What Is Endpoint Security? How Does It Work?

Antivirus software helps businesses detect, eliminate, and prevent malware from infecting devices. Antivirus solutions are installed directly on endpoint devices, such as laptops, PCs, network servers, and mobile devices. These solutions detect malware by scanning files and directories to discover patterns that match the definitions and signatures of a virus. They can also only recognize known threats and must be updated to detect the latest malware strains.

Endpoint security threat prevention is fundamentally different from the approach of antivirus software. Instead of protecting an individual device, endpoint security solutions protect the entire business network, including all of the endpoints connecting to it.

There are several significant differences between endpoint protection and antivirus software. These include:

1. Device coverage: Traditional antivirus programs are designed to protect one single device, such as the antivirus programs placed onto laptops to keep them secure. Endpoint security solutions, on the other hand, look to protect all of the connected devices across an entire enterprise network.
2. Protection from threats: Antivirus solutions protect businesses from malware that is included within the businesses’ database of known threats. But sophisticated threats typically do not feature a traditional signature, which could leave businesses vulnerable. Endpoint security solutions take a more holistic view that protects businesses from threats such as data loss, fileless and signatureless malware, and phishing attacks in addition to known risks.
3. Continuous protection: Antivirus solutions use a signature-based detection process to discover and protect businesses from potential risks. This means if a user has not updated their antivirus program, then they could still be at risk. In contrast, endpoint security solutions connect to the cloud and update automatically, ensuring users always have the latest version available.
4. Advanced internal protection: Traditional antivirus programs can block malware, but they do not prevent employees from putting sensitive data on a USB drive and stealing it from the organization. Endpoint solutions offer greater protection from threats like data loss and data leakage through technologies like data encryption and data access controls. This ensures unauthorized employees cannot get hold of data beyond their access rights and steal or sell it. Endpoint security also utilizes advanced technologies such as behavioral analysis that enable businesses to detect threats based on suspicious behavior from external and internal sources. 
5. Admin control: Antivirus solutions relied on users manually updating the software in order to keep it in line with new malware risks. But endpoint solutions provide interconnected security that moves the admin responsibility to the IT or security team. This removes the risk of human error putting end-users’ devices at risk.
6. Enterprise-wide control: Traditional antivirus solutions typically only notify a user when a threat is detected. The risk will then need to be analyzed and investigated in person by a security professional. But endpoint security solutions provide a centralized portal that enables admins to monitor activity, install, configure, patch, and update software, investigate any suspicious traffic, and resolve issues remotely. It also enables admins to carry out these actions to multiple endpoints at the same time, which speeds up issue resolution for employees and saves IT and security teams huge amounts of time.
7. Integration: An antivirus solution operates as a single program that performs a specific function. But an endpoint security approach offers the important advantage of integration, whereby various solutions are included within a suite that can be easily integrated for more comprehensive security protection.

A firewall is a network security solution that monitors incoming and outgoing traffic and decides whether to allow or deny access. Endpoint security protects the data on the device itself, enabling the business to monitor the activity and status of all its employees’ devices at all times.

Traditionally, firewalls were ideal for businesses that had all employees working from the same building and signing into the same network. However, with people increasingly working remotely or from home, a firewall no longer suffices as traffic no longer goes through the central network, which leaves devices vulnerable.

This also boils down to businesses protecting networks or endpoints. Network security enables businesses to stop potential security threats at the network level by locking down open ports, restricting traffic, and employing intrusion detection and prevention services. Endpoint security helps businesses keep the devices that connect to a network secure. By making endpoints the new network perimeter, organizations can prevent risks and detect suspicious activity no matter where employees are.

Selecting the best security solution depends on every organization’s individual situation and security requirements. Important factors to build into this decision include:

1. The number of employees: Small businesses may find a product that requires managing devices on an individual basis works just fine. But as they get larger, it can become more difficult for IT and security teams to manage each device in this manner. Therefore, they will gain huge efficiency by deploying a security solution that centralizes endpoint control.
2. Employee location: Businesses that have employees working from one central location may not experience any issues with managing endpoint access. But those with a disparate workforce, employees working from home, remote offices, or on the go will need an endpoint security solution that secures endpoints no matter where or when employees attempt to connect to their networks and resources.
3. Device ownership: The rise of BYOD has blurred the lines of device ownership. Employees increasingly use their own devices to sign in and out of business networks and need to do so securely. An endpoint security solution enables businesses to secure employees every time they sign in to their networks and monitor access at all times.
4. Data sensitivity: Businesses that handle high-value intellectual property or sensitive data will find that antivirus software does not suffice in safeguarding their data, as it only protects it from viruses. To protect themselves from data loss incidents that pose a huge financial and reputational risk, these organizations need to deploy endpoint security solutions. Doing so will help them protect their most critical data, meet compliance requirements, and pass their audits.