Endpoints are one of the hackers` favorite gates to attacking organizations` networks. Setting foot into only one of the connected devices can open the way for threat actors to deploy malware, launch phishing attacks, and steal data. Antiviruses are a great corporate endpoint security part of the solution, as they only cover already known threats that have already penetrated the network. In a dynamic world fastly evolving towards complete digitalization, security challenges are also getting bigger and smarter. So in order to keep up and take the best decisions regarding your enterprise`s, customers`, and team`s data protection, make sure you are aware of what modern endpoint security corporate solutions have to offer. Endpoints can be targeted with known, unknown, and zero-day threats, no matter if they are on or offline, on or off-premise. Let`s move on to acknowledging what are currently the most common threats regarding corporate endpoint security. All devices connected to a network: laptops, mobiles, printers, etc. Can and will be at some point, if not properly secured, hit by endpoint attacks. The list of threats that could be lurking in some inboxes, in data packets using DNS tunneling to trick you, or as zero-day vulnerabilities exploiting is pretty long. Phishing attacks are also very frequent because they are easy to launch and have a fair success rate. They are used for getting access to login data, deploying malware, spying on the user`s activity, or gaining an access point to a corporation`s network. Lots of big brands already experienced being hit with this kind of attack. Malware and fileless infections are, besides ransomware, two more dangers your organization's endpoints could face. Data stealers, rootkits, worms, trojans, and adware are among the hackers` favorite tools. Keep track of all devices that connect to your network. Make sure endpoints have the latest software updates and patches. Use it on your endpoints to: ask users to generate complex passwords. Using a multi-factor authentication solution is also a good idea to help secure your endpoints. Enforcing a least privilege policy helps you stop the potential infection before it gets to the whole system and allows you to limit the damage and data loss, as well as track and identify where and how did the breach happen. Avoid letting unauthorized users install executable code onto the endpoints to save yourself a lot of headaches. Use encryption to add an extra layer of protection to your data. Encrypting the device`s disk or memory keeps the information on it safe even if the endpoint is stolen or lost. Reading the data on it will be either impossible or inaccessible. Printers, cameras, external drives as well as endpoints that have USB ports are a simple way of spreading malware or exfiltrating company data. Access to USB ports should be included in the least-privilege policy in order to avoid an attack. Hackers are still keen on this old-school trick, and the consequences of this method of infecting endpoints were recently in the spotlight, in the Turla attack on Ukraine. DNS spoofing, DNS tunneling, Man-in-the-Middle and other external attacks could still target your devices. To keep in line with endpoint security best practices, you should consider limiting VPN usage by only permitting it at the app layer. Of course, as stated above, when we talked about passwords, multi-factor authentication will help keep your data safe. This brings a need to review your internal security protocol. The safest way to deal with BYOD is to enforce a guest access account policy and strengthen your defense by adding the fourth endpoint security practice we recommended earlier. Your main tools for building a zero-trust policy are network segmentation, that isolates and prevents infection spreading, workloads security, data usage controls, and multi-factor authentication as we`ve already stated. Education will help a user spot a spoofed message and avoid a phishing, smishing, vishing, or CEO fraud attack. DarkLayer Guard™ and VectorN Detection™ make the best team for round-the-clock endpoint protection. Use our unique 2-way traffic filtering engine to reduce the risk of facing Zero Hour exploits, Ransomware C&Cs, next-gen attacks, and data breaches. Heimdal™'s Threat Prevention Endpoint is designed to work for both remote and on-site teams. Wrap Up. Since hackers get more and more creative and efficient in designing their attack methods, one should also keep-up and upgrade their cyber security strategy. Only using an antivirus to secure endpoints is not enough anymore, and security products that prevent, rather than respond to an attack should be enforced as soon as possible. Using top security solutions that are up to date with the newest trends and methods is the key to avoid ransomware and other cyberattacks that can affect your business assets and brand image.
This Cyber News was published on heimdalsecurity.com. Publication date: Tue, 07 Feb 2023 10:50:03 +0000