Why Is Endpoint Security Alone Not Enough to Protect Email?

Meet Tom, a hardworking manager at a small business with a team of 20 employees. Tom recently learned about endpoint security and was excited about how it could protect his team's devices from cyber threats. However, he didn't realize that endpoint security alone might not provide sufficient protection from email threats. When one of his employees who frequently works from home accidentally clicks on an apparent legitimate-looking phishing email containing malicious links aimed at installing malware onto his laptop connected to the company network.

Tom first became aware of a security breach when he noticed unusual activity on his financial accounts and received complaints from customers regarding suspicious activity on their accounts, too. Tom immediately notified his IT team, which investigated and identified malware on an employee laptop after damage had already been done; this meant Tom's business eventually recovered from this breach but only after going through an expensive and time-consuming recovery process that required them to rebuild trust among their customers and peers.

Endpoint security refers to the practice of safeguarding endpoints - devices connected and exchanging information with computer networks - by means of protection. Endpoints often serve as weak links in security infrastructures and can become vulnerable to cyberthreats such as malware infections, phishing attacks or other forms of attack; it's therefore imperative that they are monitored as closely as possible for their own protection.

Although endpoint security is a foundational component of strong network security, focusing on endpoint security alone is not enough to defend against today’s sophisticated and evasive cyberthreats that are often crafted specifically to go undetected by these defenses. This article will cover what endpoint security is and why it is important, and why relying on endpoint protection alone leaves businesses vulnerable to email threats such as phishing and ransomware. It will also explore how Guardian Digital addresses critical limitations in endpoint protection to secure businesses against cyberattacks and data breach.

What Is Endpoint Security & Why Is It Important?

Endpoints include mobile phones, desktop computers, virtual machines, embedded devices and servers. Endpoint security software helps businesses protect these devices against malicious file-based attacks or any other forms of exploit that could exploit vulnerabilities. It enables employees to use them for work purposes while protecting both in-house servers as well as servers hosted remotely in both physical locations or the cloud.

Endpoint security provides many advantages for organizations. Centralized endpoint security management can give organizations more control over their information assets and offers real-time threat detection and response services to help prevent attacks from doing any harm to the network or users' computers. Furthermore, endpoint security solutions help mitigate data breach risk by safeguarding sensitive files against unauthorized access while improving compliance with industry regulations and standards They also alleviate IT staff workload through automating security tasks.

Key Limitations of Endpoint Protection in Securing Business Email

Endpoint protection does have some important limitations that organizations should keep in mind, however. Detecting viruses and malware is only one part of the job—anti-virus software also has to allow legitimate applications and processes to run smoothly. Attacks exploiting vulnerabilities not covered by endpoint protection solutions also cannot always be prevented from exploiting vulnerabilities that arise within them. Let's examine some of these key restrictions of endpoint security solutions in more depth.

Critical security gaps leave corporate networks, cloud-based services and sensitive data susceptible to attack. 

One of the main limitations is that endpoint security solutions may not be effective in detecting and preventing advanced and emerging threats, such as phishing and ransomware attacks. Many companies also have a reactive approach to security, which means they only address security issues as they arise, rather than taking a proactive approach to identify and address potential security gaps.

Another gap in endpoint protection is the use of outdated technology and software. Many companies continue to use legacy systems that are no longer supported by vendors, and they can fail to update software and security patches in a timely manner, leaving systems and data exposed.

There are no preventative safeguards against human error. 

There is still a lot of unawareness around cyber safety in the workplace, and many workers still need regular education and training on how to protect themselves and the company’s network.

For example, Bring-Your-Own Device (BYOD) has now become a widespread practice in which employees bring their own devices to work and connect them to the company's network. Convenient as it is, this method of increasing productivity poses a significant security risk: If an employee brings a non-secured device onto the company’s network, then the data on that machine is more vulnerable to being stolen or compromised.

Protection is not customized to meet businesses’ unique security needs.

Another difficulty in endpoint protection is the lack of expertise needed to configure it properly. This can cause vulnerabilities that leave a company’s network exposed. Additionally, businesses often have different IT infrastructures, security policies, and compliance requirements, which can make it difficult to find a one-size-fits-all solution.

Solutions are complex to manage and difficult to patch, leading to frequent vulnerabilities. 

Endpoint protection solutions can be complex and time-consuming to customize, which can be a challenge for businesses with limited IT resources. The cyberthreat landscape is constantly evolving, which requires endpoint protection solutions to be constantly updated and customized to address new threats. This can be difficult for businesses that lack the resources to keep up with the latest security trends and technologies.

Organizations have limited visibility into their email security. 

According to a recent report, security leaders who strive to maintain compliance throughout all business communications are often faced with visibility challenges due to complex email security solutions or multiple platforms being utilized as well as limited integration between these solutions and other security tools. This lack of visibility can be caused by various factors; among these are complexity in email security solutions as well as incompatibilities with other security tools that limit how effectively email security solutions work together.

Email security threats are constantly morphing, making traditional security solutions less than effective at keeping up with this rapid evolution. Organizations thus struggle to detect and respond effectively to email security threats as soon as they arise, hampering timely detection and response capabilities.

Bolster Endpoint Protection with Guardian Digital

Email security is not a commodity. Rather, it should be a top priority for every organization, as it is more essential than ever in establishing and maintaining a robust cybersecurity posture and experiencing safety and success in any industry. Too many businesses are making the critical mistake of relying on endpoint security alone to safeguard their users, their key business assets, and their hard-earned reputation, and failing to supplement these solutions with the caliber of protection required to make email safe for business. While endpoint security is a great start, it is ineffective on its own in combating today’s sophisticated and rapidly evolving threats. 

Guardian Digital recognizes that in order to be effective, endpoint protection must be paired with critical additional layers of proactive defenses accompanied by expert, ongoing system monitoring, maintenance and support. This protection must be able to anticipate and learn from emerging attacks, and offer the real-time cybersecurity business insights required to improve decision making and policy enforcement. Guardian Digital adds an extra element of email protection to help businesses overcome endpoint security limitations via its comprehensive, adaptive EnGarde Cloud Email Security solution.

Keep Reading About Overcoming Endpoint Security Challenges

Endpoints (physical devices, such as computers and tablets) are often the most vulnerable within a company network, and relying on endpoint security alone is not enough to protect sensitive data. Implementing a comprehensive, adaptive email security system is essential to a strong cybersecurity posture, along with frequent security updates and regular employee training to keep pace with a constantly evolving threat landscape.

• Keep learning about limitations of endpoint security and how to overcome them.
• Learn about the benefits of outsourcing email security.
• Learn how to choose the right email security service for your organization.
• Learn how to improve your email security posture to defend against attacks and breaches by engaging in best practices.
• Get the latest updates on how to stay safe online.