Top 10 Endpoint Security Best Practices For Avoiding Incidents

Endpoint security has been a growing concern for businesses. The rise of hybrid and remote work impacts cybersecurity in different ways. The increasing number of users and endpoints, the diversity of work devices, and remote work put more pressure on IT teams to keep the network elements, such as endpoints, secure and reliable.

In this article, we present the top 10 best practices for endpoint security by identifying its risks and challenges.

Top 10 best practices for endpoint security

Implementing effective endpoint security practices is essential for safeguarding sensitive data, preventing unauthorized access, and mitigating the risk of cyber attacks. Top 10 best practices are:

1. Use antivirus or anti-malware software

Antivirus software takes security measurements against signature based threat actors such as viruses, trojans, and worms. Endpoint security works robustly when combined with antivirus and helps mitigate the spread of malware. For more, explore how antivirus collaborates with endpoint security.

2. Monitor your endpoints

Monitor your endpoints against unauthorized use of applications or web browsing. Making your endpoints visible helps with endpoint detection, threat intelligence, and behavior analysis. Most of the endpoint protection suites come with monitoring features. For more information on endpoint management software: Top 10 Endpoint Management Software

3. Use patch management

Patch management helps to keep your endpoints up-to-date and healthy. Apply the latest security patches; vulnerabilities result from unfixed bugs, and old versions of software are evaded so that most endpoint management software comes with a patch management feature. For more information on endpoint management software: main components of endpoint protection solutions

4. Encrypt your data

Utilize encryption technologies to protect sensitive data both in transit and at rest. Implement full-disk encryption on endpoints to safeguard data in case of device loss or theft. Additionally, use encrypted communication protocols such as HTTPS for secure data transmission over networks.

5. Utilize behavioral analysis

Use behavioral analysis to detect and respond to suspicious or malicious activities on endpoints. Behavioral analysis involves monitoring and analyzing patterns of behavior exhibited by users, applications, and processes to identify deviations from normal or expected behavior that may indicate a security threat.

6. Adopt DLP measurements

Adopting Data Loss Prevention (DLP) practices can significantly enhance endpoint security by helping organizations prevent the unauthorized disclosure or exfiltration of sensitive data from endpoints. Data encryption, encryption of removable storage, such as USB devices, are practices DLP solutions assimilate. For more: Complete Guide to Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Top 10 USB Blocking Software

7. Go for ZTNA

The Zero Trust Network Approach ensures security by providing access per user based on policy rules, meaning the access control check is done for each user when access rights are requested for applications, websites, or network connections. In comparison to VPN, which permits access to users when they are inside the network, ZTNA controls granular access requests so that users inside the network are subject to continuous security verifications. For more information: Differences between ZTNA and VPN

8. Vulnerability management

Manage your vulnerable endpoints and vulnerable data, such as your critical files, by proactively scanning and monitoring. Adopting vulnerability management practices is essential for strengthening endpoint security by proactively identifying, prioritizing, and addressing security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

9. Policy management

Create intelligible and succinct policies for endpoints. Policies build a security posture by enforcing rules such as access control and device control. For more about device control rules: Device Control Policy: Features, Benefits & Challenges

10. Use strong authentication

Enforce the use of strong passwords or implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to enhance authentication security. MFA requires users to provide additional verification factors, such as biometrics or one-time codes, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

Most common endpoint security risks

According to the report, Data Breaches Investigations 2023¹ , published by Verizon, an American multinational telecommunications conglomarate², incidents that lead to data breaches are classified into 7 (excluding the subcategory “everything else”) subcategories: system intrusion, social engineering, basic web application attacks, miscellaneous errors, denial of service, lost and stolen assets, and last but not least, privilege misuse.

The most frequent top three actors in order are denial of service, system intrusion, and lost or stolen assets, with system intrusion having the highest probability of resulting in data breaches (2 in 5 data breaches belong to the subcategory of system intrusion). System intrusion is the general title for incidents such as malware and ransomware, which leverage sensitive information to achieve their ends.

Why is endpoint security so important?

As described above, endpoint security best practices help businesses overcome endpoint security risks that have become more frequent in the last few years. For more: Why is it important now?

FAQ

Further reading

• Top 10 Hexnode Alternatives Based on 10,800+ Reviews
• Top 10 Device Control Software: Review-based Analysis
• Top 10 Endpoint Management Software: 12K+ Reviews

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External resources

• 1. “2023 Data Breach Investigations Report”. Verizon. Accessed: 22/March/2024.
• 2. “Verizon”. Wikipedia. Accessed: 22/March/2024.