Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 54 | Page 34

FEATURE : ENDPOINT SECURITY
Endpoint security management is a policy-based approach to network security that requires endpoint devices to comply with specific criteria before they are granted access to network resources .
Endpoints can include PCs , laptops , smart phones , tablets and specialised equipment such as bar code readers or point of sale ( PoS ) terminals . Industry experts share insights on how CIOs can improve their endpoint security posture . By Manda Banda . cater for the distributed workforce whilst ensuring the same standard of security is provided inside corporate networks . Mazibuko said organisations need to consider breaking security silos by consolidating solutions and getting more from their endpoint security . “ How these endpoints are managed is vital as we are seeing more organisations moving to the SaaS model , therefore , reducing complex infrastructure ,” he said . “ Having an endpoint solution with automated workflow capability will be the difference between keeping up with threats or playing catchup . The ability to integrate endpoint security with third-party integrations , such as threat intelligence feeds , will give any enterprise the edge against adversaries .”

Endpoint security management systems , which can be purchased as software or as a dedicated appliance , discover , manage and control computing devices that request access to the corporate network . Industry experts share insights how how CIOs can improve their endpoint security posture by developing comprehensive endpoint security management policies .

Pundits warn that in today ’ s world , without the use of proper tools such as endpoint protection on host computers and proper data security practices , users with careless attitude towards using unencrypted portable devices such as laptops , tablets and USB storage leave themselves and others exposed to possible data breaches that could be costly to the end user and can even compromise an entire organisation or government .
According to Mordor Intelligence , the cybersecurity market in the Middle East and Africa ( MEA ) was valued at US $ 1,903.59 million in 2020 and it is expected to reach US $ 2,893.40 million by 2026 , registering a compound annual growth rate ( CAGR ) of 7.92 % during the forecast period of 2021 to 2026 .
Edison Mazibuko , Technical Director , DRS – a Cyber 1 company , said endpoint solutions had to evolve to
Nicolai Solling , Chief Technology Officer , Help AG , said when choosing solutions for endpoint security management , CIOs must ensure that any potential solution is evaluated in terms of how well it can generate accurate telemetry and data in order to make the correct security decision and in terms of how good the solution is at detecting and stopping malicious activity on the endpoint .
Solling said it is also crucial to understand how an endpoint security solution would be integrated with existing solutions . “ Establishing visibility on the endpoint is also key , as the endpoint is the foothold that cyber attackers use to reach their end target – corporate data ,” he said . “ Finally , before creating a plan for endpoint security management , CIOs should be clear on whether they can utilise cloud for storing data and managing their agents , because if not , the range of endpoint security solutions they can choose from is narrowed down significantly .”
Solling said it can be difficult to select an endpoint solution , as all endpoint security solutions fundamentally try to achieve the same thing – protecting the endpoint . “ The threats they protect against are also similar , meaning that the value propositions and capabilities of different solutions are often alike . Evaluating the efficiency of a solution is also a relatively complex task , during which several

Securing the endpoint

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