How Endpoint Security Solutions Can Protect Midsize IT

[Audrey McNeil <audrey () riskbasedsecurity com>]

http://midsizeinsider.com/en-us/article/how-endpoint-security-solutions-can-prot#.U9GSJfldVjI

More firms are considering endpoint security solutions as threats increase.
A new survey found that a majority of IT leaders agree that endpoints are
growing targets, and as midsize firms examine their overall security
measures, defining a strategy will involve a thorough assessment of how
their endpoints are being protected.

Endpoint Fears

Network protection requires that endpoints are secured. That means all
computing devices connected to a corporate network, including desktops,
laptops, tablets and mobile devices, should adhere to the same safety
standards before any access is granted. Promisec's latest survey finds that
almost 40 percent of firms have set advanced endpoint security measures.
Almost 75 percent say their endpoints are very vulnerable to cyber crime,
while 76 percent of firms believe the number of endpoints prone to breach
is growing. Over half of respondents suggest that traditional anti-virus
measures cannot properly address the threats currently targeting them.

Additionally, 70 percent of IT professionals are strongly concerned about
the threat of new security breaches in the next year. A mere 32 percent say
they are truly prepared for such threats, and about the same percentage
have budgeted for endpoint security solutions.

Midsize Endpoints

New technologies like cloud computing, big data and mobile are effectively
changing how midsize IT functions. As smaller firms turn to the third
platform for increased productivity, their endpoints will increase,
creating more surface area for cyber criminals to target. Corporate data is
evolving quickly, and sometimes traditional prevention methods are not
enough to keep this information as safe as possible. If a threat has been
identified, for instance, a quicker response to it helps prevent theft
before it disrupts the rest of the organization. This is a big concern for
midsize firms that may not have the resources to recover from a breach.

One solution is working with knowledgeable partners. Security vendors work
with SMBs that value endpoint security as part of a robust security
portfolio, but may not have the means to implement it themselves. This may
include endpoint monitoring and other advanced malware prevention software.
The idea is to gain a true professional assessment of how endpoints are or
should be managed. Businesses that can respond to incidents quickly with
the right software reduce recovery costs and enable themselves to make
faster, more intuitive decisions moving forward. Through increased
visibility into endpoints and applications, a proper analysis can open the
door to comprehensive solutions that may otherwise have been overlooked.

Security Measures

IT leaders, surveyed in Promisec's recent research, call attention to the
continuing concerns over IT security, namely endpoint security. There is no
doubt that third-platform adoption will continue to spread, especially
among smaller firms looking to be more competitive. Midsize IT can move
forward with third-platform innovations, but they must consider their
ability to cover the same new endpoints that let them access data from
different locations.

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