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Securing Remote Endpoints in 2021 And Beyond

Apr 30, 2021

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The cybersecurity risks of remote work when it comes to endpoint security for your organization are probably the most important focal points of the information security strategy you should be looking at going forward unhindered as an enterprise while investing substantial time and money in the implementation will be required. Due to the treacherous cybercrime/privacy internet landscape, the majority of organizations around the world have now made the transition either to temporary or permanent remote work models, especially so since 2020, which means that enterprise remote endpoint security incident plans need to be re-evaluated even if they are already in place. As a general rule of thumb, the need to analyze, monitor, and audit an enterprise’s cybersecurity infrastructure should always be at the forefront of a company's best practices at all times. In a digital world where cybercrime and privacy intrusions are commonplace and becoming more dangerous by the day, enterprises must strive to consolidate employee and database safety, without which these businesses would be directly throwing themselves in front of the proverbial train. Countless trillions of U.S. dollars have been lost to cybercrime damage to this day, and the global cybersecurity awakening is only just taking place. Hundreds of millions have also been lost to other external and internal risks, as well as due to simple mistakes. Again, it is better late than never, a push towards cybersecurity awareness is happening at the moment portrayed by the 2020-2021 statistics sample for the top priorities for IT technology initiatives. These samples showed that the most sought-after technology initiatives in the industry today were digital transformation and cybersecurity -which says a lot about how important it is to be proactive and aware about cybersecurity.

In an evermore internet-reliant economy coupled with the very sudden shift to remote tendencies this past year, cybersecurity is a fundamental defense mechanism that the industry should employ as a default. Properly applied endpoint security solutions are going to provide a frontline defense against online threats to your enterprise. When there is a lack of visibility concerning remote endpoints, no matter the size or scope of the organization, there is almost always a susceptibility to a host of malicious attacks like e.g. ransomware. The worst-case scenario is a total business interruption or even permanent closure of an organization due to cybersecurity negligence and lack of focus.

What is a Remote Endpoint?


A remote endpoint refers to anything from; IoT devices, laptops, smartphones, tablets, or any connected device that you are using (in this case, for your enterprise). These devices can quickly become the weakest cybersecurity link which can disrupt both employee and enterprise business to great extents due to cybercriminal activity. They can facilitate cyber attacks and can become backdoors to a host of common infections if the proper cybersecurity hygiene is not employed.

What is Cybersecurity?


Cybersecurity refers to a part of the Information Technology (IT) industry that deals with the protection of internet users or organizations from internet incidents, attacks and lack of awareness. The cybersecurity sector is geared at producing the software and hardware tools, solutions and education necessary to fight cybercrime and privacy vulnerabilities on a daily basis.

Remote Endpoint Cybersecurity Incidents And Risks


Remote endpoint cybersecurity needs to provide solutions for several potential issues, which are divided into external and internal remote endpoint cybersecurity risks. External risks originate from outside of the organization/enterprise, while internal risks are caused by the people who have access to the organization’s systems. It is also important to add that external risks can be triggered by internal ones. Here are the general external and internal risks;

External Risks


External endpoint risks are those that originate from outside the organization, such as;

  • File-less undetectable attacks

  • Fines due to negligence

  • Malware injections from bad browsing practices

  • Ransomware attacks via APTs

  • Data theft or fraud via phishing and spear-phishing

  • DDoS attacks

  • Botnet attacks


Internal Risks


Internal risks are those that originate strictly from within the organization, caused most often by employees or people part of the organization, or alternatively bad company policy such. This includes;

  • Insufficient expertise and resources to mitigate endpoint risks

  • BYOD culture risks via unsecured devices (Bring Your Own Device)

  • Budgets are insufficient to employ competent professionals or teams

  • Insider threats such as malicious employees, misuse, negligence

  • Weak internal security protocols and practices

  • Failure to patch or update systems, and the usage of obsolete tools


How External Risks And Internal Risks Are Correlated


An internal risk can open the door for an external risk. An internal risk such as any of those in the above list can invite malware or cybercriminals into a company’s network (and can spread to other networks from there). Additionally, the internal risk (insider threat) of disgruntled employees can lead to deliberate damage. Furthermore, employee negligence and lack of good access control policy can lead to the exploitation of system vulnerabilities, fraud, or theft by cybercriminals. Finally, the BYOD scheme (where employees use their personal devices for work) leads to a host of cybersecurity issues if the devices are not properly secured and/or configured.

Mitigating Remote Endpoint Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities


Statistics show that the majority of remote workers (around 75%, in fact) do not receive cybersecurity training at work. Even still, with over 70% of remote workers working on their personal devices, over 30% of those people access or download unsafe and risky online content. SMBs, or (Small to Medium Businesses), which are statistically attacked most and lack cybersecurity measures experience breaches every day. Over 30,000 enterprises like these are breached or hacked every day due to either external or internal (or a combination of both) exploits.

Mitigating (solving) remote endpoint vulnerabilities requires a proper endpoint response and detection solution including the following approaches;

  • A proper assessment of which devices and systems are at risk

  • Employing the proper tools and removing obsolete/legacy methods

  • Conducting scheduled auditing and monitoring of enterprise systems

  • Proprietary employee cybersecurity training


An organization that is prepared for potential cybersecurity incidents will be one that has the proper endpoint solutions, a proactive attitude to security, as well as all analytics and threat intelligence established. It will also use next-generation cybersecurity tools, have up-to-date systems that are encrypted, and perhaps most important of all, a cyber-aware workforce.

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