Endpoint devices played a big part in malware and ransomware attacks in 2021. According to a study covered by Help Net Security, security researchers detected more malware and ransomware endpoint infections in the first nine months of the year than they did for all of 2020. Attack scripts leveraging PowerSploit, Cobalt Strike, and other tools were particularly prevalent in that nine-month period, having grown 10% over the previous year after having already climbed 666% compared to 2019.

Introducing EPP and EDR

In response to the findings discussed above, organizations need to consider upgrading their endpoint defenses. They can do that using End Point Protection (EPP) and Endpoint Detection Response (EDR). Both constitute an approach to the protection of computer networks that are remotely bridged to client devices. As such, they play a critical role in reducing the risk of successful attacks that exploit weakly configured endpoints and systems. These solutions alert security teams on potential cyberattacks and help with remediating misconfigurations.

Why Do Companies Need EPP or EDR?

Change is a constant in organizations’ IT environments. That said, not all changes are created the same. In fact, there are three different types of changes of which IT and security teams need to be aware on an ongoing basis.

  • Internal planned changes: With an internal planned change, IT and security approve certain modifications to systems and processes. This commonly takes the form of personnel implementing vendor fixes to improve their devices’ performance and security.
  • Internal unplanned changes: Not every internal change occurs with the approval of IT and security. For instance, an administrator might make a mistake on an upgrade or patch that should not be delivered. Alternatively, an IT user might change their system inadvertently or use unapproved changes to complete a work-related task.
  • External changes: (Read more...)