Managing endpoints, the weakest link in the security chain

Endpoint security is a term open to interpretation. Traditionally, an endpoint would be any device or node connected to the LAN or WAN, such as a workstation or end-user PC, or a modem, a hub or a switch. But now endpoints incorporate a multitude of additional digital devices from laptops, tablets and mobile phones, which sit on the edge of the network, through to network printers, consumer and industrial IoT devices and point-of-sale systems. Endpoints include a multitude of additional digital devices from laptops, tablets and mobile phones through to network printers, IoT devices and point-of-sale systems. Securing this ever-expanding portfolio of endpoint technology has become an urgent necessity, not least because these devices represent a significant risk to the cloud ecosystem. By securing the input of sensitive data and by wrapping security around the applications that handle sensitive data, organisations can add another layer, boosting the protection of endpoint devices, explains Dave Waterson of SentryBay.