Exorcising Cyber Ghouls From Your Network With Endpoint Security

In just under a week, millions will dress up in costumes and roam the streets, demanding treats in exchange for not playing tricks. Unfortunately, the threats that modern businesses face can’t be deterred by a lollipop or chocolate bar.

These threats won’t knock on your door dressed as superheroes or characters from the Toy Story franchise. They’ll exploit any weakness in your business’ defenses to slip in… and once they do, they can be hard to exorcise.

It’s much easier not to let them in at all, so let’s talk about how the right network and endpoint security tools can keep your business much safer against things that go bump in the night.

A Solitary Firewall Just Won’t Cut It Anymore

Imagine setting out a bowl of candy this Saturday and leaving it completely unattended, with a sign that reads, “Please take one.” Some people may honor the sign, but how long do you think that bowl would still have candy in it?

If we substitute your business’ network for that bowl of candy, a lone firewall is about as effective as our hypothetical sign. 

Hybrid operations, the cloud, and the prevalence of personal devices being used for work have basically spread your bowl of candy across the yard via today’s decentralized networks. It's now much easier for an attacker to slip in from any direction, making it more likely someone could empty your business’ candy bowl… or, to drop the metaphor, your business’ data.

How Cybercriminals Can Take Advantage of Your Technology

Just like you’ll likely see quite a few Marios, He-Men, and members of HUNTR/X at your front door, cybercriminals generally lean on a few standard strategies to gain unauthorized access to your network:

• Ransomware - A malware variant that encrypts your files until you pay the perpetrator a ransom to unlock them, or you restore your system from a clean backup.
• Phishing - Any message that uses social engineering to trick you or your employees into providing login credentials or other sensitive information.
• Vulnerable Endpoints -  Any outdated hardware that is connected to your network (or that which you don’t know about) can be used as a means of launching an attack on your greater infrastructure.
• Zero-day Exploits - Any formerly undisclosed or undiscovered vulnerabilities that have been seen in use, quietly manipulating background processes.

Many Threats Require Many Protections

Your protections need to be comprehensive if you’re to have any chance of maintaining your endpoint and network security, working around the clock to prevent these threats. We encourage our clients to utilize the following:

Endpoint Detection and Response

Traditional antivirus software relies on a database of known attacks, so it falls short against novel threats. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) focuses on behavior, scanning the device for erratic or otherwise odd behavior so it can be immediately isolated before an infection spreads.

Zero Trust

Never trust, always verify. That’s the tenet that a zero trust architecture is built upon. Regardless of who is trying to access a business’ network, where they are doing so, what they are using to do it, and when, everything about that login must be continuously verified and authenticated. This level of protection helps contain an attack if one set of credentials is stolen.

Network Segmentation

Speaking of containing attacks, network segmentation also contributes to this security goal. By keeping different devices on separate networks, you prevent an IoT device or guest connection from having access to your operational resources and data.

Patch Management

Software needs to be updated, and instead of full rebuilds, these updates often come in the form of patches. Automating your patch management helps prevent the vulnerabilities that these patches typically address.

Don’t Let Your Business Get Tricked this Halloween…

…or ever. It doesn’t take much for a breach to happen, but the impact is usually disproportionately huge—both in damage and cost. Why wait any longer before shoring up your risk factors?

We’re here to help. Our team can assess your network and its endpoints to identify and address the vulnerable spots where a threat can sneak in. Don’t wait until someone steals all your candy… call us now at (603) 499-4400 to schedule a security audit.