Digital threats are becoming increasingly common in every aspect of our lives, as criminals discover new ways of targeting their victims. In fact, by 2025, experts say cybercrime will cost the world around $10.5 trillion per year. Often, when people think about protecting themselves against the threat of fraudsters, scam artists, and criminals, they focus their attention almost exclusively on antivirus tools and firewalls. However, while these tools are crucial to comprehensive data protection, it’s important not to overlook the other side of cyber security: endpoint protection. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at what “endpoint protection” means, and why it’s so important to ensure all the devices in your household are secure.
What are Endpoints and Why Are They Important?
Endpoints are essentially any device connected to your network. In the standard home, for instance, endpoints could include everything from wireless routers to Smart televisions, intelligent speakers, laptops, smartphones, and desktop computers. These devices all provide access to your internet network, ensuring you can take full advantage of the online world. However, they also provide an entry point to that network for criminals who can hack into your connection, and spy on your information. Today, experts like Deloitte say endpoint security risks are rising for a number of reasons. One potential reason for the increase in attacks is the fact that we’re all using more connected devices on a regular basis. IoT (The Internet of Things) has led to an explosion in connected systems, from speakers to smart televisions, which all open windows to your network. Unfortunately, while we have more endpoints than ever before in our lives, studies show many of them aren’t as protected as they should be. Around 42% of all endpoints are unprotected at any given time. To make matters worse, up to 70% of security breaches originate in endpoints.
What is Endpoint Protection?
Endpoint protection tools are essentially packages of security features provided by digital experts, to help secure and preserve the integrity of your endpoints. These tools respond to the fact that endpoints are often the most vulnerable part of any network. After all, hackers can often easily exploit network-connected devices without raising suspicion. Tools like RAV endpoint protection secure your devices against cyberattacks, essentially creating a wall around all of the devices which link to your network. The technology works by constantly watching the connections between all of your endpoint devices, and your internet, for signs of potential attacks or breaches. With this endpoint security solution, you can identify everything from potential system vulnerabilities (like an unsecured device trying to enter a network), to potential attacks from external entities. More importantly, these tools ensure you can always track what’s going on in your network at any time, and monitor the devices in your home or household.
Why Should Endpoint Protection Be Intelligent?
While endpoint security solutions come in a range of different formats today, many professional organizations are beginning to place an increased focus on tools with disruptive technology built-in, such as AI and machine learning. Intelligent endpoint protection systems have grown increasingly popular in recent years as the number of cybersecurity attacks, and the complexity of these attacks continue to increase. In many parts of the cybersecurity landscape, it can feel as though just as one security issue is breached, another takes its place. This makes it difficult to stay one step ahead of the criminals. As end-user devices become more of a concern for businesses and consumers alike, having a machine learning ecosystem in place means your technology can actively learn, improve, and grow more secure over time. An intelligent solution can build a complete picture of your endpoint devices, and spot infected files quickly – even before you would notice the attack yourself.
Securing your Endpoints in 2022
Staying protected in today’s digital age is easier said than done, particularly as criminals continue to uncover countless new ways to hack into our networks and systems. A comprehensive approach to security should combine malware analysis and threat intelligence, with a comprehensive antivirus system, secure browsing, and a password-protected internet connection. However, while many people already have antivirus tools installed into their network, it’s easy to overlook the importance of endpoint defense. When you’re building your security strategy for this year, make sure you:
Identify your endpoints
Visibility is often the key to success when it comes to securing your landscape. You need to have a clear idea of exactly where all of your endpoints are, and what kind of data they’re transferring on a regular basis. Make sure you don’t forget IoT-connected devices like televisions and speakers, as well as your standard smartphones, desktops, and laptops.
Implement Advanced Endpoint protection
Invest in advanced endpoint protection software to automatically scan and monitor your connections for you. A tool with built-in machine learning will allow you to create an even more secure environment over time, by consistently learning about your connections.
Stay informed
Make sure you’re up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity issues facing people just like you on a daily basis. Being aware of the threats you could face means you can take additional steps to protect yourself and your family from those issues. Be aware of everything from phishing emails, to how you can secure your passwords.
Don’t Overlook Your Endpoints
In a world where our devices are growing increasingly intelligent and connected, it’s important not to overlook the vulnerabilities in your endpoints. Even with the best antivirus and malware solutions to help keep your family protected, you should still have endpoint defenses in place to ensure criminals can’t gain access to your network.
