What Is Endpoint Detection & Response?
Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) is a critical tool in combatting cybersecurity threats. The best EDR solutions are used to detect anomalous activity on endpoints (servers, workstations, laptops, and some mobile devices). While some mistakenly assume antivirus does these same things, antivirus looks for known bad programs that match a specific signature.
While antivirus is a prudent layer of protection it falls significantly short of combatting today’s evolved threats. Modern advanced threats easily evade antivirus and its static approach to malware detection. EDR solutions go beyond the capabilities of Antivirus by collecting, monitoring and analyzing a wide range of security telemetry, often required in forensic investigations, used to detect the threat as well as identify the root cause of the security issue
With features such as features like cloud-based intelligence, machine learning, and statistical modeling, EDR solutions are a much more effective tool for identifying and stopping advanced security threats on your endpoints.
Can EDR Detect Malware on Your System?
A decade ago, you could easily tell your system had malware because it ran slow, had pop-ups, the blue-screen-of-death, or any combination of these. Today, most malware is undetectable to the untrained professional, and is laden with advanced features that look for other systems to infect, establish command and control traffic with the hacker to receive new instructions. Malware can capture your keystrokes and decrypt your private transactions, and in some cases, can install a pre-boot kit that runs before your operations system even starts.
Malware today is incented by financial gain, whether that is stealing Personal Identifiable Information, Credit Card information or Intellectual Property. In other cases, the malware encrypts your data, preventing access until a ransom is paid. With pictures, movies and music used to deliver malware, it is hard to imagine many home systems that have not been negatively affected by malware.
[Read Our Remote Work From Home Recommendations Here]
With the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant portion of the global workforce is working remotely, using home systems lacking even the more rudimentary enterprise-class security features. The reality is that the average home computer is used for a range of ‘non-business’ uses that ensure most are rife with malware.
Security professionals are concerned about the cybersecurity impact of unprotected systems used for remote work, and with the current pandemic forcing so many to work from home, business leaders are taking note.
A completely secure solution that enables the workforce to safely work remotely takes time, planning and resources to correctly implement – many companies don’t have that luxury given the rapid onset of the pandemic.
One solution that can be quickly implemented, is the use of EDR, managed by a competent company, working around the clock to ensure that cybersecurity threats are stopped, whenever they may happen.
If you are needing guidance currently during a pandemic such as COVID-19 or at any point need help with strategic guidance on Business Continuity our experts are here to help. You can reach out to us here or give us a call at (877) 901 – 2022
Delano Collins
Delano Collins is the Vice President of Corsica Cybersecurity, LLC, a security solutions provider specializing in monitoring, audits, assessment and incident response.With a background in the banking industry, a former CIO, ISO and more than 25 years of experience in the technology sector, Delano has spent his career specializing in cybersecurity, compliance and secure network design.
