What is Advanced Endpoint Protection (AEP)?

Advanced endpoint protection (AEP) is a next-generation endpoint security solution that uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and other intelligent automation capabilities to provide more comprehensive cybersecurity protection from a variety of modern threats, including fileless malware, script-based attacks and zero-day threats.

Why do organizations need advanced endpoint protection capabilities?

Given the significant increase in cyberattacks, as well as the growing sophistication of cybercriminals, organizations must take steps to reduce the risk of a breach, as well as minimize the impact of such an event. Because any connected device can serve as a gateway to the network, advanced endpoint protection is one of the most critical elements of any security strategy.

What organizations can benefit from AEP?

Enterprises of all sizes face an increasing risk of a cyberattack — and more sophisticated attacks at that. Endpoint protection is of critical importance now given the shift to remote work and a proliferation of personal devices that dramatically expands the organization’s attack service.

For this reason, organizations of all sizes in all industries and geographies must take steps toward protecting against these modern threats with a comprehensive and adaptive next-generation endpoint security solution.

AEP Differentiators

Unlike traditional endpoint security tools such as firewalls and antivirus software that can identify known threats, AEP systems leverage advanced technologies to address “unknown” threats — those that are new, emerging or complex. Key differentiators of an AEP include:

• Advanced technology: Next-generation endpoint protection software leverages advanced technology, including AI and ML, to identify known and unknown threats by detecting anomalous system activity, unusual software interaction or suspicious user behavior.
• Evolution and self-learning: The algorithms used by advanced endpoint protection tools get more intelligent, precise and accurate over time, enabling organizations to continuously expand and enhance their security posture and respond to threats with greater speed and efficiency.
• Integration: AEP systems are one part of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. These platforms work in concert with other security tools and practices, including human-led threat hunting, to provide enhanced visibility and security, as well as improve the overall efficiency of the infosec team.

3 Benefits of Advanced Endpoint Protection

The AEP provides several important benefits to organizations as compared to traditional solutions. These include:

• Enhanced protection: Next-generation endpoint protection software leverages advanced technology, including AI and ML, to: streamline data collection and analysis; improve system visibility; better detect anomalous system activity; and expedite responses.
• Improved accuracy and response time: Because the AEP system is intelligent and capable of self-learning, the solution’s precision and accuracy tends to improve over time. This, in turn, strengthens the organization’s prevention, detection and response capabilities.
• Improved resource allocation: Advanced endpoint protection tools automate a significant portion of analysis, monitoring, detection and response activities, which frees up members of the infosec team to focus on higher-priority actions like evaluation and remediation.

The power of the cloud: How cloud-native advanced endpoint protection tools enhance the organization’s security posture

Harnessing the data and tools to effectively stop breaches requires a scalable, cloud-native

platform. A cloud-native approach enables the seamless aggregation, sharing and operationalization of this information to deliver the kind of anticipation, prevention, detection, visibility and response capabilities that can beat a determined attacker time and time again.

A cloud-native solution offers the following benefits:

• Enhanced protection: The cloud allows organizations to collect rich data sets in real time, providing the foundation for all prevention, monitoring, detection and response systems.
• Improved scalability: One inherent benefit of the cloud is the ability to continuously adjust resources to meet the variable needs of the organization.
• Lower cost: Without hardware and additional software to procure, deploy, manage and update, rolling out endpoint security from the cloud becomes quicker, simpler and more affordable.
• Faster deployment: While on-premises systems can take up to a year to fully roll out, cloud-based solutions can be successfully deployed in environments with tens of thousands of hosts in a matter of hours.
• Reduced maintenance: Updates to the infrastructure are done in the cloud, immediately, under vendor supervision and do not require months of planning that can leave gaps in the protection efficacy and deplete IT teams’ resources.