What is Endpoint Security?

Historically, securing your business meant protecting the network perimeter. Though you still needed some basics, like antivirus on your endpoints, the focus on network-based defenses did a decent job of keeping your organization secure. Most of your data and endpoints were located inside a corporate perimeter so you could keep them fairly safe by surrounding your sensitive assets with security technologies like firewalls and network IDS/IPS. With so much investment in the network, threat actors also evolved and began going directly after the endpoint - your desktops, your laptops and your servers.

Not only were endpoints less protected, but your business and workforce needs evolved, providing more gaps for attackers to leverage. Data began moving into the cloud and end users routinely work from home, coffee shops, the airport and other locations. Operating Systems and business critical software applications require frequent updates and security patches that are challenging for the typical IT team to keep up with. Thus even well-known vulnerabilities that were patched by the software vendor years ago may remain unpatched in your environment. And threat actors only need one gap to gain access to your organization. The corporate perimeter has essentially dissolved and endpoints are both the new perimeter and the weakest link.