Individuals and corporate networks are constantly striving for more efficient security. They view the security lapses at companies such as Best Buy and Equifax with alarm. Hacks involving these companies have irrevocably damaged their reputations and led to thousands or even millions in costs. Companies want to forestall these damages while still embracing the latest technological innovations in their fields. Endpoint protection can make such reductions in costs a reality.

Network security

The older approach to security is known as network security. This approach has been in place for decades as the basic approach to protecting the computers that businesses rely on. Network security attempts to provide a blanket security suite for every computer in a network. This suite attempts to provide for the many possible hacks, phishing scams, Trojan horses, and malware that may harm a computer network. Suites have firewalls, blacklists, white lists, and antivirus software that attack individual threats as they appear on the network as a whole. This approach works off of the theory that keeping malicious content and hackers out of a network entirely is the most effective approach.

Network security suites are therefore updated constantly to reflect the newest possible threats. It is a slow, clunky system that has allowed in a considerable amount of malware in recent years. This approach cannot innovate and adapt fast enough to combat the many possible worms and approaches that harm most computers. In addition, possible worms and malware deal with a large number of computer nodes that all have the same security system. If that system is compromised, the entire network can soon be compromised. A single poor choice of website can lead to thousands or millions of dollars’ worth of damage.

Endpoint protection

Endpoint security revolutionizes this approach. Instead of focusing on the entire network, endpoint security looks at a particular series of endpoints that the network uses to communicate with outside networks. Endpoint security visualizes the computer network for a company as an insulated series of nodes with certain endpoints that connect to the outside world. These endpoints include computers, cell phones, and tablets. The endpoint security program treats these endpoints differently than it does the rest of the computers in a network. Endpoints are greatly monitored and maintained. Computers have to go through a considerable amount of work and analysis in order to be allowed deep into a network. The company’s most sensitive information is often stored on those interior computers.

Endpoints are easily isolated as well. If an endpoint device suffers a security breakdown, there is the possibility of the network isolating the endpoint and cutting it off. Such an activity reduces the possible harm that a hack or malware can do. Instead of having thousands of records left vulnerable by a hack, endpoint security means that a large number of cases result in only one computer or cell phone needing to be replaced.

Endpoint security can lead to more effective security systems. These new security systems can focus entirely on threats that may attack a small percentage of the nodes on a network. More effective, efficient security systems can prevent the most common forms of attacks against corporate networks. A sophisticated endpoint security system can mean tens of thousands of dollars being saved from the kinds of hacking attacks that occur on an almost daily basis.

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