endpoint threats.

According to various surveys, the average U.S. employee uses at least three devices daily for work activities. While these devices enable productivity and collaboration, they create multiple avenues for spreading malware. Each endpoint is also a potential entry point for unauthorized access to critical systems.

Protecting endpoints from attack is difficult due to the proliferation of devices and increasingly sophisticated threats. According to a recent CyberRisk Alliance Business Intelligence survey, 63 percent of organizations have 1,000 or more endpoints. Only 59 percent regularly monitor at least 75 percent of their endpoints. Not surprisingly, three out of five organizations have had one or more endpoints compromised in the past 12 months.

Moreover, attackers have changed their tactics to evade traditional security tools. According to the CrowdStrike 2023 Threat Hunting Report, cybercriminals can break into and out of an IT environment in just 79 minutes, on average. Because of these threats, Gartner expects organizations to adopt tools that enable rapid detection and response.

What Is Endpoint Detection and Response?

For most organizations, this approach represents a significant change from the strategies they’ve used for decades. Endpoint security has traditionally focused on signature-based antivirus tools. However, today’s threats evolve too rapidly to wait for new virus definitions to be implemented. Additionally, signature-based tools cannot detect fileless malware and other stealth attacks.

Endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions featuring automation and predictive technologies provide a stronger defense against today’s threats. EDR tools use software agents to monitor all endpoints and the applications and services they connect to. They should be able to monitor all endpoints across the environment, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Endpoints are monitored continuously, even after authentication. EDR looks for anomalous behaviors, making it possible to identify new malware strains and advanced persistent threats. Leading EDR solutions also have sandboxes where malware can be isolated, safely detonated and analyzed. Data collected during monitoring is also recorded in a central database for further analysis, investigation, reporting and alerting.

How Do EDR Tools Detect Attacks?

Analytic engines powered by machine learning (ML) facilitate fast evaluation of that data and early detection of threats that lack the usual indicators of an attack. ML-based tools “learn” the behavior of endpoints so they can spot anomalies that could indicate a threat. This enables them to find zero-day attacks with far greater speed and accuracy. They also use threat intelligence to enable a predictive approach.

If abnormal activity is detected, ML-based tools conduct further analysis, issue alerts and trigger an automated response. When combined with a security information and event management (SIEM) solution, EDR helps security teams identify the threat, when and where it originated, and what action should be taken.

Best-in-class tools enrich telemetry data with information from other events and activities. This gives IT teams more context to respond to threats — ideally before they cause any damage.

What to Look for in EDR

According to the CyberRisk Alliance Business Intelligence Survey, 72 percent of organizations have adopted EDR. Another 20 percent are planning to do so in 2024. However, just 13 percent have adopted ML-based tools. ML is becoming increasingly critical, given that attackers also use artificial intelligence.

A highly scalable EDR solution is essential as the number of endpoints continues to explode. Because EDR is not a silver bullet that will solve all security problems, organizations should look for an open solution that can integrate into a broader security architecture with threat intelligence, SIEM and other tools. Managed EDR combines advanced security technology with monitoring and response by qualified professionals, further reducing the risk of an incident.

Conclusion

Attack prevention is still important. However, breaches have become almost inevitable, even with the best defenses. Organizations need the ability to quickly identify an intrusion and take steps to minimize the damage.

Any organization that uses a wide range of endpoint devices should consider implementing EDR. Organizations that lack in-house security expertise and resources should consider partnering with a managed services provider (MSP). The MSP can help select and implement an EDR solution that overcomes the shortcomings of legacy security tools and reduces the risk of endpoint threats. Qualified MSPs deliver EDR in a fully managed solution.


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