Endpoint security threats are usually targeted towards corporate organizations but can often use private individuals to get inside these companies – Let’s dig deeper into what risk endpoint security threats possess.
Keeping safe online is a constant battle, which is why it is so important to keep up to speed with the gravest threats facing internet users and how you can prevent them from happening.
Although most people know what phishing scams and malware are, you may not know what an endpoint security threat is and how it can impact your private and professional lives.
This is your guide to endpoint security threats and what you can do to prevent yourself from falling victim to them:
Endpoint-delivered threats are usually transmitted through an infected portable device
An endpoint security threat is usually targeted towards corporate organizations but can often use private individuals to get inside these companies.
The simplest way to describe an endpoint security threat is that it is a piece of malware that infiltrates an organization by corrupting a single device connected to it.
For example, many endpoint security threats involve an employee of a certain company suffering from a cyber-attack and unwittingly allowing their infected device to spread the malware to other devices in the company network.
Cyber attackers could do this by targeting an employee with a phishing scam or even leaving an infected USB stick near a company’s office, prompting an employee to pick it up and plug it into their device, not knowing that the USB will attack the company from the inside.
Although endpoint delivered threats rely upon an employee mistakenly leaking the malware into an organization’s infrastructure, it might about to become far more prevalent. This is because many businesses are starting to adopt remote working practices. As a result, many employees use their own private devices rather than secure work on computers.
Therefore, the employer has little control over what antivirus software the employee uses (if at all) and how safe their devices are. You can find out more about endpoint security threats by visiting Proofpoint.
It is best to use common sense to avoid suffering an attack
The best way of preventing yourself from suffering an endpoint security attack is to rely on your individual responsibility and common sense. For example, although it might feel like a good deed if you pick up a memory stick off the ground and hand it into your company, you have no idea of what is stored on the stick, and you could be putting the entire organization at risk as a result.
Similarly, be vigilant when opening emails or other forms of messages to ensure you don’t accidentally trigger a phishing attack.
Of course, if you want to ensure that your personal safety (and, if you work closely with a company, their safety) remains intact, it is wise to invest in high-quality antivirus software for all your devices. Even your phone is vulnerable to a cyber-attack, so ensure it is adequately protected at all times.
There are plenty of other cyber threats to be aware of
Furthermore, if you want to stay truly safe online, you need to be aware of the other threats. Endpoint security threats are only the tip of the iceberg, so take the time to research cyber security threats and the steps you can take to safeguard yourself from them.
Like all scams, cybercrime relies heavily on the ignorance of its victims, preying on their trust and lack of knowledge about cyber scams. However, if you can recognize the signs of a cyber-attack, then you stand a good chance of stopping yourself from falling foul of it.
Did you enjoy reading this article? Like our page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
