Shortcomings of Endpoint Security in Securing Business Email

Businesses are quickly recognizing that protection that works at the client level is limited in its ability to safeguard users and key assets against phishing, ransomware, and other dangerous threats and can no longer rely on endpoint protection alone. Despite the widespread use of endpoint protection, cyberattacks and breaches - over 90% of which are initiated via email - are occurring at an unprecedented rate, with one in five businesses getting hacked daily. This article will explore the limitations of endpoint security, and how companies can bolster this protection with effective supplementary email security defenses to mitigate the risk of suffering an attack or breach.

The Modern Email Threat Landscape is Dynamic and Complex

As we rapidly transition to an increasingly digital society, email risk has never been greater. Attackers are exploiting businesses’ increased reliance on cloud email, inherently vulnerable and frequently misconfigured cloud platforms and distracted remote workers, and are launching sophisticated phishing and ransomware attacks designed to trick users into sharing sensitive credentials or lock up critical files until a ransom is paid.

Malware and ransomware attacks are also becoming more complex and stealthy. Traditionally, the same malware was sent to many users, and once these viruses were identified, endpoint security and antivirus companies used the file’s signature to identify new attacks. This tactic is ineffective today, as attackers now generate a unique file for each recipient or avoid the use of executable files altogether.

Cyberattacks and breaches are becoming increasingly prevalent and challenging to stop, and no organization can afford the data theft, downtime, recovery costs, and reputational harm that follow a successful attack. Over 60% of businesses are forced to permanently close their doors within six months of experiencing a cyberattack.

Where Endpoint Protection Falls Short in Securing Business Email

In this modern digital threat landscape, it has become clearly apparent that endpoint protection alone is not enough to keep users and sensitive data safe. Here are some of the key areas in which endpoint security falls short in safeguarding businesses and their clients.

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

Corporate networks are more than endpoints. They also include the cloud, network data, and log data, which all must be secured to prevent compromise. Endpoint protection is limited to the client layer, and cannot intercept traffic between an attacker and a target. Thus, endpoint security must be viewed as the last line of defense against cyber thieves.

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

The “one-size-fits-all” approach that is characteristic of endpoint protection fails to assess and cater to the varying risks and requirements of each organization. Endpoint security providers do not evaluate and specifically address factors such as the key people within an organization who are at the greatest risk of being targeted in an attack, a company’s security history, and other considerations that must be taken into account to keep businesses safe.

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

Endpoint security solutions are not accompanied by the expert ongoing system monitoring, maintenance, and support required to keep solutions updated and key business assets secure. The average time to fully deploy endpoint security patches is 97 days, and solutions frequently remain unpatched as a result. Many businesses - especially SMBs - lack the in-house cybersecurity resources and expertise needed to keep them safe, and endpoint security solutions are unable to bolster companies’ IT security remotely to ensure they remain secure.?

Organizations have limited visibility into their email security.?

Endpoint protection does not equip organizations with real-time insights on the daily risks that they face and the security of their email required to make informed proactive cybersecurity business decisions. As a result, organizations that rely on endpoint protection alone frequently struggle with visibility gaps across their IT environment, organizational silos, and broken workflows that leave them exposed to risk.

Fifty-six percent of companies replaced their endpoint security solution in the past two years, and 51% added an extra layer of protection to their traditional antivirus solution - but cyberattacks and breaches are on the rise regardless. Comprehensive, proactive, and fully supported email security defenses are needed to fill the gaps in endpoint protection and make email safe for business.

Final Thoughts on Endpoint Security Limitations in Fortifying Business Email"

Companies are increasingly acknowledging that they have too much to lose in a successful attack to rely solely on endpoint protection. Endpoint protection should be seen as the last line of defense, and instead, companies should consider securing their email with a comprehensive, proactive email security solution capable of intercepting malicious attack attempts, protecting against human error, and fortifying an organization’s email infrastructure as a whole to make email safe for business in this modern digital threat environment.

Head over to the Guardian Digital YouTube channel to watch a quick overview of Endpoint Security Limitations