Organizations are not prioritizing endpoint security despite the growing frequency of devastating data breaches, according to a recent survey by cybersecurity software company Action1. The survey included feedback from nearly 500 IT professionals globally.
The majority of organizations surveyed, some 59 percent, said they have no plans to invest in the prevention, detection, and mitigation of endpoint vulnerabilities in 2022. Meanwhile, only 33 percent of organizations plan on implementing or improving zero trust and multi-factor authentication.
What Is Endpoint Security?
Endpoint security refers to cybersecurity measures that protect access points to a computer network. An endpoint describes any device that connects to a computer network. Endpoints include desktop computers, laptops and tablets, mobile devices, Internet of things (IoT) devices, printers, and any other device that communicates with a central computer network.
Cybercriminals seek to exploit these endpoints to access a computer network and infect it with ransomware or other types of malware. Any computer connected to a computer network, and even any device attached via USB or other means to an endpoint, can provide a useful vector of attack for cybercriminals.
Why Is Endpoint Security Important?
Endpoint security is important because every access point to your computer network is a potential source of infection by ransomware or other forms of malware. Moreover, the number of access points is growing. This has been especially true during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Network security perimeters have expanded with the shift to hybrid or fully remote work.
Effective endpoint security protects critical computer systems, intellectual property and trade secrets, customer and employee data, and anyone using your network from ransomware and other cybersecurity threats. Whatever connects to your central network from within your organization or remotely can compromise your cybersecurity.
How Do Cybercriminals Exploit Endpoints?
A company’s central computer network is like a building with many doors. Every desktop computer or server gives employees access to data stored on devices connected to the network. Sadly, each device also gives cybercriminals an opportunity to exploit vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to this data.
The most common exploit comes in the form of email phishing campaigns. Malicious actors leverage social media and other sources of personal information to create fraudulent emails that trick employees into clicking on malicious links that launch malware attacks. Ransomware and other types of malware can also penetrate networks through any smart device connected to your network.
How Effective Are Endpoint Attacks?
In short, they’re very effective. Cyberattacks and malicious cyber activity saw unprecedented growth in 2021, according to the FBI’s 2021 Internet Crime Report. The agency’s Internet Crime Center (IC3) received nearly 850,000 complaints last year, with financial losses from reported cases of $6.9 billion.
The 2022 Cyber Threat Report by cybersecurity firm SonicWall includes equally sobering details. Ransomware attacks in 2021 increased by 105 percent. However, SonicWall’s threat research team also found that 93 percent of evaluated company networks had been penetrated, and that 68 percent had been compromised by endpoint attacks.
How Can You Harden Endpoint Security?
Protecting your endpoints requires ensuring that anyone or any device that connects to your network is authorized. This is a critical part of your overall cybersecurity posture. Networks provide a large attack surface. Given that malware-infected USB storage devices are among the most common ways to compromise your network, every USB port throughout your organization is a potential attack point.
SecureData saw the need for a cybersecurity tool that gave IT administrators greater flexibility in managing the increasing number of endpoints throughout organizations efficiently and effectively. That’s why we developed SecureGuard USB, a software-based and remotely managed way to control all your organization’s network access points.
Defend Your Endpoints with SecureGuard USB
SecureGuard USB is an easy-to-use software application that IT administrators can manage SecureData’s Remote Management Console/Services. It prevents data leaks by enforcing the use of only authorized USB devices on company-wide computers that have USB ports.
With SecureGuard, IT administrators can authorize or block access to any portable external storage device, any USB-based human interface devices, and any mobile device, card reader, printer, or scanner.
Once the software is installed throughout an organization, SecureGuard creates an easily managed shield against the intentional or inadvertent deployment of malware. It even blocks access to computers when unauthorized USB devices are connected.
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