{"id":8348,"date":"2022-08-29T12:40:09","date_gmt":"2022-08-29T12:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.securitytoday.de\/2026\/04\/02\/post_id-3169\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T19:06:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T19:06:12","slug":"endpoint-security-why-its-so-critical-for-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.securitytoday.de\/en\/2022\/08\/29\/endpoint-security-why-its-so-critical-for-businesses\/","title":{"rendered":"Endpoint Security &#8211; Why It\u2019s So Critical for Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Whether it\u2019s a smartphone, laptop, or an entire network  &#8211;  every device and system connected to the internet faces constant risk of cyberattack. For large organizations such as businesses, hospitals, or government agencies, that risk is especially high.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>TL;DR<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>According to a study by Sophos  &#8211;  a UK-based cybersecurity software vendor  &#8211;  roughly 54 percent of all recent attacks targeted individual endpoints and were frequently successful, particularly via ransomware, through which attackers extort substantial sums.<\/li>\n<li>As reported by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) in its <em>2021 Report on the State of IT Security<\/em>, the number of attacks has risen sharply as a result.<\/li>\n<li>For large organizations  &#8211;  including businesses, hospitals, and public authorities  &#8211;  the risk is especially high.<\/li>\n<li>Endpoint targets: Not every company has consistently ensured adequate protection for its endpoint devices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The COVID-19 pandemic further amplified this risk, as many workplaces shifted to remote work. In some cases, personal devices were  &#8211;  and still are  &#8211;  used for business purposes. As the BSI noted in its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bsi.bund.de\/DE\/Service-Navi\/Presse\/Pressemitteilungen\/Presse2021\/211021_Lagebericht.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2021 Report on the State of IT Security<\/a>, this shift led to a marked increase in cyberattacks.<\/p>\n<h2>Endpoints as Attack Targets<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not every company has consistently implemented sufficient endpoint protection. Cybercriminals have exploited this gap, increasingly targeting unprotected devices. According to the Sophos study cited above, approximately 54 percent of all recent attacks focused on individual endpoints  &#8211;  and succeeded with alarming frequency, especially using ransomware  &#8211;  through which attackers generate significant illicit revenue. This underscores how endpoint security  &#8211;  which has always been vital  &#8211;  has now become even more critical. The question is how companies and organizations can implement it as comprehensively as possible.<\/p>\n<h2>What Exactly Is Endpoint Security?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Endpoint Security  &#8211;  or endpoint protection  &#8211;  encompasses technical tools, organizational measures, and policies designed to safeguard endpoint devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones that connect to a network. These measures aim to prevent unauthorized access and the execution of malware. Even peripherals like printers, scanners, or copiers can serve as potential attack vectors.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A successful breach of just one inadequately protected endpoint can grant criminals access to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.securitytoday.de\/en\/?p=809\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sensitive corporate data<\/a> or customer contact information  &#8211;  causing serious damage with severe consequences for financial stability and public reputation. Endpoint security is therefore an absolute must for every organization.<\/p>\n<h2>Effective Measures for Endpoint Protection<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Multiple strategies exist to protect laptops and other endpoints. The most important ones are listed below. Note that even devices without direct internet connectivity must be included  &#8211;  since they\u2019re often integrated into the corporate LAN and thus remain part of the internal network. Otherwise, they become especially easy targets once an attacker gains network access.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first step  &#8211;  and foundational requirement  &#8211;  is a <em>current-state analysis<\/em> (Ist-Analyse). This means gaining full visibility into all endpoint devices in use and all applications running on them. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bsi.bund.de\/DE\/Themen\/Oeffentliche-Verwaltung\/Mindeststandards\/Mobile_Device_Management\/Mobile_Device_Management_node.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mobile Device Management (MDM)<\/a> solutions can help catalog, monitor, and maintain all client devices as needed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The second step is a <em>target-state analysis<\/em> (Soll-Analyse), where security policies define which applications employees may use  &#8211;  and what additional protective measures are required. These policies must then be uniformly enforced across the organization.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comparing the current-state and target-state analyses reveals gaps requiring remediation  &#8211;  such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.securitytoday.de\/en\/2021\/12\/15\/post_id-3121\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">effective malware protection<\/a>, client firewalls, data loss prevention (DLP) systems, URL filtering, or application control mechanisms. These essential tools should be deployed across every organization to secure endpoints effectively.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, specialized solutions also exist for Managed Detection and Response (MDR) providers and dedicated endpoint security platforms. Each company must research the market to understand key differences  &#8211;  and determine which vendor and solution best fits its specific needs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Equally crucial is ongoing awareness training for employees  &#8211;  not only about IT security in general, but specifically about endpoint security. This training must be regular, not a one-off event.<\/p>\n<h2>Investment in IT Security Is Non-Negotiable<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IT security comes at a cost. Many vendors therefore recommend cloud-based security solutions  &#8211;  especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)  &#8211;  because costs remain predictable and scalable, and because such services deliver expert knowledge often lacking internally to ensure optimal protection.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such companies typically cannot respond quickly enough to attacks due to outdated security systems and insufficient expertise  &#8211;  even when it comes to endpoint security. Outsourcing to a reputable, competent service provider is then the better choice.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Key Facts<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Damage volume:<\/strong> Cybercrime causes global annual losses exceeding \u20ac8 trillion.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Skills shortage:<\/strong> Over 3.5 million cybersecurity professionals are missing worldwide.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<h3>What\u2019s the difference between data protection and information security?<\/h3>\n<p>Data protection governs the lawful handling of personal data (e.g., legal basis, purpose limitation, data subject rights). Information security encompasses the technical and organizational measures protecting <em>all<\/em> data against loss, manipulation, or unauthorized access.<\/p>\n<h3>Does every company need a Data Protection Officer (DPO)?<\/h3>\n<p>Under German law, appointing a DPO is mandatory if at least 20 people regularly process personal data using automated systems  &#8211;  or if special categories of data (e.g., health data) are processed.<\/p>\n<h3>What rights do data subjects have under the GDPR?<\/h3>\n<p>The right of access, rectification, erasure (\u201cright to be forgotten\u201d), restriction of processing, data portability, and objection. Companies must respond to such requests within one month.<\/p>\n<h2>Related Articles<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.securitytoday.de\/en\/2025\/01\/22\/post_id-3701\/\">Case Study: Mid-sized company detects APT after nine months  &#8211;  via THOR scan<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.securitytoday.de\/en\/2023\/02\/14\/post_id-3193\/\">The Top 30 Cybersecurity Threat Scenarios<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.securitytoday.de\/en\/?p=5041\">Frankfurt Airport: Fraport AG secures its own IT infrastructure with Link11 DDoS protection<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>More from the MBF Media Network<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mybusinessfuture.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More IT security trends at mybusinessfuture.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.digital-chiefs.de\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IT strategies for decision-makers at digital-chiefs.de<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>Header Image Source: Adobe Stock \/ Artemis Diana<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Fact:<\/strong> According to Cisco, 75 percent of consumers trust companies more when they handle data transparently.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fact:<\/strong> According to Germany\u2019s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), cybercrime caused German businesses over \u20ac206 billion in damages in 2024.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Whether it\u2019s a smartphone, laptop, or an entire network &#8211; every device and system connected to the internet faces constant risk of cyberattack. For large organizations such as businesses, hospitals, or government agencies, that risk is especially high. TL;DR According to a study by Sophos &#8211; a UK-based cybersecurity software vendor &#8211; roughly 54 percent [&hellip;]","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":3170,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"endpoint security","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Endpoint Security - Why It\u2019s So Critical for Businesses","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Endpoint security stops cyberattacks before they spread\u2014protect your business data now. 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