What is endpoint protection? You’ll often hear it used interchangeably with endpoint security — and that’s perfectly fine since they’re closely related. In simple terms, endpoint protection refers to solutions designed to safeguard devices such as servers, workstations, and mobile devices that connect to your network. These tools help defend against zero-day exploits, targeted attacks, and even accidental data leaks caused by human error.
Here’s the thing: Traditional antivirus software just isn’t enough. Advanced persistent threats and sophisticated attacks require more robust defenses. That’s where endpoint protection comes in. It offers centrally managed security that goes beyond basic malware prevention, helping enterprises protect sensitive data across all endpoints.
Endpoint Protection Platforms Gain Traction for Enterprise Security
Gartner defines an Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) as “a solution that converges endpoint device security functionality into a single product that delivers antivirus, anti-spyware, personal firewall, application control and other styles of host intrusion prevention (for example, behavioral blocking) capabilities into a single and cohesive solution.”
The most comprehensive Endpoint Protection Platforms integrate with other security measures such as vulnerability, patch, and configuration management capabilities, resulting in more proactive protection, widely considered the gold standard above the reactive security solutions of the past. Endpoint Protection Platforms go beyond merely preventing malware attacks, with data protection capabilities like disk and file encryption, data loss prevention, and even device control for the most comprehensive endpoint protection possible.
How Endpoint Protection Works
As BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programs are becoming increasingly adopted by enterprises, endpoint protection is adapting to provide protection for mobile endpoints such as laptops, smartphones, and tablet PCs in addition to more traditional endpoints like servers and desktop PCs. By creating and enforcing rules for endpoints, endpoint protection solutions are able to identify sensitive data and encrypt it, or block the copying or transfer of certain files or sensitive data based on enterprise classification.
Endpoint protection solutions often include network access control functionalities. Essentially, these describes various processes and protocols used to prevent unauthorized access to enterprise networks as well as sensitive data contained within the network or on connected endpoints. Endpoint protection typically evaluates an endpoint before permitting access, such as the operating system, browser, and other applications, ensuring that they are up-to-date and meet defined enterprise security standards before an endpoint (such as a mobile device) is granted access. In doing so, endpoint protection prevents the introduction of security vulnerabilities through devices that don’t meet pre-defined security rules.
Endpoint protection in the enterprise environment is managed centrally, through a central administration server that manages and monitors the endpoints connected to the enterprise network. In the consumer environment, endpoint protection may be used to describe anti-virus software and other security solutions, which are managed and monitored on individual endpoints, as there is generally no need for central administration.
Endpoint Protection Is Critical in Today’s Expanding Security Perimeter
The rise of BYOD policies and widespread use of external storage devices have blurred the boundaries of the traditional security perimeter, making it nearly impossible to define. With countless endpoints connecting to enterprise networks at any given moment, organizations need greater visibility and control. These endpoints are prime targets for attackers, offering easy access to infiltrate networks and compromise sensitive data.
Without robust endpoint protection, enterprises risk losing control the moment data is copied to an external device or when an unsecured endpoint gains network access. Endpoint protection closes these gaps by supplementing other security measures and safeguarding data that might otherwise slip beyond a company’s control. In today’s dynamic threat landscape, this is an essential component of modern enterprise security.