Over the last decade we’ve seen the pendulum swing from “all data must be stored within the logical [and sometimes physical] boundaries of an organization” to “hurry up and get everything in the cloud!” As with all major swings, we’re starting to see the pendulum settle somewhere in the middle, with cloud repatriation happening as organizations see cloud billing costs rise. This is forcing everyone to step back and operate where it makes the most sense for the application and use case, whether that’s on prem or in the cloud. Frequently it’s both.
The outcome: a growing attack surface that needs to be managed.
Two essential components for managing the expanding attack surface are endpoint security and policy management. By addressing vulnerabilities at endpoints and enforcing robust policies, organizations can mitigate risks and prevent breaches more effectively.
Easier said than done.
What is the attack surface?
The attack surface refers to all the possible points where an attacker can gain unauthorized access to a system. This includes endpoints like laptops, servers, smartphones, and IoT devices, as well as software inventory, network configurations, cloud infrastructure, and user behavior. Minimizing the attack surface reduces the opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit weaknesses.
Endpoint security processes and technologies
Endpoints are the last mile of defense, yet a prime target for attackers. There’s a whole bunch of ways to secure endpoints, and here are a few processes and technologies you should implement:
Antivirus and Anti-malware Protection: Prevent malicious software and processes from executing.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Provide real-time monitoring, detection, and response to threats.
Application Allow & Deny Lists: Limit software that can run on endpoints to known, validated, and trusted applications. Ideal for environments that change very little, such as Industrial Control Systems.
Patch Management: Regularly update software to fix known vulnerabilities. Detecting misconfigurations, unpatched systems, or outdated software versions on exposed assets is good hygiene to reduce your attack surface. Automate this process with software such as Trellix Policy Auditor .
Asset Management: Asset discovery, classification and vulnerability identification (which informs the patching process). This is a feature of most network security tools including Network Detection and Response, as well as many open source tools such as Zenmap and Cacti exist as well.
Device Encryption: Ensure sensitive data remains secure even if devices are lost or stolen.
To continue reading, go straight to this article on Trellix’s blog.
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