7 min
It’s not easy getting your head around endpoint protection for business. But with a toothpick and a balloon, Matt White, CEO of software-as-a-service platform XaaS Ltd, makes it simple.
Every organization’s ‘attack surface‘ has expanded like a balloon thanks to increasing digitalization and smart devices in the workplace. But cybercriminals, like a toothpick trying to pop that balloon, now have more ways of getting in and reducing your network to shreds. The reality is even more extreme, White says, with thousands of cybercriminal toothpicks trying to pop your balloon at once.
The toothpicks are also getting sharper, suggests Kaspersky Senior Security Researcher Noushin Shabab. “Cybercriminals are now using AI and machine learning to make their attacks more sophisticated.”
What are endpoints, and why better protect them?
Today, businesses’ attack surfaces are bigger than ever because there are more ‘endpoints’ – any device connected to the network, from mobile phones to webcams to fridges. White says that’s “a total chaotic mess” from a security perspective.
Endpoints are the heart of the risk. They’re the route in for your employees and the machinery you use for your work. But they’re also a route in for attackers.
Matt White, CEO, XaaS Ltd
Endpoints are cybercriminals’ favorite way to get into networks. Market data analysis firm IDC’s 2019 study found 70 percent of breaches started at an endpoint.
What’s the best way to protect endpoints?
Antivirus software used to do much of the heavy lifting in business security, but White says the new threat landscape demands more robust security. “Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is like antivirus on steroids. It doesn’t just detect and identify. It isolates malicious code and repairs. Spending more on that kind of system is like an insurance policy – it may protect you from a lot more damage down the line.”
He compares endpoint detection and response with a COVID-19 vaccination. “You know you may still catch it, but you can make it far less serious by getting a vaccine upfront.” Check what level of endpoint protection your business needs.
White thinks the new cyber threat level demands a new way of working, too. “It’s not just plugging in the latest shiny box that’s going to secure a network. Everyone has to work together – all parts of a company, regulators, financial authorities – to create collaboration. It’s a team game.”
And that might be a good thing for business overall, as well as for business security.
