Buzzword of the week: endpoint security
Continuing in our series on remote access buzzwords, today I’m going to talk about endpoint security. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen this term on the cover of Network World and such, but it rarely gets a really concrete definition. Let’s rectify that.
Endpoint security, in a nutshell, is a set of technologies that are used on a user’s computer to keep that computer secure. The idea is that if your user’s computer is infected with malware, you don’t want to let that user spread disease to the rest of the corporate network via the VPN connection.
The principal components of an endpoint security solution are:
- Antivirus software - software to detect and remove viruses, worms, and other related problems
- Antispyware software - software to detect and remove spyware, adware, and other malware
- Critical updates software - software to make sure the computer has all of the critical OS and software updates installed
- Firewall software - software to keep unwelcome traffic from the Internet out of the computer, and usually also to keep traffic in that you don’t want leaving the computer
There are other important components as well, including authentication (including things like two-factor authentication), reporting, and intrusion prevention, but those are the big four
of endpoint security.
Users of Positive Networks will be pleased to know that their PCs are secured, whether or not they have ever seen so much as a single patch before their first sign-on. Our system can be configured to address all four of these areas of endpoint security in a way that’s as painless as possible for users.
For more information, see our whitepapers on the subjects of endpoint security and authentication, or feel free to drop me or one of our engineers a line.