Your organization’s daily operations depend on connections – to your clients, your vendors, and your staff. In the Internet of Things (IoT) era, this also means that every new connection you make is another endpoint that needs to be secure.
An endpoint is any device connected to your networks, such as laptops, mobile phones, and computers. It can also be Internet-enabled equipment, such as medical devices, robots, sensors, and other hardware. The more end users that are introduced, the more potential avenues your organization has for suspicious activity or cyberattacks that exploit vulnerabilities.
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is the continuous real-time monitoring of all those connections, as well as automated response capabilities to respond to any concerns you discover. EDR tools help your information security team respond quickly to potential threats. This cybersecurity protocol, sometimes also called endpoint threat detection and response (EDTR), is a must when you have a fluctuating number of devices to consider for endpoint detection.
If you’re using an antivirus program and have installed firewalls to protect against cyber threats such as fileless malware and ransomware, then you most likely are already using a version of EDR.
How Does Endpoint Detection and Response Work?
EDR solutions work by first monitoring endpoint security and recording that data in a central platform for later analysis. This platform is usually in an integrated dashboard or software that provides tools for simplifying said analysis. Once the events are analyzed and prioritized for risk, your information security team can decide what endpoint protections will work to reduce attack vectors across all potential devices.
This real-time threat detection is partnered with machine learning, using automation for incident response and threat hunting. Your team can use machine learning to deal with known threats, while creating remediation tactics for more advanced threats.
The most successful endpoint security will come from continuous monitoring, updated endpoint detection, reported advanced threats, and smart leverage of machine-learning with real-time actions.
What Are the Key Components of EDR Security?
The key components of EDR security are:
- Collection. You’ll need software with EDR capabilities to monitor all endpoint events and record the data for later analysis. You should include all possible endpoints, not just internal ones – including those that come from client devices and third-party vendors.
- Automated responses. If you already know some endpoint cybersecurity risks, such as malware or ransomware, you can use automated responses to address malicious activity as it happens. Some instances may benefit from a simple alert to your information security stakeholders or something more drastic such as severing the connection.
- Analysis. Finally, the best use of the data collected from continuous monitoring of endpoint detection is to understand what it all means. Analysis and research of endpoint security data will allow you to take action against emerging cyber threats.
Improve Your Threat Intelligence With ZenGRC
A key element of successful EDR is smart, efficient software that handles the automation for you, freeing up your team to work on the advanced threats. ZenGRC makes creating automated cybersecurity actions simple – all while offering the complex, in-depth reporting you need to keep your endpoint security at its best.
Request a demo of ZenGRC today.
