Digitalization opens up new business models and lays the foundation for process optimization. The shift to digitalized processes does have its downsides, though. For example, cyberattacks are an absolute nightmare for companies of all sizes. There is, however, an awareness for the risks involved. According to the Allianz Risk Barometer 2019, cyber incidents (37 percent of responses) are neck-and-neck with business interruption (BI) (37 percent of responses) as the top business risks globally. In spite of this, many companies have yet to take adequate measures to protect themselves from malware.

There are currently roughly 800 million malware programs in circulation. These include viruses, trojan horses, spyware, adware, and ransomware. About 70 percent of all malware attacks take place directly at the endpoint, with roughly 60 percent of such cyberattacks going undetected.

Malware infiltrates networks usually creating the following problems:

• Loss/theft of data
• Manipulation of processes via remote control of devices and systems
• Disabling of devices or crippling of networks
• Blackmail and demands for money

Unlike in the past, today’s malware is not restricted to specific file formats. Such programs also use new and different ways to infect networks. Cybercriminals are also becoming increasingly sophisticated. They are working all the time to give the malware they unleash the ability to bypass common antivirus programs. As a result, risks have increased significantly across the board. They are creating a growing number of problems within companies due to data theft and cyberattacks. While there is greater awareness for the risks, not enough businesses have adopted end-to-end security to protect themselves. According to the “IDC IT Security in Germany 2018”, only 58 percent of all companies who took part in the survey have a central information security concept. That despite unsecured endpoints being the second most common risk (34 percent) after user error (37 percent).

End-to-end security management delivers enhanced protection

A multi-layer system designed to block unauthorized data transfers is required to reliably ward off many cyberattacks. When implementing the system, it is important for companies to know where attacks could occur within their IT infrastructure. Users need to establish facts and make their data processing transparent since most attacks occur where data is processed, that is, at the endpoints. Once the facts are available, it is important to close any unnecessary points of access into company computers. This can be done by carrying out interface and application checks. Anomalies experienced during data transfer (for example, due to data exfiltration/infiltration and encryption trojans) should be immediately addressed and contained by issuing alerts, by blocking the transfer of the data, and by carrying out other automated actions. Likewise, encryption solutions must be deployed to stop data exfiltration attacks, without causing any decline in employee productivity.

Finally, if malware infects a system, the malicious processes at the file system, RAM, or other similar level must be immediately and automatically halted, an incident report submitted, and further forensic analyses made possible.

Automation and full control for administrators

Achieving a high degree of automation not only creates security, but also reduces the workload of administrators, without making their role superfluous. That’s because they need full transparency in order to choose the best course of action. When the security software detects and blocks malicious outbound communication, data tampering, or unauthorized encryption in real time and then notifies the administrator, it gives the IT team time to analyze the points of access for possible security gaps and develop new counterstrategies.

In addition to that, it is also essential to prevent IT security silos from developing. This means that IT security applications must communicate with each other without the need for further user intervention. For example, one use case could be that in the event of significant malware activity, not only the malware is stopped and removed, but an incident is also opened. Applications affected by the security gaps are then blacklisted or patched, and the infected computer is reinstalled if worse comes to worse. If at all possible, this should be done fully automatically.

Multiple layers of protection and automated endpoint detection

Unlike conventional antivirus programs and firewalls, Matrix42 Automated Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) offers multiple layers of protection against malware. Along with that, EgoSecure Data Protection is also able to implement and comply with data security policies.

Today’s endpoint security solutions shall protect from three things that come with cyberattacks:

1. Maximum protection after a network or system infect: This includes the automatic blocking and removal of malicious code, as well as notification via SIEM or Service Desk applications, for example. We also recommend creating a backup beforehand that is a help to restore lost data and/or reinstall IT systems operating under heavy loads.
2. Sharp reduction in false positives: The optional link-up to a security cloud system allows the comparison of patterns related to previously detected cyberattacks. As a result, it is easier to identify false positives, and your IT team will need to spend less time dealing with them.
3. Eliminating potential sources of risk: monitoring and filtering of the use of the cloud, USB devices, network sharing, and applications are necessary. A number of malware threats are eliminated by doing so. In addition, data transfers must also be logged in a transparent manner. This is necessary to ensure that an analysis in accordance with the GDPR and other regulations can be performed if data is lost or manipulated. Finally, it is necessary to use encryption to prevent unauthorized access to data.

Are you looking to securely protect your systems against intruders? Then get your 30-day free trial of Matrix42 Endpoint Security!