{"id":3861,"date":"2022-01-10T09:48:34","date_gmt":"2022-01-10T09:48:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.securecloudaas.com\/?p=3861"},"modified":"2022-01-10T12:53:15","modified_gmt":"2022-01-10T12:53:15","slug":"key-challenges-of-endpoint-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.securecloudaas.com\/key-challenges-of-endpoint-security\/","title":{"rendered":"Key challenges of endpoint security"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The rise of hybrid working has forever changed how businesses must view their security posture. As employees are now working between multiple locations, the risk of data breaches, cyberattacks and network intrusion has grown exponentially. With employees working from home, it is more difficult for IT teams to ensure employees are following best practices to avoid an attack, and due to this, endpoint security has become a high priority for many businesses. In this article we will discuss the meaning of endpoint security, and the 5 key endpoint security challenges that businesses are facing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is Endpoint Security?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An endpoint is any device that is connected to a network or\nIT system. This includes laptops, mobile phone, desktops, IoT devices, servers\nand virtual environments. Endpoint security is important as they are key\nvulnerability points of entry for cybercriminals. If a hacker gains access to\nan endpoint and executes malicious code, they can potentially access private\ndata or launch a larger attack. In the past, endpoint security was primarily\nfocused on antivirus solutions, but as the threat landscape has changed, the\nscope for endpoint security has broadened, with an emphasis on user behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Constantly Expanding Attack Surface<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As technology evolves, businesses and their employees are\nusing more devices either in a work capacity or on a business\u2019s network.  In the past, cybercriminals had a handful of\nendpoints they could target, including desktops, network devices, printers, and\nservers. For businesses, this meant that if these devices were secure, the\nchance of a successful attack was relatively low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2022, this attack surface has greatly increased with devices such as virtualised servers, personal laptops and phones, IoT devices, smart environmental controls and even wearable technologies, such as smart watches and fitness trackers. All these endpoints are now targetable by hackers, and it is difficult for an IT team to manage the sheer volume of devices. As new technologies are introduced into the market, this attack surface will continue to expand, putting businesses at risk of a cyberattack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remote and Hybrid Workforces<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The advent of remote and hybrid work has many benefits for businesses\nand its employees, however it poses a unique challenge for endpoint security. With\nemployees working in different geolocations, it means they need to connect to a\nbusiness network through other means, which also expands the attack surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If employees are connecting to a business\u2019s IT systems\nthrough a hotspot or public Wi-Fi, it opens the door to a potential\nman-in-the-middle attack. This form of attack is where a cybercriminal uses\nmalicious software that allows them to intercept all traffic between an\nendpoint and a corporate network. Through eavesdropping on this information,\nthey may be able to launch an attack, or even gain access to the corporate\nnetwork via the endpoint device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BYOD and Mobile Devices<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many businesses have enabled a bring your own device (BYOD) program, as it saves the business money, whilst increasing productivity for employees. Although such a program has many benefits, it carries a potential security risk. If employees are using older devices that do not receive security updates, it becomes an easy target for cybercriminals to exploit software vulnerabilities. Similarly, if an employee loses their device, or has it stolen, it puts the local device at risk of a data breach, as well as the corporate network, if they have their passwords saved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Protect your personal information. Information Security Concept<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Shadow IT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shadow IT is the use of IT hardware or software used by a\ndepartment or individual without the knowledge of the IT department or\nIT\/security provider. This software may include cloud services or applications\nthat departments use to increase productivity or to solve shortcomings of the\nprovided software. The risk of using unauthorised software is that it may have\na vulnerability that could lead to an attack on a business\u2019s network or\nsystems. Similarly, if employees use unauthorised file sharing platforms, it puts\ncustomer data at risk of a data breach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lack of Visibility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the previous challenges have a common factor, a lack of\nvisibility. It is extremely difficult for an IT team to secure all endpoints\nwhen there are many devices, from multiple locations connecting to their IT\nsystems. In order for IT teams to effectively secure endpoints, they require complete\nvisibility over who is connecting to a network, from which device, for what use,\nand all associated traffic. As technology becomes more complex, IT teams need\nto have a solution in place that allows them to respond to changes in\ntechnology and devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to find out more about how your business can\novercome these challenges to ensure that your endpoints and networks are\nsecure, contact us today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The rise of hybrid working has forever changed how businesses must view their security posture. As employees are now working between multiple locations, the risk of data breaches, cyberattacks and … <\/p>\n

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