What is Endpoint Security? How It Works & Its Importance

Endpoint security is one of the most critically important components of your business’s IT network. With every device you have connected to the network, the potential targets for hackers and cybercriminals increase.

In this blog, we’re taking a look at what exactly endpoint security is, what it applies to, how it works, why it matters, and how to implement the best endpoint security solutions for your business.

Read on to learn more about this imperative security measure.

Why Endpoint Security is Important

For any business, endpoint security is absolutely essential. That’s because endpoint security directly impacts your business’s overall network security.

If you fail to secure your endpoint devices such as laptops, smartphones, routers, and servers, you could face severe network breaches.

The fallout from such breaches can be substantial, with the potential distribution of details about your business, your customers, your employees, and more.

These could range from something as seemingly benign as an employee’s name to damaging personal data of customers and employees such as credit card or bank details, personal addresses, contact information, etc.

How Endpoint Protection Works

Endpoint protection combines a range of security components that can often be managed from a central endpoint protection platform.

Protection comes in the form of antivirus software, firewalls, active encryption, software and hardware patches, mobile device management, phishing scam identification, and more. 

You can learn about these endpoint protection solutions further down on this page.

What’s Considered an Endpoint?

An endpoint refers to any device that is connected to a network. 

So, any device that is connected to your business’s IT network and relies upon an online network connection is classified as an endpoint device. These include:

• Desktops, laptops, and servers
• Smartphones, tablets, and other smart devices with an internet connection
• Routers, switches, and modems
• Internet of Things (IoT) devices like smart speakers, thermostats, cameras, doorbells, security sensors, etc.
• Printers and scanners

Endpoint Security Components

Common functional components of endpoint security include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Antivirus and antimalware functionality – identify, quarantine and/or remove malicious software from endpoint devices.
• Firewalls – tighter control over incoming and outgoing network traffic.
• Data encryption – protecting sensitive data so that it cannot be easily decrypted by outsiders.
• Regular software and hardware patching – keeping software and hardware up-to-date ensures it’s better equipped to combat new threats and vulnerabilities.
• Application control – identifying which applications are and are not allowed on the network.

Endpoint Protection Platforms vs Traditional Antivirus

When comparing endpoint protection platforms (EPPs) to traditional antivirus solutions, the key difference to start with is that an antivirus program is just one component of a comprehensive EPP.

In general, an antivirus and antimalware program simply scans for viruses and malicious software on a single device. Once it identifies the program, it either quarantines it or outright deletes the software if safe to do so.

Most EPPs include this antivirus function along with many of the aforementioned endpoint security components such as firewalls, data encryption, software and hardware patching, app control, etc.

They also tend to include data loss prevention solutions and can manage the security of mobile devices on your network. They also more actively seek out threats and potential vulnerabilities across your endpoint devices.

Finally, while a standalone antivirus program usually focuses on treating individual devices, an EPP acts as a central protection hub that accounts for all endpoint devices on your network.

So, in short: antivirus programs are usually for single devices and only focus on the quarantine and removal of malicious software. EPPs are closer to all-in-one solutions for protecting every endpoint connected to your business’s IT network from a variety of threats.

Setup4 Offer Advanced Endpoint Security Solutions

To ensure your endpoints are properly secured against external threats and well-maintained, get in touch with Setup4 today.

We utilise a wealth of advanced endpoint security solutions that allow us to actively monitor, forecast, and identify potential threats before they arrive. 

With various mitigative strategies and effective real-time response solutions, Setup4 can protect your endpoint devices and your entire network from many online threats and security pitfalls.

We help businesses locally in Melbourne and throughout Australia with our combined onsite and remote IT support solutions.