Because remote work is becoming more common, network security measures must be updated. A new normal has developed due to the present pandemic, one in which security and physical work borders are no longer a concern.

The network traffic that goes through organizations is becoming increasingly difficult to trace.
Many organizations' security monitoring architecture is based on the assumption that most employees are directly connected to the company's local area network (LAN).

Data may be collected from perimeter firewalls, Active Directory domain controllers, server and workstation event logs, endpoint protection logs, and other vital on-premises data sources to keep a careful eye on network activity. Often, the best solution is managed cyber security services with endpoint management.

Make remote work more secure

Many company team members have relocated beyond the network perimeter, using mobile devices or working from home or a distant location, and organizations have lost sight of a significant portion of their corporate network traffic. Further, cyber criminals have pounced on the chance to benefit from the resulting diversion by boosting the number of their efforts. Lately, bad actors have reported data theft from unemployment benefit applications, ongoing COVID-19-themed phishing efforts, and a 238 percent rise in cyberattacks against banks.

What about VPNs?

With so much at stake, developing techniques for monitoring teleworker security in an era where network perimeters are vanishing is essential. As a result of telework, the network perimeter is being redefined. Also, due to their remote workforce, many organizations are forced to choose between usability and security. Often, current VPN infrastructures cannot support an entirely remote workforce.

This provides an opportunity for cyber criminals, who are capitalizing on it. The US Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have published a joint alert indicating increased cyber attacks utilizing VPN vulnerabilities.

If remote workers' laptops have unmonitored public Internet connections, malware or a cyber criminal can infect them. Users will utilize their VPN connection on one of these devices to connect to the corporate network. The new corporate network edge for a scattered workforce is employee devices and home networks.

Managed cyber security services, of course, present organizations with several tangible and quantitative benefits. These include anti-virus protection, data loss prevention, and application limitations, to name a few. The unforeseen business benefits of endpoint management should be considered while making IT environment-related choices.

Patches

Patches are pretty necessary. Endpoint patches give critical security information that may be utilized to mitigate the effect of cyber attacks or perhaps prevent them entirely. Hackers do use weak endpoints as a stepping stone to more valuable targets. According to the Ponemon Institute, updates on the usual endpoint are three months behind schedule. Before a patch can be utilized, it must be tested and deployed to each endpoint for 97 days on average.

Endpoint protection provides the unintended benefit of aiding your IT security team discover unpatched devices; the additional visibility may help you spot security issues before hackers do. It also makes it easy to repair those gadgets that don't obstruct workers' usual workflow.

Shadowy threat actors

One of the most persistent problems in cybersecurity is a lack of visibility. Businesses continue to struggle to acquire a clear image of their surroundings. Without proper visibility, cybersecurity professionals can't find the attack surfaces that hackers wish to target. After all, hackers prefer to prey on systems that aren't secured, patched, or maintained.

One of the unforeseen benefits of endpoint security for organizations is more visibility. Now that more organizations are contemplating enabling workers to work remotely, next-generation technology can help locate all network devices, including mobile devices. Endpoint security can help detect any potential weak areas in your defenses by running periodic scans on your attack surfaces.

Improve cyber security

According to studies, advanced and layered endpoint security may increase the risk of a breach rather than reduce it. This makes excellent sense when seen from a different angle. Having too many tech products on a single endpoint is not advised since this causes integration issues and security threats. Installing fewer, more comprehensive agents is preferable. Organizations now have access to managed cyber security services to simplify their cybersecurity operations thanks to next-generation endpoint security technologies.

Reduce loss

Most employees who were at home during the coronavirus outbreak may have contributed to these unexpected endpoint security gains for businesses. However, life will eventually return to normal, and your organization must be prepared for any future physical or digital losses.

Next-generation endpoint security includes DLP, which is a critical element in today's environment on the digital side. It's more important than ever now, with so many people working from home. DLP prevents sensitive data from being uploaded to public cloud databases or leaving authorized endpoints or database locations. Given how many breaches begin with improperly configured cloud databases, this functionality can help.

If an employee loses an endpoint containing vital data, you must prepare for the consequences. Next-generation technology can enable you to remotely delete or otherwise track lost endpoints to secure your company's data even if the device is stolen.

Is endpoint management difficult?

On an annual basis, endpoint security gets more complex to maintain. This is due to many factors. For instance, endpoint management becomes more important as your network grows. In the past, all that was necessary was to secure a network of fixed desktop PCs. You may have many devices running various operating systems, each with its own set of vulnerabilities, even if you have one employee.

The enhanced flexibility of partnering with an endpoint management vendor is another advantage. Employees used to utilize laptops and desktop computers that the firm provided. All of these gadgets were under the control of the IT department because they were standard. Securing work equipment is no longer enough; you must also keep track of any personal gadgets used by your workers.

These problems will intensify as the number of gadgets people use grows, as will their mobility.
The critical point is that you can no longer rely on a simple perimeter because of BYOD and increasingly mobile employees. This barrier must be flexible in terms of device kind and location, but not at the expense of security.

Endpoint management provides many benefits, but what exactly are they?

• You now have a complete understanding of the security risks posed by your company's numerous network endpoints.
• Endpoint management provides far more value to those who utilize it than merely avoiding attacks and reducing vulnerabilities.
• Keep downtime to a bare minimum.

Cyber security events frequently result in data theft and loss. Malware assaults on your servers are by far the most common cyber security threat. Your servers may be unavailable for several days or even weeks if the infection is successful.

Your business grinds to a halt when a server goes down, and this is the ultimate killer with data breaches . The following costs will be incurred if there is downtime: Depending on the size of your company, server downtime may cost you tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars each hour.

Save your reputation by taking action

Because of their celebrity, criminals aren't confined to stealing from large retailers. Cyber criminals frequently target small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) with inadequate security measures. These types of attacks are a better use of their time and resources because it is easy to penetrate.

An attack on your reputation does not have to be as well-publicized as the WannaCry scenario. Any downtime or data loss can affect your company's image among customers and workers alike.
In an emergency, your reputation may be more essential than any data recovery approach.

Before introducing comprehensive cyber security solutions, cyber security was addressed piecemeal and focused on a range of vulnerabilities according to their severity degree. On the other hand, that method proved to be unsuccessful for both the systems and the program's administrators.

However, managed cyber security services are now simplified, made more thorough, and streamlined. Simplified security allows for increased endpoint security coverage and agility—your security program and organization benefit in both instances.

Standardize your endpoint security

Endpoint security gives your company and workers the freedom and flexibility to use devices as they want, in any place they choose. It helps prevent attacks and losses, and it guards against threats that an antivirus program can't, such as insider danger. One of the best aspects of your program is that it can be tailored and streamlined to meet your unique requirements.

So, how do you get started? The first stage is to determine your current IT system's needs, shortcomings, and long-term objectives. After completing a comprehensive evaluation, you can work on a plan to keep intruders at bay while enabling your team to grow. If that's the case, it's time to streamline endpoint management. Contact us for a consultation to learn more about how managed cyber security services solutions may help you strengthen your organization’s remote security profile.

SSI offers a broad range of IT management services due to the skill of our IT specialists. Find out more or get a custom proposal here!