What is endpoint security? Endpoint security refers to securing entry points or endpoints of user devices to protect them from malicious attacks or cybersecurity threats and other sophisticated malware. An endpoint can be defined as any device that can be connected to a network, which can include laptops, tablets, mobile devices, smart watches, printers, servers, ATM machines, and even medical devices. It is crucial for organizations to use endpoint security in order to secure their enterprise networks. With an endpoint security solution, organizations can detect, block, contain, and successfully remediate attacks before they escalate into a major disaster. Enterprise endpoint security usually includes a central management hub, remote administration capabilities, the ability to configure endpoint protection on devices remotely, patch deployment, and modified permission capabilities.
Endpoint encryption is the encryption of data used to protect sensitive information as it moves from one endpoint to another. To encrypt information, data is encoded or scrambled, so that it can not be deciphered, read, or usable unless a user has its unique decryption key. Endpoint encryption secures an operating system from corrupted boot files to ensure unauthorized users cannot access protected data. Some of the most common information that is usually encrypted include bank account numbers, healthcare files, social security numbers, and home addresses.
Endpoint encryption is important because it provides layers of defense that safeguard organizations from cyber threats, large or small. It provides an additional layer of visibility into the threat landscape to understand the root cause of endpoint attacks. The goal of endpoint protection and encryption is to provide security from malware attacks, to gain insight into malicious activities and behaviors, and to provide the capabilities needed to investigate and remediate threats and incidents.
End-to-end encryption, otherwise abbreviated as E2EE, works by encrypting communications into “ciphertext,” which is text that is assembled into seemingly random characters, and is scrambled so it is rendered as unreadable. When an encrypted message is sent, it may be transmitted through several servers. While people may attempt to read the encrypted information, it is impossible for them to convert the ciphertext back to readable plain text. It can only be decrypted with the uniquely specified and private key.
End-to-end security is the method by which endpoint encryption and security measures are used to protect endpoints when communications are transmitted from one end to another. It adds an additional security layer to an organization's security infrastructure. End-to-end security is a key component of a business's infrastructure because it defends against data theft, prevents data loss, and protects systems and servers from external attackers.
A virtual private network, or VPN, is encrypted but does not provide end-to-end encryption. A VPN is an encrypted tunnel that connects your computer to a network and ensures that no one who intercepts your internet signal can decode that data. It uses different types of encryption methods, including public-key encryption, symmetric encryption, AES encryption, and transport layer security. It encrypts your connection from your device to the VPN server, but does no more than just that.
To maximize the benefits of endpoint encryption for their business operations, organizations should follow these best practices.
Some of the most common endpoint encryption benefits include:
There are many useful features of endpoint encryption software. Some of them include:
