While malware has become increasingly sophisticated over the years, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of solutions to combat it. In the context of the best malware protection strategies, there isn’t just one way to go about it.
Some of the hottest targets for this kind of security issue include endpoints like laptops, smartphones, and IoT devices. At the same time, various network vulnerabilities can lead to malware spreading laterally across systems. Not only does this make containment more difficult, but it can also lead to more significant security issues in a very short amount of time.
The best anti malware solutions consider several factors, but between hardware, software, and best practice solutions, you can do well to avoid it. In this article, we’ll highlight the 5 best malware protection strategies, specifically for endpoint and network security as a whole.
Malware Threats in Modern IT Environments
From viruses to ransomware and even fileless attacks, malware comes in many shapes and forms. Your concern isn’t so much the difference between malware and virus issues, but where malware finds its way in, and how. Considering there can be many different types, the same can be said about how the attacks come through.
Here are a few key details you’ll want to pay attention to when it comes to practical malware analysis:
- Ransomware commonly encrypts data for ransom
- Issues like spyware and rootkits can stealthily steal information and hide malicious activity
- Common attack vectors include phishing emails, remote exploits, and malicious websites
- Malware can lead to significant operational damage, from downtime to regulatory fines and complications with consumer trust
Although many teams in the IT space are on their toes about network security, the landscape is always changing and evolving. So, what is the best defense against malware? It’s a layered approach consisting of several modern network security solutions and best practices.
Core Principles of Malware Protection
Expanding on the layered defense strategy, this includes solutions like next-gen firewalls, endpoint protection, intrusion detection, and more. It’s important to note that employee training is a big part of this too, as internal mistakes happen more often than you might think.
There are other important considerations here, such as zero trust network architecture (ZTNA). Working off the premise of “never trust, always verify”, ZTNA requires authentication and authorization for all users and devices.
Tacking on continuous monitoring and regular patch management can help immensely with real-time analytics and closing any known vulnerabilities. Whether you’re just now looking into the best malware protection or want to enhance existing security measures, the following sections are a great starting point.
1. Endpoint Protection Strategies
Some of the biggest advancements in endpoint protection come from AI and machine learning tech. Detecting suspicious behavior and zero-day threats can be a non-issue with this route. However, even with the impressive capabilities of this technology, it isn’t the only solution you need on the table.
Leading options in endpoint detection and response (EDR) are a must too. This offers continuous monitoring, investigation, and remediation of endpoint threats. It also doesn’t hurt to include least privilege access controls to the mix.
Minimizing exposure as a whole, this approach restricts user permissions to only what’s necessary for their specific roles. To top it all off, device encryption and regular backups are a traditional norm that’s still very relevant to today’s cybersecurity landscape.
2. Network-Level Protection
Your starting point for network-level protection is going to include next-gen firewall and intrusion prevention systems. These help to not only filter traffic, but also block known exploits and enforce network security policies.
With that being said, network segmentation is a crucial focal point of this. This works to isolate systems containing potential malware threats while limiting lateral movement. Whether they’re hidden email malware threats or something more obvious, you’ll have the tech in place to catch it all.
3. Advanced Threat Detection and Prevention
Segueing to the topic of extended detection and response (XDR), this delivers unified threat detection across multiple layers. From endpoints to entire networks and even cloud integrations, businesses get the advanced visibility and mitigation support.
More specifically, XDR is able to correlate events from multiple sources to identify complex attacks that might otherwise end up getting missed. Threat intelligence as a whole is essential for endpoint and network security. Through this, as well as XDR and automated incident response, you reduce the issue of human delay and potential inaccuracies while minimizing the overall impact.
4. Employee Training
There are many businesses out there that fail to realize that many of the security issues they face come from a lack of employee training in this area. Security awareness training can help just as much as everything else that has been mentioned so far.
Whether it’s simulated attack exercises or strict policy enforcement, the aim is to mitigate human error. Taking a combination of training, security simulations, and policy enforcement will only complement the tech integrations you put into place.
5. Auditing, Testing, and Compliance
Focusing on penetration testing doesn’t hurt either, as it helps to prioritize remediation, all while simultaneously strengthening your overall security posture. A part of the real-time visibility you need also considers security information and event management (SIEM). Aside from getting a look at suspicious activity, this also comes with historical insights as well.
Aside from this, you can’t forget about security compliance. This is especially true for certain industries, such as healthcare. However, security compliance frameworks generally focus on risk management, data protection, and incident response. Once again, a combination of these efforts adds to your stack of the best malware protection you can put together for your business.
The Final Word
If it’s not already apparent, the best malware protection comes from a layered defense strategy. Regardless of your security stack, expertise, or business size, every organization is susceptible to the many types of malware threats.
Of course, you can do a lot to mitigate this reality by integrating the best anti malware solutions mentioned in this article. At the same time, getting some guidance from the experts on this topic can offer quite a bit of help. If you’re interested in expanding your efforts in malware defense, come have a chat with us at Firewalls for all of the solutions you could possibly need.
