Cybersecurity: Leverage advanced analytics to secure the endpoints from cyberattacks

The current remote work situation has turned endpoints into moving targets. This is because they are outside the cybersecurity blanket of your corporate network. Meaning, the devices are outside firewalls and security and threat detection systems. They are outside the spam filtering processes that can protect them from threats. Endpoint management analytics helps identify devices that are not in this security blanket. It also spots unusual activity so that security teams can protect these endpoints from threats.

Here's a simple, three-step guide for using advanced analytics. These will ensure endpoint cybersecurity while organizations are working remotely.

1. Discover

Today the biggest challenge to endpoint cybersecurity is the lack of information on the endpoints in use. The Covid-19 has become an unexpected catalyst in the sudden shift to remote work. Now, employees are using a variety of personal gadgets that run on different operating systems (OSs).

Thus, if you should have detailed reports on the distribution of personal and corporate devices running on various OS. You can either have a spatial location view of the various endpoints currently in use. This makes it easier to run OS-specific security patches or raise an alarm when a device leaves its designed area. That, in turn, enables you to lock it remotely or selectively wipe it clean of all corporate data.

2. Monitor

Most of the workforce has gone remote. So, a primary concern for organizations is to ensure employees stay productive. Thus, they provide uninterrupted access to corporate resources (servers, networks, applications) through VPN. However, this should not come at the cost of data security/cybersecurity.

For instance, a device that allows other devices nearby to use its mobile data freely without a password (through a hotspot) is at a higher risk of data getting hacked. To avoid such mishaps, monitor devices keenly; look for devices missing critical restrictions such as setting up hotspots, public Wi-Fi networks, or Bluetooth tethering etc., that can put them at risk.

3. Control

The best way to prevent a security breach is to enforce stringent cybersecurity policies for using endpoints. Audit all your devices and take stock of those that are non-compliant with passcode policies. Then, impose strict measures to ensure passcode compliance. Better yet, opt for multi-factor authentication protocols. These can include a combination of number or pattern lock, fingerprint or retinal scan, or voice recognition. Thus, it will ensure endpoints don't become easy gateways to your business-critical data.

With the right measure to ensure security, endpoints will be well-protected against threats. And employees can take advantage of the many benefits of working from home without worrying about security.

(This article is written by Sailakshmi Baskaran, Product Consultant at ManageEngine.)

(Edits by Laxitha Mundhra)