What is an Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP)?

What Is an Endpoint Protection Platform?

An Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) is a cybersecurity solution that is deployed across multiple endpoint devices. It detects and blocks file-based malware and is an integrated security tool that can apply firewalls, port and device controls, and anti-malware capabilities. Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPPs) provide endpoint protection for organizations. They can defend against advanced threats which normally evade front-line defenses.

An endpoint security platform can also dramatically improve the endpoint security posture of the organization. It has the capability to roll back unauthorized changes, can discover new devices on networks that haven’t been catalogued yet, and enrich threat detection, response, and investigation across all endpoint environments.

Origins and Purpose of EPPs

EPPs were developed to identify attacks that would normally evade traditional endpoint security, consolidating tools like antivirus protection, data encryption and security, and intrusion prevention into one cloud-managed system. Consolidation allows IT personnel to monitor all endpoints in one location, enabling more thorough and automated data sharing and analysis and allowing for complex threat analysis that wouldn’t be possible using tools in isolation. Because of their cloud-managed nature, EPPs can even take advantage of global threat data, benefiting from other networks’ experience to enhance overall threat prevention.

EPPs may include endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities, helping security personnel respond to threats that have slipped by the system’s defensive screen. EDR capabilities, however, are not necessarily an aspect of all EPP platforms, and IT staff should consider whether this is offered when considering an EPP system.

Difference between EPP, EDR and XDR

Endpoint Protection Platform acts as only the first line of defense. Its main focus is to block malware and other threats from reaching organizations’ endpoints. However, zero-day exploits and advanced malware can still slip through it. This is where Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) security comes in. EDR software gives deeper visibility and can block advanced malware. EDR endpoint protection software provides a higher level of protection than EPP and also includes human threat hunters for analyzing and reviewing threats. It can collect large volumes of data, analyze multiple endpoints across diverse ecosystems, and generate threat intelligence. EPP is a suite of security features that work together to fight against various threats while EDR is a single solution that includes broader visibility and combines with EPP. An EDR solution also tells you what is going on across networks at the endpoint-level and can identify and remediate various cyber attacks.

XDR combines EPP with EDR and expands the scope of traditional EPP security solutions. It combines multiple data sources like endpoints, clouds, apps, and networks, and merges them to offer a single unified endpoint protection solution. Modern XDR also uses advanced analytics that use Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect suspicious patterns, anomalies, and fight against emerging security threats. XDR essentially extends EDR’s coverage and goes beyond what EDR is capable of.

Why Is Endpoint Security Via EPPs Important?

In a network setting, endpoints are typically considered to be the most vulnerable part of any system. There are a variety of reasons for this, but it largely comes down to personnel and the different types and sheer number of endpoints used to access a network. System compromise means potential cyber-attacks, which can be extremely expensive, both in terms of direct monetary costs and remediation efforts.

People with a wide range of computer knowledge and cybersecurity training use computing systems that access a company’s network. This can take place in a wide range of settings, which may not be well controlled or easily monitored by company IT staff. Consider that an employee may have extensive IT security knowledge and won’t open a suspicious email. Or perhaps they are not security conscious at all and will happily install “networkscrambler.exe” on his endpoint. The employee may only use a desktop at the office or prefer to work on a 5-year-old iPad via a coffee shop’s unsecured WiFi.

There may be ten of these employees or 10,000, all with their own personal and device profiles, doing a wide range of things from day to day. Each of these person/device combinations is a (likely unknowing) threat to the network.

Not only is the variety of different threats a problem, but it presents a massive attack surface. While most employees may practice good data hygiene, a comprehensive EPP allows staff to monitor all endpoints at once to prevent the single careless employee from compromising the network.

SentinelOne’s Singularity™ Endpoint provides real-time insight into endpoints across your network with EDR capabilities and identity protection in a single package.

Core Components of Modern EPP

Modern EPP endpoint protection platforms or security solutions will include the following key components:

• Next-Generation Antivirus (NGAV) – EPP security can block malware, known, and unknown fileless threats better than traditional antivirus.
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP) – EPP can prevent sensitive data from leaving the organization. It prevents data exfiltration and data leaks, whether accidental or intentional. DLP implements strong access controls as well.
• Firewall Protection and Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP/IPS) – EPP adds personal firewalls to monitor network traffic. You can block unauthorized access attempts automatically at the endpoint level. Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP/IPS) analyzes network traffic and system behaviors to identify suspicious patterns.
• Threat Intelligence – EPPs can give you up-to-date information about malware, ransomware, and other kinds of endpoint security threats. It also tells you about the latest endpoint security vulnerabilities so that you know how to stay prepared for them.

Core Capabilities of EPP

According to Gartner, here are the core capabilities every EPP solution should have in them:

• Threat Prevention – EPP in security should be able to block fileless malware and file-based attacks. They will use signature-based detection, machine learning, and behavioral analysis. The ability to block ransomware threats is also important.
• Endpoint Security Controls – Every EPP solution will include controls like port and device controls, personal firewalls, and data protection.
• Managed Services – Some EPP offerings may include managed services like threat hunting, response, and monitoring. This may depend on the EPP solution and some EPP offerings may also incorporate Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) capabilities, with room for auto-remediation options. They may also help organizations align with popular defense frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK and make communication more easier between security teams.

How an Endpoint Protection Platform Works?

An Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) will secure all endpoint devices connected to a network. It will use multiple detection techniques (like signature-based detection, behavioral analysis, and heuristic analysis) to detect and block malicious threats. EPP software comes with data encryption, firewalling, and intrusion prevention security features.

EPP cybersecurity can isolate or quarantine suspicious files, protect and encrypt sensitive data across endpoints, and use machine learning algorithms to scan vast amounts of telemetry data to identify potential threats (even unknown threats that haven’t been encountered by the organization yet).

Benefits of Endpoint Protection Platform

Here are the benefits of endpoint protection platforms:

• You can get protection against a variety of cybersecurity threats, like malware, ransomware, phishing, and fileless malware. Endpoint Protection Platforms provide real-time threat monitoring and analysis capabilities. You can enable rapid incident detection and response too.
• EPPs can detect both known and unknown threats at the endpoint level. You can use them to prevent malware from infecting your systems and protect remote work environments.
• EPPs can minimize operational downtimes and reduce endpoint security risks. They ensure data security, privacy, and help organizations meet stringent regulatory compliance requirements.
• EPP can prevent data losses, leaks, and breaches. It can provide centralized management, visibility, and seamless user and work experiences. You also get a unified view of your endpoint security posture and enjoy great cost-savings with EPP solutions.

Challenges of Implementing EPP

Here are the challenges of implementing EPP for organizations:

• EPP doesn’t give complete protection as it just delivers basic malware protection and fights against antiviruses. EPP software can’t fight against sophisticated threats that may find other ways into your network.
• The response factor is missing and also, endpoint protection platforms can block known threats to your endpoints. It can’t defend against malware that may morph into something else nor handle threats that may become dangerous later.
• Traditional EPPs require a local infrastructure for on-premises deployment. The setup, installation, and maintenance processes are also complex. You have to push manual updates and EPP software can be resource-intensive for endpoint devices.  If you want to scale your EPP solution, you will need to invest more on hardware.

Best Practices for Endpoint Protection Platform

Here is a list of the best practices to follow when it comes to implementing or using endpoint protection platforms:

• Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to enhance EPP security. Enforce the principle of least privilege access and deploy EDR with EPP. Integrating EDR will enable advanced threat hunting and incident response capabilities.
• Keep your EPP software always up-to-date. Patch regularly and encrypt data at rest and in-transit. Develop clear policies for remote work and for Bring Your Own Devices (BYODs).
• Conduct regular network security audits, tests, and identify areas of vulnerabilities and improvement. Also run penetration tests to assess your EPP security’s effectiveness.
• Make a comprehensive incident response plan so that you know what to do in case you get breached. Train employees on how to use EPP solutions and educate them about other EPP security and safety measures.

Common Use Cases for EPP

Here are the common use cases for EPP in different organizations:

• EPPs secure remote and hybrid workers. They monitor who connect over public or home networks and those who rely on unmanaged devices. EPP can enforce Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies by validating device health. It can isolate threats hosted on non-compliant laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
• EPPs can protect sensitive data and make it adhere to regulations such as HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GDPR through continuous monitoring and policy-based controls.
• EPP security defends point-of-sale (POS) systems and other terminals in retail environments. They can also shield industrial control systems and operational technology (OT) endpoints in manufacturing and critical infrastructure to protect them from targeted attacks .
• EPP in security can protect virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployments where multiple virtual endpoints share the same physical host. They also support zero-trust initiatives by supplying device context to identity providers and block unauthenticated access attempts.
• Organizations can use EPP software to streamline incident response. They can automate quarantine and forensic data collection whenever a threat is detected.

How to Choose the Best EPP for Endpoint Security?

When assessing an Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) for your organization, it comes down to the critical features for threat detection and response. The best EPPs use signature-based scanning, behavior-based detection, and heuristic engines to identify known threats and zero-day exploits. Enterprises benefit from threat intelligence feeds that protect endpoints from newer variants with file-less malware detection and credential-theft detection further protect your endpoints against more sophisticated, stealthy attacks. Rollback remediation is crucial as this restores infected endpoints back to their pre-infection state, reducing downtime and productivity losses.

Another important feature is integration. The top EPPs should integrate with what all you have in your current endpoint security stack for now. The best EPPs include intrusion prevention systems (IPS), Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platforms. They offer a single pane of glass view from a management console to push policies, onboard new devices and enable real-time visibility across all OS/devices.

You also want to assess performance and employee experiences. Dig into the operating requirements (CPU/memory footprint) as the lower the requirements, the less interference there will be to daily operations. Assess the user ease interface, product documentation and vendor responsiveness to determine the most supportive solution.

Finally, once you’ve sifted through and selected a few EPP candidates, be sure to run a proof-of-concept in a sandboxed environment. Test EPPs for features related to automated incident response playbooks, AI-driven threat hunting, and other options for managed detection and response (MDR). Make sure that your EPP can beat evasion techniques so it’s good to go for 24/7 protection in your company. Great endpoint protection examples include solutions like SentinelOne Singularity™ Cloud Security, Singularity™ Endpoint, and Singularity™ XDR.

Why Choose SentinelOne for EPP Security?

SentinelOne understands that malware evolves by the day. Your threats won’t sit around and wait for you. They evolve and morph with time, becoming advanced as time goes by. That’s why it’s great at proactively blocking threats and also provides detailed forensics for effective incident response.

SentinelOne’s EPP uses a single, purpose-built agent. It combines Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) on one platform and streamlines security management. You can block ransomware, phishing, zero-day attacks, shadow IT, and both known and unknown threats.  SentinelOne’s AI is powerful and can prevent lateral movement and privilege escalations. It provides comprehensive visibility and automated responses to even the most sophisticated endpoint security threats.

The best part is the smooth integration and SentinelOne’s EPP+EDR solution gives you value for money. You can scale up or down its endpoint security as needed. You also get other benefits such as extended endpoint security, threat intelligence, vulnerability management, and SentinelOne EPP also improves security compliance.

SentinelOne has been named a leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Endpoint Protection Platforms for 4 years in a row. All this gives peace of mind to organizations who know that their endpoints are always protected, 24/7.

Conclusion

Endpoint Protection Platforms definitely help you build a strong cybersecurity foundation for enterprises. Without EPP, you don’t have a starting point to defend against threats and that’s the thing. You get to learn what you go up against, observe blindspots, and catalog networks and devices. The best approach to strong endpoint security is to use both EPP and EDR. XDR combines them all and offers a unified security solution. And if your XDR bundles MDR services, then even better.

The good news is SentinelOne offers all these. Get in touch with us, because we can help.