Why Your Organization Needs Endpoint Protection
Remember the good ol’ days when all you needed to protect your computer was antivirus software? Any threat that arose was snuffed out before it could do damage.
The problem with antivirus software is that it can’t catch threats it hasn’t seen before.
Attackers began using more advanced viruses and malware that could slip past antivirus software, and suddenly, computers became vulnerable to zero-day exploits, fileless malware and sophisticated ransomware.
The solution is a step up from antivirus software called endpoint detection and response (EDR). When we say “endpoint,” it’s just the technical term for any device connected to your network, such as a laptop, mobile device, server and more.
Let’s define EDR, how it works and why your organization must use it.
What is EDR?
EDR is a tool that continuously watches your devices in real time, looking for unusual behavior that could be a threat. An average small business will have at least as many endpoints as employees, and each endpoint is a potential entry point for an attacker.
Think of EDR as the security system for your house. It has “cameras” that monitor the outside for suspicious activity, as well as an “alarm” that goes off if anybody breaks in.
EDR is an essential tool for any organization, as no target — regardless of size — is off-limits. In fact, many attackers target small businesses because they often lack proper security systems.
How Does EDR Work?
EDR solutions use AI and machine learning to help your IT staff or managed service provider, like Hungerford Technology, detect and remediate threats before they can spread to other parts of your network. It flags potential attacks and determines how likely they are to be a positive attack and how severe they might be.
If EDR is the security system of your IT environment, managed detection and response (MDR) is the security company that responds to threats by calling the police during a break-in or the fire department in case of a fire.
MDR complements EDR by providing a service that responds to threats across your IT environment, including 24/7 threat management and remediation. HT uses MDR to weed out low- and high-priority items so your time isn’t wasted on unnecessary reports.
In a real-world example, our MDR service flagged the creation of an Outlook rule and locked down a user’s account during a phishing attack against one of our clients. The client’s EDR tool noticed suspicious activity, and the MDR service automatically removed it.
Without EDR, the attacker would have been able to use the compromised account to send more phishing emails to employees, vendors and other contacts.
Why is EDR Important?
EDR is an extra layer of security on top of your standard antivirus software. Just as we enforce multifactor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your online accounts, we use EDR to protect your physical devices against constantly evolving attacks.
In addition to searching for known threats, EDR hunts for unknown threats. These are the ones that slip past antivirus software and your organization’s perimeter defenses.
Phishing and ransomware attacks can cripple your organization’s operations and cost millions of dollars to fix. EDR is the first step in responding to security incidents, minimizing the impact of an attack.
Protect Your Organization’s Devices
EDR is an essential tool for any organization, as no target — regardless of size — is off-limits. In fact, many attackers target small businesses because they often lack proper security systems.
Let’s secure your business before the next threat hits. Don’t wait until a data breach or cyberattack to improve your organization’s security posture. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
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