Last Line of Defense

Is it safe to assume that most people have heard of anti-virus software?  This is the software we install on computers to protect them from computer viruses.  For years, Norton and McAfee have been installing a “free for one year” version of their products on new computers.  At the end of the one-year term, you were required to subscribe for updates.  This type of protection was referred to as signature-based; meaning that as new viruses were discovered, companies would scramble to create an update to fight/block the virus and push the update to the desktop of those that subscribed for the service.  Clearly, there were two shortcomings of this model.

1. If you were one of the first to be attacked by a new virus, your systems were affected, and you had to wait until an update was created OR rebuild all infected computers
2. If you didn’t subscribe for updates, your software is only protected against known viruses.

The viruses of the past were more often designed to be an annoyance.  They would slow down computer performance, send a message to all your contacts, etc.  However, attacks have evolved and viruses morphed. Today, we refer to this malicious software as Malware.  Just to be clear, Malware is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of software (including Ransomware) designed to cripple your systems and steal your information.  Today’s Malware is purposefully-built to create chaos for financial gain.

The reality is that the traditional “anti-virus/anti-malware” tools are not effective against the barrage of new attacks.  It is simply impossible for companies to create and deploy updates fast enough.  Fortunately, there are several “newer” products available that are considered Next-Generation Endpoint protection (BTW, an endpoint is a computer, tablet or smartphone).  This latest evolution in advanced protection uses Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning to recognize attacker behaviour and unusual activity to prevent an attack before it occurs.  No more waiting for updates.

Cybersecurity protection methodology is based on the use of multiple security layers to keep the bad guys out.  But what happens if the attacker gets past the Email protection and the firewall?  What happens if he/she manages to fool your cybersecurity-trained employees and they click on that attachment?  It is vital to have an advanced tool in place to prevent that malware from running on your computer.

Next-Generation Endpoint protection is the last line of defense!

Note:  Endpoint protection will never stop 100% of attacks.  However, having multiple layers of cybersecurity protection in place will dramatically reduce your risk.

If you have any questions or need some help improving your cybersecurity, please contact me at gerardd@securesolutionsnow.com