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Wall posts

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VK

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Endpoint security is crucial for protecting organizations from internal and external threats. Applying a defense-in-depth approach and following industry standard hardening guidelines are important measures for securing endpoints. Below are some key best practices organizations should follow: <br> <br>Regularly patch operating systems, applications, and firmware. Applying patches and updates in a timely manner is one of the most effective ways to protect against known vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Unpatched systems are vulnerable to exploitation from cyber criminals. It is recommended to automate patching where possible and conduct vulnerability scans periodically to identify missing patches. <br> <br>Use host-based firewalls and intrusion prevention/detection. Enabling a firewall on endpoints blocks unauthorized network traffic and limits connectivity to only approved ports and services. Host-based intrusion prevention and detection systems monitor the endpoint for abnormal behaviors that could indicate infection or compromise. Regularly updating signatures and configurations helps these tools stay effective. <br> <br>Enable application whitelisting. Application whitelisting allows only approved applications to run while blocking all others by default. This helps prevent both intentional and accidental execution of malware payloads. Application whitelisting is more effective than blacklisting since it's infeasible to identify and block all possible threats. Whitelists should be carefully curated and updated appropriately. <br> <br>Implement principle of least privilege. Configuring systems, services, and user accounts with least privilege is a fundamental security practice that limits the potential impact of any compromise. Do not assign administrative privileges unless absolutely necessary, and elevate privileges only temporarily when required. Using privilege separation makes it more difficult for adversaries to fully compromise systems. <br> <br>Implement multi-factor authentication. Relying solely on passwords leaves significant room for credential theft. Multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring two or more independent factors for verification, such as something you know (password), something you have (token/phone), or something you are (biometrics). This makes unauthorized access significantly harder since possession of credentials alone is not sufficient. <br> <br>Enable device encryption. Full drive encryption protects sensitive data in cases where endpoints are lost, stolen, or confiscated. Disk encryption renders stored data unintelligible without the decryption key or passphrase, which is required at boot. Consider using hardware-based encryption for stronger protection since it handles encryption/decryption independently from the main system. <br> <br>Segregate networks and implement secure remote access. Isolating high-risk systems through network segmentation and enforcing controls for remote access helps limit lateral movement in the case of infiltration. Use virtual private networks (VPNs) or secure shell (SSH) tunnels instead of less secure remote desktop protocols when connecting remotely. Monitor logs for abnormal external access patterns. <br> <br>Conduct security awareness training. People are often the weakest link when it comes to security. Targeted user training programs help address this human factor by educating staff on secure computing best practices, current threats, and how to recognize and report phishing/social engineering attempts. Regular simulated phishing tests also help evaluate effectiveness of training programs. <br> <br>Harden system configurations. Removing unnecessary system services, applications, and protocols reduces the attack surface. Configure options securely as per industry secure configuration guides. Update legacy and insecure protocols and components to more modern versions with improved protection. Periodically audit system configurations to check for any unintended changes or deviations. <br> <br>Define and enforce usage policies. Establish clear guidelines for authorized and restricted uses of company-provisioned devices and network access. Policies should cover aspects like approved usage locations, BYOD rules, password requirements, email and web surfing rules, USB/external storage restrictions, software installation limits, remote wipe capabilities and more. Monitor for policy violations using network monitoring, endpoint detection and response, and digital rights management tools. <br> <br>Continuously monitor endpoints. Deploy endpoint detection and response solutions that continuously monitor endpoints for behavioral anomalies, file changes, network activity, and other events that could signal compromise. These tools apply advanced analytics on vast volumes of endpoint data and alert on any suspicious activities requiring further investigation by security teams. They also enable quick response actions like live blocking of malicious processes. <br> <br>Conduct periodic vulnerability scans and penetration tests. Regular external and internal vulnerability scans check for exposed vulnerabilities and configuration weaknesses across all network reachable systems. Targeted penetration tests attempt to emulate real attacks to identify ways malicious actors could potentially breach the network. Both proactive testing approaches help surface issues for remediation before exploitation. <br> <br>Backup and recoverability planning. Define a structured backup and disaster recovery plan to protect critical enterprise data and systems. Regularly test backups to validate data integrity and develop procedures for efficiently restoring systems and data in the event of ransomware, wiper malware or other recovery scenarios. Consider backup air-gapping, offline backups, immutable backups and other resiliency methods. <br> <br>Use endpoint detection and response platforms that combine the security capabilities discussed above in an integrated solution. Relying on individual point products leaves security gaps, while consolidated EDR offers visibility, automation and response advantages. Follow a risk-based prioritization approach and continuously optimize endpoint security posture through ongoing monitoring, testing, training and adaptating to new threats. <br> <br>A defense-in-depth strategy with regular review and hardening of endpoints according to industry standards greatly enhances protection of organizational systems and data from both external and internal threats. No single control is sufficient - a layered approach combining policies, user education and technical security controls is required to deliver robust endpoint security.

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website