Difference between consumer and business endpoint protection

During 2020 important changes had to be made in people's lives. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic context, the connection with our colleagues, family and friends changed forever. All of this change involved one factor: technology.

Depending on the type of company or business, more or less security measures will be required to maintain the integrity of the information.

In the following article we explore different alternatives for your company or business on how to keep your information safe. There are alternatives for each structure and budget on endpoint protection for your equipment. Explore the options in the next article.

Related Links (Ads):

Every service is adapted to the client's needs

Companies or small businesses that use only a computer or smartphone, may use the home or basic consumer versions offered in the market.(1)

Now if the company has a more important structure, where employees access from different geographical locations, from their homes and with different devices, it is required to centralize the security of the network and servers in a more professional and secure way.

The endpoint business services offer antivirus protection, enterprise firewall, active scanning of Internet browser traffic, files sent and received by email. All known vulnerabilities that are exploited by malware (from installing programs from unknown sources, to opening PDF files with malicious code).

Likewise, IT teams can manage these types of apps from a control panel, generating permissions for users and filtering information or attacks detected from a central operations center. The most complete services will offer protection for desktops, laptops, and smartphones. The same will happen with the different operating systems, support will be given for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and virtual environments.

How to Test Endpoint Protection alternatives?

In general, tests and attack simulations can generate a good score in the basic endpoint protection packages. They will offer a good level of response to most existing threats.

The problem appears when something new and unknown enters our systems. This is where you can see the true potential of the tool and its appropriate configuration.

It is not the same to configure a small business network as a medium-sized company with more than 10 users and devices. This type of architecture requires greater controls and security filters.

Testing Basics

The first analysis that will be carried out will be on the users themselves: their behavior during the daily use of systems, intranets, emails, navigation on websites and use of devices to access work networks.

The most common login technique involves the weakest link in the chain, the human who uses the system. “Phishing" is the technique that simulates and imitates our own systems and access. Answers are automatically generated by bots, imitating the design and wording of emails, often requesting access to the systems themselves.

These are always security requirements that probably have never been requested from IT support before. A simple link can give the control of that terminal or device to the attacker.

Users often confuse landing pages or receive an email from an account that is not real, falling into a well-known trap in the world of IT security.

Testing different devices and specific threats

Again, the users are the key aspect of some tests when they are using their mobile devices. They are asked to download an app without first checking what it is or why it is required to be downloaded.

Sometimes apps created in a similar way to the original ones are the "bait" to enter the device. This is where systems and layers of security should scan and analyze before running a malware installation.

In the case of Malware, some systems detect it as soon as it enters the system or device. Others wait for it to be activated and carry out a "move" or attack. This will cause the performance of the evaluation result to vary. The defense approaches are different, but in effectiveness they are very similar. In this case, the response time of the systems will be evaluated, as well as the level of cleanliness in the event that malicious code is executed.

In the case of the use of Web browsers, response time is also the measure for evaluating the success of an endpoint security system. Exploits affecting websites must be detected and isolated as quickly as possible. The same applies to remote access systems and software RDP, using brute force attacks.

When the attacks are executed, gaining access to the systems, it will depend on how harmful the code is to understand the depth of the breach or information leak. In many cases, encrypting the information and then asking for a ransom or simply deleting sensitive information from the company's servers makes an attacker more effective. Protection systems should be able to restore or isolate sensitive information from such an attack.

Easy to use: Control Panels

One of the most important points of study involves the control and configuration of these security packages. If the company's IT departments need to install several software or apps in order to monitor, control, analyze and execute security filters, a lot of time and efficiency will surely be lost in some cases.

Suites must be able to facilitate and control all endpoints from a single control panel, being able to identify different users and devices (being Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, Mac, etc).

Hiring a specialist to perform a penetration test could be a good idea if you are a company with an important structure and a large number of employees and devices.

The endpoint protection services have 30-day trial tests in order to properly evaluate the systems and layers of protection. Attack scenarios can be simulated during the evaluation: attack detection, malfunctioning of firewalls, isolation or service cut-off actions in the face of a detected threat. Studying the processes and the security protocols will be the most effective defense.(2)

We knew the different ways to make a proper analysis and evaluation of the endpoint systems. Now it is in our power to make an evaluation of which one to acquire.

Related Links (Ads):