When your business has multiple endpoints, you must be able to protect them all. This extends to every endpoint across your network, but is especially true for remote devices and those used by hybrid employees.
Companies can protect their devices, data, and networks with robust endpoint security solutions, even when employees are working from remote locations. However, there are still some essential endpoint security best practices that can’t be overlooked.
With that in mind, let’s examine the best practices for endpoint security, why strong endpoint security strategies are essential in a modern remote work environment, and how solutions like Splashtop AEM can help keep your endpoints safe.
Major Risks in Endpoint Security
Endpoints (particularly remote devices) face several threats. Organizations and IT teams must be aware of the various risks associated with endpoint security, so they can be prepared to address them effectively.
Common risks include:
Common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) that have impacted devices and applications in the past.
Unsecured devices that lack the security features to keep cyber attackers at bay.
Outdated software that lacks the latest security patches leaves the device exposed and vulnerable.
Human error, whether it’s a mistake like falling for a phishing scam or forgetting to install a patch update, can have far-reaching consequences.
Any of these can present an opportunity for cybercriminals to exploit, letting them infiltrate networks and steal sensitive data.
How Remote Work Increases the Need for Endpoint Security
For all of remote work's benefits, it also has its share of security challenges that IT teams must be aware of. The growth of remote and hybrid work, BYOD policies, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices has increased the need for endpoint security, as the more employees work remotely, the greater the risk of cyberattacks.
Additionally, as more employees work remotely and on a variety of devices, it becomes increasingly challenging to ensure each one is fully patched and protected. There’s always the risk of human error or security updates being skipped, which makes it all the more important to use endpoint management solutions that can automate updates and enforce security policies across remote devices.
Businesses need robust endpoint security solutions that can easily monitor, manage, and protect devices, networks, and sensitive data. These should enable employees to work from anywhere and access the company network without compromising security, and typically include security features such as end-to-end encryption and role-based access control to verify users and protect data.
With the right endpoint security solutions, businesses can empower employees to work from anywhere without compromising security, enabling secure remote work across the company.
10 Endpoint Security Best Practices for Maximum Protection
Given the importance of endpoint security, it’s important to know the tips and tricks that will help you maximize your security. These endpoint security best practices will help ensure your remote endpoints stay protected at all times:
1. Locate & Monitor All Devices on the Network
Any unsecured and forgotten devices can create a security vulnerability that attackers can exploit, so locating and monitoring all your connected devices is essential. Make sure you have a complete inventory of all your hardware and software, complete with real-time detection and monitoring.
2. Secure Endpoint Access
Each of your endpoints can potentially provide attackers with access to your systems, so keeping them secure is vital. This includes fully patching each endpoint and ensuring they have security features and safeguards in place to detect and defend against cyberattacks.
3. Scan Endpoints Regularly
Endpoint protection requires scanning and monitoring your endpoints to detect suspicious activity, malware, and other issues. Regular or real-time scanning can help identify potential problems so they can be addressed and mitigated quickly, keeping devices running smoothly.
4. Install Updates, Patches, and Software Regularly
Keeping devices patched and updated is essential for both security and IT compliance. Using a real-time patch management solution makes it easy to keep endpoints and applications up to date with automated patch deployments, but if you don’t have such a solution, you’ll need to make a habit of regularly checking for updates and installing them as quickly as possible.
5. Use Encryption for Remote Endpoints
End-to-end encryption is vital for securely sending data across remote endpoints. Encryption scrambles data while it’s in transit, making it harder to intercept and steal. This is particularly useful for remote endpoints, as businesses have no control over the WiFi networks the remote devices connect to, so greater security measures are necessary.
6. Implement Secure BYOD Policies
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies are popular among businesses and employees, as they allow employees to use their favorite devices. However, these policies also require strong cybersecurity regulations, as BYOD introduces several security risks of its own. Make sure you use an endpoint security solution that can work across devices and account for BYOD environments, as well as a policy that outlines security rules employees should abide by.
7. Adopt a Zero-Trust Policy
Zero-trust security requires users to authenticate themselves every time they want to connect to a part of the network. This provides an extra layer of protection and verification, so even if an employee’s account is compromised, it’ll be harder for the attacker to access the network. This also uses privileged access management, where access and device privileges are limited by default.
8. Set Up Post-Breach Protocols
Knowing how to respond after a breach can be just as important as defending against them. Having post-breach protocols in place means that, should the worst happen, your teams are ready to repair the damage, restore lost data, and prevent further breaches. Preparing for the worst means you’re both ready to defend against it and recover should it happen.
9. Run Continuous Endpoint Scans
Part of endpoint management and protection involves scanning devices to ensure they remain safe and monitor for suspicious activity. Using threat intelligence and endpoint scans can help identify threats in real-time, so they can be addressed before they become a problem. The longer you wait to run a scan, the greater the risks become.
10. Educate Employees on Security Best Practices
Human error is a significant contributing factor to data breaches and other security failures, so employees should also be trained and informed on endpoint security best practices. This includes having security policies in place, information on how each security feature works, and training on how to prevent phishing and similar attacks.
How to Choose the Best Endpoint Security Solution for Your Business
It’s no exaggeration to say that the endpoint security solution you choose can make or break your security posture and determine whether you can keep your network and remote devices safe. As such, decision-makers need to choose an endpoint security solution that matches their business needs.
Consider these factors when looking at endpoint security solutions:
Tools and features: First, make sure the solution offers the security features you need, including multi-layered protection, proactive alerts, and CVE-based insights to detect threats before they become a problem.
Scalability: As your business grows, you’ll have exponentially more endpoints to manage. Ensure you use a solution that can scale and grow with your business, so you can continue to support every endpoint.
Ease of management: If a solution is too complex or hard to use, you won’t be able to realize its full benefits. Ensure you use a solution that’s easy to use and simplifies endpoint management; this way, you can maximize the benefits of all its features.
Real-time threat detection: When a threat emerges, you need to know immediately, not hours after the fact. Real-time threat detection is essential for endpoint security, as it provides immediate alerts that help IT teams address potential vulnerabilities or breaches as quickly as possible.
Automated response: When “as quickly as possible” isn’t fast enough, automated responses are. Using a solution with automated responses lets users instantly address potential problems with Smart Actions, providing immediate protection against detected threats.
Integrations: Your endpoint security solution needs to integrate with all the devices and third-party applications your employees use. If it can’t manage or protect a certain device or app, that leaves a potential vulnerability that attackers can exploit.
Cost efficiency: While good endpoint protection is invaluable, businesses still have budgets they have to consider. Look for a cost-effective solution that provides all the features and ease of use you need without breaking your budget.
Protect Your Endpoints with Splashtop AEM & Antivirus Solutions: Start with a Free Trial!
Endpoint protection is vital for keeping networks and remote devices secure, but fortunately, solutions like Splashtop AEM (Autonomous Endpoint Management) exist to help. Splashtop AEM helps protect endpoints across an organization with real-time threat detection, automated patch management, customizable policies, and more, so employees can enjoy secure remote work from anywhere.
Splashtop AEM helps streamline IT operations and improve security compliance with automation, insight, and control, all from a single console. Plus, with the Splashtop Antivirus add-on, you can protect endpoints across your business and mitigate risks with anti-malware scanning, advanced threat control, real-time alerts, and more.
Splashtop AEM gives IT teams the tools and technology they need to monitor endpoints, proactively address issues, and reduce their workloads. This includes:
Automated patching for OS, third-party, and custom apps.
AI-powered CVE-based vulnerability insights.
Customizable policy frameworks that can be enforced throughout your network.
Tracking and management for hardware and software inventory across endpoints
Alerts and remediation to automatically resolve issues before they become problems.
Background actions to access tools like task managers and device managers without interrupting users
It’s time to protect your endpoints with ease. Get started today with a free trial of Splashtop AEM!
