What Endpoint Detection & Response Means for Small Business

Recently, we have been discussing to the importance of every small business having an Endpoint Protection Plan. One of the most valuable pieces of a well-rounded plan is Endpoint Detection and Response, or EDR. EDR solutions provide small businesses with the ability to continuously monitor and mitigate the newest, most advanced threats to their environments. A solution that is beginning to be considered a requirement in our current threat landscape.

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What is Endpoint Detection & Response?

An EDR solution deployed in your environment works a lot like a security camera. EDR continuously watches all incoming and outgoing internet traffic on your network for potential threats. Threats like phishing attempts, malware, and denial of service attacks. The added bonus of EDR is the “virtual security guard” will observe and stop these types of attacks automatically, before they can spread from one device to the rest of your network.

How Endpoint Detection & Response Works:

EDR works by leveraging machine learning and behavioral analysis to scan all traffic on your network. This includes the ability to scan email attachments. As most of us know, email attachments are a favorite attack vector of cybercriminals. The ability for infected attachments to be detected before they can be opened by your employees can significantly lessen your risk of cyberattack.

EDR programs know how common programs are meant to function and will notice out of the ordinary behavior. So, if a file or program begins to act suspiciously, EDR will detect that behavior and begin investigating why. For example, if an Excel file received as an email attachment begins running code, the EDR software will quarantine the file and alert an administrator. Additionally,  an EDR solution has the ability to trace the origins of a malicious file. Knowing where a cyberattack, like ransomware, originated can be extremely beneficial to IT administrators and your security team.

Once the file is quarantined and inspected, an administrator can then decide how to handle the potential threat. Let’s go back to the email attachment example. If a suspicious email attachment is found to be legitimate, it is released to the intended recipient. If the attachment was in fact a threat, the email and attachment can be deleted, and steps can be taken to prevent similar attacks in the future. This is just one of the many ways that an EDR solution can protect your business and strengthen your cybersecurity posture.

Thanks to EDR’s ability to inspect files at a behavioral level, advanced threats to your environment are detectable early in the life cycle of a cyberattack. Early detection like this can prevent serious damage to your data and assets. Remember, EDR is just one part of a much larger Endpoint Protection Plan. A singular solution cannot completely protect your organization. To learn more about what an Endpoint Protection Plan can do for your business, click here. If you want to get started building your Endpoint Protection Plan, reach out to us today.