Endpoint security end game

April 2005 Information Security

Feeling vulnerable? Chances are your network is. According to a 2004 CSI/FBI study, disruptions from recent security incidents, such as Nimda, Blaster and SoBig, as well as other vulnerabilities cost the average enterprise more than $2 million in direct losses.

To mitigate these security threats, enterprises and government agencies will spend over $20 billion in 2004 on the problem of Internet security vulnerabilities, according to IDC. Gartner estimates that another $11 billion will be spent on broader systems management solutions. Unfortunately, most security investments leave mobile endpoints at risk. This is because mobile computers are extremely difficult to manage with traditional security measures and can become vulnerable in many ways, including from:

* Failure to maintain current security configuration and patch levels because the computer was not in the office or on the network at the right time to receive them.

* Corrupted patches, which can occur if a current version of a DLL is overwritten by an older vulnerable version when the user installs or reinstalls software.

* 'Weak' security settings, which are often the result of a user changing settings when attempting to get the computer to communicate with the Internet on a home network or a customer's internal network.

* The growing number of mobile workers, which can compound problems - and compromise your network - when communication is re-established with the network.

So the question becomes: just how vulnerable are you? We have come up with 'seven signs' that can help any enterprise evaluate just how secure it is at the endpoint.

Sign #1: You do not know what software is currently installed and running or how your mobile computers are configured.

Enterprise administrators today are often faced with substantial challenges when attempting to collect and view timely information about the computers they manage. The most common method is through existing systems management infrastructures; however, these solutions are limited in their ability to provide all of the information that administrators need and administrators are often forced to rely on data that is weeks or even months old.

The first step to overcoming this endpoint security challenge is to gain timely and comprehensive understanding of the configuration of computers you are managing. Today, solutions are available that allow administrators to identify properties, such as the patch levels, anti-virus status coverage, security configuration, running applications and services.

Sign #2: You rely on antivirus and personal firewall software as your total solution to endpoint security.

According to Yankee Group, more than 80% of enterprises across Europe and North America experienced a worm or virus incident in the last year, despite significant investments in anti-virus solutions. This is due to significant challenges faced by administrators who struggle to keep pace with the increasing number of virus signatures that are released in response to new vulnerabilities.

Network-based security configuration solutions can help identify if antivirus and personal firewalls are enabled and current, and remediate non-compliant computers where necessary.

Sign #3: Your IT management and security tools do not extend to your mobile computers and remote locations.

Endpoints outside the security perimeter represent one of the fastest growing security threats to enterprises today.

To respond to this challenge, IT administrators can choose from a number of agent-based solutions that extend the benefits of network security capabilities beyond the perimeter to remote and mobile workers. Agents residing on mobile computers can detect and, in some cases, remediate vulnerabilities and improper configurations wherever they occur.

Sign #4: You cannot enforce secure configuration of all of your computers when they are on (and off) your network.

In the increasingly mobile workplace, many workers do not wait long enough for IT to fix vulnerabilities and update configurations on their laptops. As a result, enterprises can no longer rely on traditional security and management tools to ensure security throughout the extended enterprise.

In response to this growing need, new innovations have been introduced that allow IT administrators to close this gap by enforcing security configurations and best practices when computers are disconnected from the network, roaming outside the corporate LAN or connecting remotely.

Sign #5: You do not require and enforce current and secure configuration when computers connect to your network.

One of the most publicised endpoint security threats is that of an infected laptop being introduced by a contractor, consultant or employee who travels between multiple networks.

Today, organisations can validate the secure state of endpoints by enforcing the proper configuration and security compliance before granting access to the network. When a mobile computer connects, whether to the corporate LAN or through a secure remote access solution, an endpoint security system verifies and if necessary automatically remediates the computer with the latest patches, firewall and antivirus software according to policy, before connection.

Sign #6: Your mobile and remote users have administrative rights on their computers.

Administrative rights are often granted to provide mobile and remote users with the ability to install software and change system settings. Often, this is done to allow these users to 'self-service' since they are out of the office for weeks or months at a time. But this level of access exposes organisations to significant security risks, and according to Yankee Group, granting extended rights to end users can actually increase support costs by 10%.

To alleviate the threat of end users compromising the security of endpoints, enterprises should deploy a management infrastructure that can handle the unique requirements of managing mobile and remote endpoints - like bandwidth sensitivity, inventory discovery, software deployment, patch management, and configuration enforcement for intermittently connected endpoints, Administrative rights should only be granted to the employees who absolutely require them to successfully perform their job functions.

Sign #7: Your discovery and remediation capabilities are not able to stay ahead of the shrinking window of time between published vulnerability and exploit in-the-wild.

Are you meeting your service levels for security remediation - patch management, anti-virus update, etc? Or are your services levels defined by how quickly your existing tools let you respond?

One of the most critical job functions of IT administrators and information security staff is closing the window from when a new vulnerability is announced and when the threat has been mitigated. Unfortunately, this window of opportunity is rapidly closing.

Speed of discovery and speed of remediation should be at the top of any list of criteria for evaluating an endpoint security solution.

Gregory Toto is vice president of product management at BigFix. He can be contacted on 091 510 652 6700 or [email protected], www.bigfix.com





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Highest increase in global cyberattacks in two years
Information Security News & Events
Check Point Global Research released new data on Q2 2024 cyber-attack trends, noting a 30% global increase in Q2 2024, with Africa experiencing the highest average weekly per organisation.

Read more...
What does Agentic AI mean for cybersecurity?
Information Security AI & Data Analytics
AI agents will change how we work by scheduling meetings on our behalf and even managing supply chain items. However, without adequate protection, they become soft targets for criminals.

Read more...
Phishing attacks through SVG image files
Kaspersky News & Events Information Security
Kaspersky has detected a new trend: attackers are distributing phishing emails to individual and corporate users with attachments in SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) files, a format commonly used for storing images.

Read more...
Crypto in SA: between progress and precaution
Information Security
“As cryptocurrency gains momentum and legitimacy, it’s becoming increasingly important for people to pay attention to financial security”, says Richard Frost, head of technology and innovation at Armata Cyber Security.

Read more...
Cyber recovery requires a different approach to disaster recovery
Information Security
Disaster recovery is about getting operations back on track after unexpected disruptions; cyber recovery, however, is about calculated actions by bad actors aiming to disrupt your business, steal sensitive data, or hold your system hostage.

Read more...
MDR users claim 97,5% less
Sophos Information Security
The average cyber insurance claim following a significant cyberattack is just $75 000 for MDR users, compared with $3 million for endpoint-only users, according to a new independent study.

Read more...
The impact of GenAI on cybersecurity
Sophos News & Events Information Security
Sophos survey finds that 89% of IT leaders worry GenAI flaws could negatively impact their organisation’s cybersecurity strategies, with 87% of respondents stating they were concerned about a resulting lack of cybersecurity accountability.

Read more...
Efficient, future-proof estate security and management
Technews Publishing ElementC Solutions Duxbury Networking Fang Fences & Guards Secutel Technologies OneSpace Technologies DeepAlert SMART Security Solutions Editor's Choice Information Security Security Services & Risk Management Residential Estate (Industry) AI & Data Analytics IoT & Automation
In February this year, SMART Security Solutions travelled to Cape Town to experience the unbelievable experience of a city where potholes are fixed, and traffic lights work; and to host the Cape Town SMART Estate Security Conference 2025.

Read more...
Kaspersky KATA 7.0 for targeted attack protection
Information Security Products & Solutions
] Kaspersky has announced a major update to its Kaspersky Anti Targeted Attack (KATA) including enhanced network detection and response (NDR) capabilities with deeper network visibility, internal threats detection and other critical security features.

Read more...
The role of advanced technologies in ransomware recovery
Information Security
As businesses increasingly adopt cloud technologies, the complexities of maintaining resilience and ensuring rapid recovery from such incidents become even more pronounced. The integration of advanced technologies is essential to navigate these challenges effectively.

Read more...