More than 80% of enterprises had embarked on a hybrid workplace journey by the middle of 2021. Today, the combination of on-site, remote, and mobile productivity is considered part of the new normal – but it also presents significant challenges for corporate cybersecurity teams.
With employees working from so many different locations, using multiple devices and methods of connectivity, managing and monitoring endpoints is a demanding job. And the task is further complicated by the status quo: as personal and professional lives overlap, the lines between home equipment and business equipment are being blurred.
In a recent survey, 46% of employees admitted using their corporate laptop for “life admin” – including online shopping and social media – and 30% said they had allowed someone else to use their work device.
Alongside these emerging trends in device use and misuse, there is substantial evidence that the cyberthreat landscape has been changed irrevocably – by the COVID-19 pandemic and by rapid digital transformation. As the world grappled with the first wave of coronavirus cases in early 2020, there was a 238% spike in cyberattack volume.
Threat actors took advantage of the sudden shift to home-based and remote productivity – and no industry was spared. Miners, manufacturers, financial institutions, healthcare providers, retail outlets, non-profit organisations, and even schools and universities were targeted. Unsecured endpoints – from smartphones to printers – were often exploited during these cyberattacks.
According to the International Data Corporation, 70% of all successful network breaches begin on endpoint devices. To safeguard your enterprise network, you need to monitor every endpoint. You need to apply controls and restrictions. You need to identify anomalies. And you need to respond to threats as they occur. How does your endpoint security strategy measure up?
Are you managing vulnerabilities?
For comprehensive security, you have to be able to identify, assess, and remediate endpoint vulnerabilities and threats in real time. Loopholes and misconfigurations are weaknesses that cybercriminals will try to exploit.
Are you reducing the attack surface?
To minimise your exposure to cybercrime, you have to reduce your attack surface. With stringent controls for devices, applications, and folders, plus comprehensive defences against network intrusions and malware, you can lessen the risk to your resources.
Have you enabled endpoint detection and response?
When you’re proactive about threat hunting within your IT environment, you can harness the power of machine learning, big data, and advanced analytics to detect suspicious behaviours and malicious activities on endpoints – and remediate cyberthreats when they occur.
Have you automated investigation and remediation?
High volumes of security alerts and notifications can overwhelm corporate cybersecurity teams and delay their response times. Leverage the security tools at your disposal and apply decision-making algorithms to investigate and resolve security issues automatically, and at scale.
Continuous threat intelligence from endpoints is critical to help your security teams provide robust protection across your enterprise environment. With full endpoint visibility, you will be better positioned to eliminate potential penetration points, monitor emerging threats, and improve your overall security posture.
Get advanced security with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint uses a combination of technologies built into Windows 10 and Microsoft’s cloud service to generate continuous threat intelligence.
Talk to our experts to learn more about Defender for Endpoint’s advanced threat protection, centralised management, and detailed reporting features.
