Tag: endpoint

Best Endpoint Security of 2020 for Small Businesses

By Andrew Harmon

Posted On October 8, 2020

Best Endpoint Security of 2020 for Small Businesses

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Best Endpoint Security of 2020 for Your Small Business

Finding the best endpoint security for your network needs can be a challenge. There are dozens of options, all supporting a myriad of advanced security features and integrations that may be impossible to navigate unless you’re an expert. Each vendor offers a unique set of services with strengths and weaknesses that will ultimately determine whether your users stay safe or not. The best endpoint security may vary from organization to organization, but here are our top picks for the best endpoint security options available in 2020.

What is Endpoint Security?

Endpoint security, end user security, endpoint protection—while the name can be flexible, its necessity for a secure network is not. Endpoint security software protects small businesses & enterprises by guarding connected devices against malware and other advanced cyberattacks. Modern endpoint security integrates with appliances and applications you already use to provide edge protection as employees and guests access your network.

Encrypted malware, ransomware, and business email compromise can spell disaster for small businesses. That’s why the ability to monitor end user activity in real time – as well as make decisions to quarantine and isolate individual machines – can mean the difference between a small, contained incident and a catastrophic breach.

In 2020, endpoint security platforms now incorporate Endpoint Detection & Response capabilities powered by AI. Guided response, rich reporting, and root cause analysis are all top-shelf features that organizations should seek in a quality endpoint security service.

What does Endpoint Security include?

The best endpoint security goes beyond the basics. Traditionally, end user protection included passive endpoint scans combined with basic antivirus capabilities. However, in 2020, the best endpoint security blow the basics out of the water with multiple advanced security features:

Continuous monitoring of files, applications, & connected devices
Automated incident detection and isolation of infected machines
Web content filtering to safeguard productivity and network usage
Auto-provisioning based on user group, OS, location, or time of day
Intuitive regulatory compliance controls & reporting
Real-time threat intelligence updates from a pedigreed threat research team

The threat landscape is always evolving. That means your end user protection must stand up to threats never-before-seen by the network security ecosystem. The ability to recognize zero day exploits based on machine learning and behavioral analysis is essential for organizations to stay secure in 2020.

What is the Best Endpoint Protection of 2020?

Here are our top picks for the best Endpoint Protection for small businesses in 2020:

SonicWall Capture Client

Key Features:

Continuous behavioral monitoring creates complete profile of network activity
Layered defense of cloud intelligence, advanced static analysis, & dynamic protection
Integration with Capture Advanced Threat Protection cloud-based sandboxing
Ability to rollback targeted endpoints to a restored state even after infection
Malware protection engine powered by SentinelOne

What makes SonicWall Capture Client unique?

SonicWall teams up with SentinelOne to deliver a heuristic endpoint protection suite with the unique capability to mirror Microsoft shadow copies for post-infection rollbacks. This eliminates the need for manual restoration after a ransomware attack and lets admins rest easy knowing they can always restore endpoints to their pre-infection state. In addition, round-the-clock behavioral monitoring eliminates the need for scheduled system scans. In short, this minimizes network resource hogging and safeguards user productivity.

Fortinet FortiClient

Key Features:

Integrates with all Fortinet Security Fabric components
Automated prevention of known & unknown threats through host-based security stack
Intelligent patch management & vulnerability shielding
SSL & IPSec VPN security provides reliable access to corporate networks
Detects elusive memory techniques used in exploits like buffer overflows

What makes Fortinet FortiClient unique?

Fortinet FortiClient end user protection services simplify remote user experience with built-in user provisioning, auto-connect, and an “always-up” VPN. FortiClient works perfectly in tandem with all Fortinet devices and services on your network through the Fortinet Security Fabric. According to NSS Labs 2019 Advanced Endpoint test, FortiClient blocked 100% of malware including extremely elusive threats.

Sophos Intercept X Advanced with EDR

Key Features:

Automatically detects, prioritizes, & investigates potential threats using AI
Leverages deep learning analysis to analyze malware in extreme detail
Out-of-the-box SQL queries categorized by use case
Live Response provides users command line access to endpoints & servers
Quickly search up to 90 days of current & historical on-disk data

What makes Sophos Intercept X Advanced with EDR unique?

Sophos made a huge splash with the upgrade to its original Intercept X service. It sports big changes that included Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) capabilities in addition to its already robust real-time, integrated endpoint platform. Intercept X Advanced combines powerful endpoint protection with endpoint detection driven by machine learning. This means most threats are squashed long before they can damage your network. Artificial intelligence assists with guided response. To save your small business even more, an important note: the objective of Sophos endpoint protection is to reduce the need for added IT employees by consolidating their roles into a single automated system.

Cisco Meraki Systems Manager

Key Features:

Native Network Integration shares intelligence across all Meraki components
Automatic WiFi settings securely connect managed wireless devices
Auto-provisioning of VPN settings based on Client VPN
Zero-touch deployment through a self-service web portal
Deploy policies & changes from the cloud across the entire network

What makes Cisco Meraki Systems Manager unique?

Cisco Meraki’s endpoint management solution supports a variety of platforms and operating systems, making Systems Manager a flexible option for most any deployment. Systems Manager offers cloud-based endpoint management tools that easily scale up to meet growth needs. By providing admins the ability to manage distributed deployments from anywhere in the world, Systems Manager is an endpoint security solution built for a highly mobile, highly distributed world.

Look for the best endpoint protection for your small business?

Give us a call at 866-957-2975 to find the perfect fit!

FortiClient: Next gen endpoint protection & remote access

By Andrew Harmon

Posted On March 26, 2020

FortiClient: Next gen endpoint protection & remote access

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Advanced network security, simplified

Fortinet FortiClient is purpose-built to simplify advanced security capabilities, so even small business owners with limited IT staff or resources can roll out enterprise-grade networking. Looking to keep remote worker endpoints sanitary? FortiClient unifies all the endpoint features you expect out of a premium end user platform including secure remote access, sandboxing, and behavior-based scanning for ransomware and encrypted malware.

Fortinet brings it together with seamless Security Fabric Integration, ensuring that all of the Fortinet security fabric components such as FortiGate Firewalls, FortiAnalyzer, wireless APs, and managed switches share a unified view of every endpoint. Automated advanced threat prevention through the use of FortiSandbox catches both known and never-seen-before threats. This integrated framework is centrally managed on the single-pane-of-glass dashboard offered through a FortiGate next generation firewall. This is fast to set up, too! You’re one FortiClient download away from securing all of your endpoints, on-premise or remote. Activation codes are typically delivered next business day.

Remote access with auto-connecting FortiClient VPN

With companies rushing to get remote workers set up on secure remote connections, many small business owners are turning to FortiClient VPN which takes advantage of both SSL VPN and IPSec VPN to provide secure remote access over the fastest and most stable protocol available. This means almost any Internet-connected location can offer secure access to company applications and resources, regardless of the details of its environment. FortiClient automatically connects endpoints to VPNs and maintains an always-up connection, so remote workers require little to no training on how to connect to a VPN from home – or anywhere else.

FortiClient increases visibility & control over endpoints

FortiClient provides end-to-end visibility into all of the endpoints on a network, allowing administrators to view endpoint health at a glance. By integrating endpoints into the Fortinet Security Fabric, the endpoint protection systems, firewall, and security services on the network communicate in real-time to ensure system compromises never go unnoticed. This translates into early detection for network administrators in case of an attack, allowing IT teams to respond quickly.

The FortiOS 6.0 operating system enables endpoint telemetry intelligence, which accurately identifies Indicators of Compromise. Fortinet determines what constitutes an Indicator of Compromise by checking real-time web filter logs on each endpoint against a threat database groomed by FortiGuard Labs. If a potential match is flagged, Fortinet assigns a threat score to that endpoint, measuring overall end user health and reporting this data back to a centrally-managed dashboard through the FortiGate firewall. Plus, network administrators love the automated response capabilities that FortiClient’s telemetry allows, letting them quarantine suspicious endpoints on the fly.

Stop advanced threats like ransomware

FortiGuard Labs provides up-to-the-second threat protection based on real-world data collected from security sensors around the globe. FortiSandbox harnesses this threat intelligence for behavioral scans of all files & applications present on FortiClient endpoints. That means even if threats are hidden in encrypted data packets, FortiClient will root them out and send them to quarantine before any payloads can detonate. Email-borne threats–especially dangerous to remote workers–are blunted thanks to these real-time scans and shared intelligence.

Don’t believe us that FortiClient is a next generation endpoint service? Industry validation titans such as NSS Labs and Gartner consistently stand behind this solution, providing top marks for FortiClient in annual benchmarking tests. In the NSS Labs 2019 Advanced Endpoint Test, Fortinet’s FortiClient blocked 100% of malware thrown at it. See how to get FortiClient for your business.

5 Ways WatchGuard SpamBlocker Guarantees a Safe, Clean, Productive Inbox

By Andrew Harmon

Posted On September 12, 2017

5 Ways WatchGuard SpamBlocker Guarantees a Safe, Clean, Productive Inbox

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SpamBlocker by WatchGuard is a powerful real-time detection system designed to provide immediate, comprehensive protection from spam outbreaks. As spam accounts for up to 95% of global email traffic, it can be difficult for applications to distinguish between spam and legitimate communications. SpamBlocker takes the guesswork out of suspicious or unwanted emails.

Spam email is still the number one avenue through which cyber criminals send malicious files and viruses. Spam also accounts for a large share of network traffic lag, cutting into your organization’s productivity.

SpamBlocker subscriptions can be added to your WatchGuard XTM or Firebox security setup.

Flexible administrator control

Bulk mail can cause network speeds to plummet, but SpamBlocker administrative controls allow you to choose which users or user groups can access bulk folders. Admins also have powerful tools such as whitelist and blacklist capabilities at their fingertips. Compatible with both SMTP and POP3 protocols.

Spam quarantine

Spam, bulk mail, and suspicious emails will wait for you in fully-functional, secure quarantine until you have the time to review them further. Quarantines have granular control, allowing you the flexibility to customize to your unique needs.

Optimized for better network performance

Since a majority of data processing takes place outside your gateway, you can count on WatchGuard SpamBlocker to run on minimal bandwidth and CPU power. Don’t settle for a blocky, resource-heavy solution. After all, one reason you’re blocking spam in the first place is to maintain throughput performance!

Intuitive management

Even novice network administrators will be able to deploy and manage your spam blocker thanks to an intuitive, easy-to-learn interface. Don’t give yourself a headache trying to get rid of another headache. WatchGuard SpamBlocker is a pleasure to use.

Cost-effective solution

Since SpamBlocker is priced per appliance, a single SpamBlocker subscription is enough to guard your network and all of the users configured behind your WatchGuard XTM or Firebox.

SpamBlocker is just one of many powerful and comprehensive endpoint tools available for next-generation firewalls. WatchGuard appliances are famous for their ability to operate at breakneck performance speeds even with a full load of add-ons and features enabled. WatchGuard Extensible Threat Management (XTM) can provide dynamic solutions on your network.

CHECK OUT OUR WATCHGUARD PAGE TO LEARN MORE