How can endpoint security standards improve network security?

1 Benefits of endpoint security standards

Endpoint security standards can provide several advantages for network security, such as reducing the attack surface and risk of data loss or theft, enhancing visibility and control over network activity and performance, improving the efficiency and scalability of network management, and increasing the resilience and recovery of the network. These standards are achieved by enforcing encryption, authentication, authorization, and patching policies on all endpoints, monitoring and auditing their compliance status, automating and centralizing the deployment and update of endpoint security solutions and policies, as well as enabling backup, restore, and remote wipe capabilities on endpoints in case of a security incident.

3 Choosing endpoint security standards

When selecting the most appropriate endpoint security standards for your network, it is important to consider the size and nature of your network, the type of threats and risks that your network faces, the industry and regulatory context that your network operates in, and the best practices and recommendations from reputable sources. Different networks may have varying security requirements, objectives, and resources, while different threats may require different security measures and responses. Additionally, different industries and regions may have different legal and ethical obligations and expectations for data protection and privacy. Therefore, it is important to consider all these factors when selecting endpoint security standards.

4 Applying endpoint security standards

To effectively and consistently apply endpoint security standards on your network, it is important to conduct a risk assessment and a gap analysis to identify and prioritize the security issues and needs. Additionally, you should develop and document a clear and comprehensive endpoint security policy that defines the roles, responsibilities, rules, and procedures for securing the endpoints. Furthermore, you should implement and integrate the endpoint security solutions and tools that support and enforce the policy and standards. Moreover, it is essential to educate and train the users and administrators on the policy and standards as well as their importance for network security. Lastly, monitoring and reviewing the endpoint security status and compliance of the endpoints on your network is necessary in order to take corrective and preventive actions when needed.

5 Endpoint security standards examples

Endpoint security standards are available for various network scenarios and purposes, but some of the most widely used ones include NIST SP 800-53, CIS Controls, ISO/IEC 27002, and PCI DSS. NIST SP 800-53 is a set of security and privacy controls developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. CIS Controls is a set of prioritized and actionable security best practices developed by the Center for Internet Security. ISO/IEC 27002 is a code of practice for information security management developed by the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission. Lastly, PCI DSS is a set of security standards for protecting cardholder data developed by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?