As businesses face information security threats from multiple angles, secured endpoints and applications are essential. An ‘endpoint’ refers to a device that communicates with/on the network, such as a laptop, modem, mobile or printer.
Endpoint security requires continuous assessment and robust protection, which is why businesses are choosing market-leading endpoint security providers to safeguard their information. In this post, we dive deeper into endpoint security and outline ways you can protect your business.
What is Endpoint Security?
Endpoint security (also known as endpoint protection) refers to solutions that address security vulnerabilities in network devices, and protect these from attacks, inadvertent data leakage due to human error, or zero-day exploits.
Antivirus solutions alone cannot always prevent all advanced persistent threats and targeted attacks on an organisation’s system. For this reason, endpoint security should be an ongoing concern and an important component of a holistic security program.
How Endpoint Security Works
Due to the increased popularity and adoption of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programs, endpoint protection also applies to secure mobile endpoints such as tablets, smartphones and laptops. Through the creation and enforcement of endpoint rules, endpoint security solutions can identify sensitive data before encrypting it or restricting its copying, sharing and downloading.
Endpoint security solutions include network access control functionalities. These describe various protocols and processes that are used to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive data and enterprise networks.
Endpoint Security Management
In the enterprise environment, endpoint security is managed via a central administration server, which monitors and manages all endpoint connections to the network. However, in the consumer environment, security solutions like antivirus software are monitored and managed on individual endpoints, without the need for central administration.
What is Application Security?
Application security refers to the practice of adding features and functionality to software and apps to prevent threats such as cyber attacks, data breaches, data theft or service attacks. These security measures can include firewalls, encryption programs or antivirus programs, which prevent unauthorised access.
Securing applications also includes practices throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC) to ensure that apps used by an organisation’s employees don’t pose security threats.
The Relevance of Application Security
As more companies are developing their own applications, adopting more digital products in their day-to-day use, or incorporating open source coding, the risks associated with application security have increased.
Some benefits of application security include:
- Security of Confidential Information: The security of sensitive information is a major concern for many people, and it’s a large reason why many individuals are hesitant to share their personal information online. Application providers that are proactive in the protection of user data are well regarded.
- Sound Market Reputation: Thanks to ongoing occurrences of corporate cyber attacks, companies that are safe from these incidents are also viewed with high regard.
The risks of poor application security include:
- Legal Ramifications: Data breaches and the loss of personal or confidential information is a serious issue that can result in significant legal damages.
- Reputational Damage: Companies that suffer data breaches and cyber-attacks risk negative public perception, which can result in diminished brand and reputational damages.
For these reasons alone, endpoint and application security compliance is critical for businesses across industries.
The Bottom Line
Without adequate endpoint and application security, businesses risk losing control of sensitive data once its network is breached through an unsecured device. These protection protocols supplement other security solutions to provide round-the-clock protection.
To learn how The Missing Link can assist your business in reaching endpoint and application security compliance, get in touch with us today.
