Today, cybersecurity is more important than ever, especially for small and medium sized businesses. Where once these companies might consider themselves to be safe from the threats of hackers and data breaches, now they pose a very real threat, often targeting smaller businesses specifically because of their more lax security measures. To protect yourself, your team members, and your clients and customers, you need to be making use of proven cybersecurity tools to keep these wrongdoers at bay!
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is a powerful option when it comes to protecting your network, but if you aren’t already well-versed in cybersecurity techniques, you might not be aware of how it can help you. To learn what EDR can do for you and your business, keep reading below!
What is EDR?
Endpoint detection and response is a cybersecurity solution that is particularly useful for small and medium sized businesses to provide a proactive approach to threat detection. The way it functions is by providing constant monitoring to your “endpoints,” a cybersecurity term that really just means your devices, like laptop and desktop computers, tablets, or phones. An EDR system constantly collects data about the activity on these devices and analyzes it for suspicious behavior. If any red flags are detected, it automatically launches response actions designed to minimize damage. This can include isolating potentially compromised devices and keeping them from accessing the entire network, removing suspicious files, and blocking harmful network traffic.
One of the big perks of EDR is that it provides constant oversight and immediate responses without the need for any human intervention. While it would be nice if you could have the eyes of a trained professional patrolling your network for possible breaches 24/7, that simply isn’t feasible, but the automated monitoring and deployment of EDR is the next best thing. This, along with EDR’s easy scalability, makes the technique especially useful for businesses of a smaller size.
Why Do I Need EDR if I Have Other Cybersecurity Measures?
If you already have cybersecurity measures like firewalls or antivirus programs in place for your business, adding a system like EDR on top of things might seem like a redundancy you don’t need. However, oftentimes more is more in cybersecurity, and using EDR alongside other defensive measures can be the safest and most practical option.
For starters, many systems like antivirus programs are only designed to find and thwart one specific kind of cyberattack, leaving you vulnerable to other forms of malware. EDR scans for a broader range of threats, detecting and stopping more sophisticated threats. Additionally, many cybersecurity measures are focused on prevention, keeping attackers from ever getting into your network. This is not a bad thing by any means– it’s much better to keep an attack from happening than to clean up after one! However, no firewall or defense is completely infallible, and if your cybersecurity measures are only focused on keeping hackers out, you’ll be left with no recompense if a breach does occur. Since EDR is focused on responding to threats as well as detecting them, it can help to mitigate the damage of a cyberattack and make the situation easier to investigate later on.
Getting the Most Out of EDR
With an EDR system in place on top of your other cybersecurity measures, you’ll be better equipped to get through complex, multi-level attacks or subtle suspicious behaviors. For example, while a firewall might block suspicious IP addresses from accessing your network, EDR can spot unusual file access activities on any endpoint, signaling a possible insider threat from within your organization or an unreported stolen device.
EDR’s improved threat detection, fast responses, and increased visibility provides protection in a wide range of scenarios. Logistics companies, for instance, can use the approach to catch ransomware attacks early because thanks to a flag on unusual network behavior, or a manufacturing plant might be able to detect the usage of stolen credentials, putting a stop to an advanced threat. When used alongside other cybersecurity measures, EDR can greatly increase the safety of your company overall.
How Do I Use EDR?
Using EDR to increase the security of your small or medium sized business can be highly beneficial, but it’s not an easy thing to employ on your own, especially if you don’t have the technical experience to do so! That’s where Progressive Computer Systems can step in to help. With our many years of expertise, we have the knowledge and skill required to guide you through this process and help you get the most out of endpoint detection and response. You can contact us here to learn more about this cybersecurity measure and our other computer repair services!
