Is Your MSSP Using Next-Gen Endpoint Security Tools?

Today, businesses face more sophisticated cybersecurity threats than ever before. And security incidents don’t just affect the big businesses you hear about in the news. Every type of business is at risk: from professional services firms to healthcare providers.

As attacks proliferate, many businesses are seeking the support of a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). These external security providers are responsible for maintaining the security of their clients’ systems and networks. To do so, they rely on an arsenal of cybersecurity technologies.

But as attackers grow ever more sophisticated, some of the technologies used by some MSSPs now lack the advanced capabilities required to foster a robust security posture. That’s evident nowhere more than in endpoint detection tools. These software tools are used to detect and investigate threats on endpoints including employee laptops and company servers. 

To ensure optimal enterprise security, it’s vital your MSSP is embracing next-gen endpoint security tools. These tools are a category of cybersecurity solutions that use sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies to offer enhanced threat detection and remediation capabilities.

Read on to discover exactly what makes an endpoint security tool next-gen and learn about the benefits that adopting next-gen tools can have for your business’s security infrastructure.

What is an Endpoint Security Tool?

Endpoint security tools examine files, processes, and systems for malicious activity. They monitor the endpoints of an organization’s networks, including computers, mobile devices, servers, and more. The software monitors activity on these devices, looking for suspicious patterns that could indicate a security breach.

Many traditional security tools use a signature-based approach that monitors the user’s device at a file level. These signature-based technologies look for known signatures of attacks, comparing endpoint activity against a bank of known malicious code to identify and flag any suspicious activity.

In many instances, this works well. But one example where traditional endpoint security solutions fail is in their inability to detect zero-day malware: attacks that are novel and not yet known to the cybersecurity community. To detect and respond to these types of attacks, security teams must leverage next-gen endpoint security tools.

What is an Endpoint, Anyway?

An endpoint in cybersecurity is a computing device that communicates back and forth with a network or another endpoint. This can be any kind of device. Some examples of endpoints are mobile devices, desktop computers, virtual machines, servers, and more. Items in the Internet-of-Things like smart home hubs, cameras, or security systems are also endpoints.

The goal of endpoint protection is to prevent these devices from being used to hijack a business and to prevent other cybercrimes like data theft or misuse of valuable company data and applications.

Next-Gen Endpoint Security vs. Traditional Endpoint Security: Key Differences

Next-gen security tools go beyond the signature-based approach used by traditional tools. Instead, they use advanced AI and ML models to identify zero-day attacks and suspicious behaviors a traditional tool might have missed.

Beyond just flagging these threats, next-gen tools also give security teams the additional context required to tackle these incidents head-on. The best security tools provide detailed reports and visual interfaces. These add context to security events and give security analysts the tools they need to respond to emerging threats. Many tools are also equipped with containment capabilities that quickly prevent attacks from spreading across an organization’s networks.

These security tools have proven to be particularly effective in recent years as many organizations have pivoted to hybrid or remote business models. Many tools have built-in Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) capabilities, or robust integrations with popular third-party SOAR solutions.

But while these security tools represent a significant step forward, they’re not a complete solution. Not every tool has the technical capabilities to live up to its marketing hype and they still require an experienced SOC team to triage security events, reduce false positives, and manage the tool itself. These limitations make it crucial for businesses to work with an experienced MSSP that has the skills and expertise to deploy these tools effectively.

Key Benefits of Adopting Next-Gen Endpoint Security Tools

It’s estimated that traditional security tools catch between 70% and 80% of cybersecurity threats. That one statistic alone underscores the importance of next-gen endpoint security technologies in catching additional threats that may be missed by traditional solutions.

Some notable benefits of next-generation endpoint security are:

1. Improved anti-virus protection: Get actionable threat intelligence with next-gen endpoint security. Combine machine learning and artificial intelligence to stay on your toes.
2. Endpoint response-and-detection (EDR): Automatically respond to threats the moment they happen with EDR functionality.
3. Investigative capabilities: Replay attacks and dissect how the threat worked in order to prevent future attacks.
4. Advanced malware analysis: Identify malicious files based on deviations from normal behavior with endpoint security tools.

Next-gen endpoint security tools monitor environments at a process level. Their AI capabilities enable security teams to quickly detect and respond to anomalies. The predictive analytics and threat intelligence capabilities of these tools enable security teams to get out ahead of threats and take steps to remedy vulnerabilities before they are exploited.

No cybersecurity solution can guarantee that your business won’t suffer an attack. But in the event of a security incident, the analytic capabilities and containment tools included with leading next-gen solutions are extremely valuable, enabling security teams to quickly analyze security events and quarantine affected systems and respond to attacks before they spread across your critical IT environments.

Is Your MSSP Using Next-Gen Endpoint Security Tools?

A next-gen endpoint security tool isn’t a tool that can just be deployed and left to run in the background: it requires active management from experienced security professionals.

Most traditional MSSPs are solely focused on monitoring security events and escalating incidents to their clients––not managing the full life cycle of security incidents. But effectively using a next-gen endpoint security solution demands a more bespoke approach tailored to the unique needs of your business and technical infrastructure.

At [redacted], our MSS team is focused on leveraging the latest technology to deliver a world-class cybersecurity service that keeps your business safe. Our philosophy is centered on building strategic partnerships founded on a comprehensive understanding of our clients’ businesses and technical environments.

This approach enables us to create rules and policies that detect attacks at an earlier stage or prevent them from occurring entirely. Our elite professionals use cutting-edge cybersecurity tools––including next-gen endpoint detection solutions––to ensure your business stays a step ahead of attackers.

But a lack of familiarity with the latest cybersecurity technologies isn’t the only way relying on a traditional MSSP puts your business at risk. Schedule a call with a member of our cyber defense team today.