What is endpoint security?

Key takeaways

• Servers count as endpoints and need protection alongside employee devices.
• Endpoint security includes antivirus, anti-malware, policy controls, and behavioral detection.
• Endpoint protection platforms (EPP) focus on prevention, while endpoint detection and response (EDR) adds ongoing monitoring and response.
• Business endpoint security lets IT teams manage devices and alerts from one place.

Endpoint security covers the tools businesses use to protect devices connected to their networks. Some endpoint security tools focus on blocking known threats, while others monitor activity and help teams respond when something suspicious happens. 

In this guide, we’ll explain how endpoint security works, the main components it can include, and what to consider when choosing a solution.

Endpoint security

Endpoint security is the practice of protecting employee devices such as laptops, phones, and tablets from cyber threats. It uses security tools and policies to help prevent attacks, monitor activity, control what devices can access, and respond when something suspicious is detected.

What is an endpoint?

An endpoint is any device that connects to a network and can send, receive, or store data. Common endpoints include laptops, phones, tablets, servers, point-of-sale systems, and medical devices. Servers can hold some of a business’s most important data and applications. Because people don’t interact with them as directly as they do with laptops and phones, problems can also be easier to overlook without ongoing monitoring.

How endpoint security works

Endpoint security works by combining several types of protection so you can manage devices, block known threats, detect suspicious activity, and control what users and devices are allowed to access. 

Central management

Endpoint security is managed from a central dashboard. IT administrators can use it to set security rules, push updates, and monitor devices from one place. This makes it easier to apply the same protections across laptops, phones, servers, and other endpoints instead of managing each device separately.

Prevention with EPP

An endpoint protection platform (EPP) focuses on prevention. It helps block malware and unsafe files before they can reach or run on a device. EPP includes tools such as antivirus and anti-malware protection, which are designed to recognize and stop known threats.

Detection and response with EDR

Endpoint detection and response (EDR) adds continuous monitoring of device activity so it can identify suspicious behavior that may not match a known threat.

A simple way to think about the difference is this: EPP checks the guest list, while EDR watches the room. When suspicious activity is detected, EDR provides information that helps teams investigate what happened and respond.

Policy control

Endpoint security enforces rules for how devices are used. These policies restrict unauthorized applications and websites and help control access to sensitive data. Policy controls give you another way to reduce risk by limiting activity that shouldn’t be allowed in the first place.

Core components of endpoint security

Endpoint security includes layers of protection. Common components are antivirus and anti-malware, encryption, patch management, application control, behavioral detection through EDR, URL filtering, and backup and disaster recovery. 

Component	What it does	Problem it handles
Antivirus and anti-malware	Scans for known malicious files and software and blocks or removes them	Malware, viruses, and other known threats
Encryption	Protects data by making it unreadable without the proper access	Exposure of sensitive data if a device or information is accessed without authorization
Patch management	Keeps operating systems and software updated with security fixes	Known vulnerabilities in outdated software
Application control	Limits which applications can run on a device	Unauthorized or unapproved software
Behavioral detection (EDR)	Monitors activity for behavior that may indicate an attack	Suspicious activity that may not match a known threat
URL filtering	Blocks access to websites identified as unsafe or restricted	Malicious or unwanted websites
Backup and recovery	Keeps copies of important data and systems so they can be restored after an incident	Data loss and recovery after an attack or other disruption

Why endpoint security is important

Businesses start thinking seriously about endpoint security when something brings the question to the surface. That may be a cyber insurance renewal asking about endpoint monitoring, an upcoming audit, customer security questionnaire, or an unexpected alert that raises concerns about what is happening on a device.

Many businesses show they have backups and can restore data after an incident. What they may not be able to show is how  an intrusion was happening in the first place.

Unlike employee laptops and phones, servers aren’t usually being actively used by a person throughout the day, so suspicious activity may go unnoticed for longer. That makes ongoing monitoring useful instead of relying only on the ability to restore systems later.

Security tools still leave gaps in what you can detect. You know that antivirus is scanning for known threats or that backups are available, but still need to ask: Would I know if suspicious activity started on one of our endpoints, and would I have enough information to respond?

Benefits of endpoint security

Once endpoint security is in place, you can understand what is happening across devices and respond more quickly when something looks wrong.

Key benefits include:

• Earlier visibility: Endpoint security helps surface suspicious activity sooner, giving your team more time to investigate before an issue spreads.
• Faster response: Alerts and response tools  help your team act more quickly when a threat is detected.
• Evidence for insurers and auditors: Documented monitoring, detections, and response activity give you the information you need during insurance renewals, audits, or security reviews.
• Less guesswork for small IT teams: Monitoring from one place and clearer alerts can help smaller teams understand what needs attention without having to piece together information from separate tools.

Endpoint security vs. antivirus

Endpoint security and antivirus protect devices, but in different ways.

Traditional antivirus looks for known threats by comparing files and activity against information about malware that has already been identified. This works well for threats the antivirus recognizes, but it doesn’t tell you anything about suspicious behavior that doesn’t match a known threat.

Endpoint security goes further by combining antivirus with tools such as EDR. EDR monitors what is happening on a device and looks for behavior that indicates an attack, even when there’s no known malicious file to match. 

A useful way to think about the difference is to consider what antivirus might not show you. It may tell you that a known malicious file was blocked, but not how an attack developed, what it affected, or whether more action is needed.

EPP vs. EDR vs. XDR vs. MDR

Endpoint protection platform (EPP), endpoint detection and response (EDR), extended detection and response (XDR), and managed detection and response (MDR) differ in what they monitor, what they protect, and who is responsible for responding.

Approach	Primary focus	Who watches	Best fit
EPP	Preventing known threats on endpoints	Internal IT team	Businesses that need basic endpoint prevention and central management
EDR	Detecting suspicious endpoint behavior and supporting response	Internal IT or security team	Businesses that need ongoing monitoring and more information about endpoint activity
XDR	Connecting detection across endpoints, email, networks, cloud services, and systems that manage user accounts and access	Internal IT or security team	Organizations that want a broader view of suspicious activity across their systems
MDR	Providing managed monitoring, investigation, and response	An outside security team works with the business	Businesses that want additional security expertise or don’t have a dedicated security team

Endpoint security vs. network security and firewalls

Endpoint security protects individual devices such as laptops, phones, and servers. Network security focuses on protecting the connections and traffic between devices and servers.

A firewall is one type of network security control. It monitors network traffic and allows or blocks connections based on security rules. Endpoint security works directly on the device, where it monitors files, applications, and activity that a firewall doesn’t see.

Personal devices vs. business networks

Consumer antivirus is designed to protect a single person’s device, such as a laptop or home computer. Business endpoint security has to protect many devices at once and give IT teams a way to manage those devices consistently.

Business environments also need central management, policy controls, and records of security activity that can support audits, insurance reviews, or customer security assessments.

How to choose an endpoint security solution

The right endpoint security solution should fit the devices you need to protect and the amount of security work your team can  manage. Before choosing one, ask:

• Does it add work for my team? Consider what needs to be installed, configured, updated, and monitored over time.
• What happens when an alert is triggered? Find out what information the alert provides and what actions the tool can take automatically.
• Who looks at the alerts? Make sure it’s clear whether your team is responsible for monitoring and responding or whether the service includes outside support.
• What will my insurer or auditor ask to see? Look for a solution that can provide records of monitoring, detections, and response activity when evidence is required.
• Does it conflict with tools I already use? Check whether another security agent is already installed on the server and whether the products can run together.
• Where is the data stored? Ask where security and backup data will be stored before you order, especially if you have data residency requirements or third-party risk reviews. 

An unmanaged option leaves the monitoring and response work with your team, while a managed option provides outside help with some security tasks. Exactly what the provider handles depends on the service, so make sure you understand who is responsible for reviewing alerts and responding to them.

If you already use Nexcess, you can choose an endpoint security solution that lets you view security alerts in the same portal you use to manage your hosting services.

Where Acronis EDR fits

Acronis Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) adds ongoing behavioral monitoring to help identify suspicious activity that may not match a known threat. Instead of relying only on file scans, Acronis EDR watches what is happening on the server and looks for behavior that may indicate an attack.

When suspicious activity is detected, Acronis EDR can automatically contain certain threats by quarantining affected files or processes. It also provides an attack-chain summary that helps explain how an attacker got in, what they touched, and how far the activity spread. That gives teams more context to investigate what happened and decide what to do next. 

Alerts appear in the Nexcess portal. From there, you can open the Acronis console with one click without a separate login. 

There are two common starting points:

• Already using Acronis Backup or Disaster Recovery (DR)? Turn on Acronis EDR. Nothing else changes.
• New to Acronis at Nexcess? Acronis EDR can be a first step into managed security.

One decision to make before you order: storage location. If you add Acronis EDR to a server before Acronis Backup, that server’s backups will be stored in Acronis Cloud, and that choice is permanent for that server. If you want backups stored in a different data center, order Backup together with EDR from the start. If you have questions, talk to our team before checkout.

If you currently use ThreatDown or another endpoint tool, keep one security agent per server. Two agents on the same server can scan the same files twice and raise false alarms. If you decide to move a server to Acronis EDR, it’s an upgrade within the same category: deeper attack-chain visibility, and with Acronis Backup, recovery from real off-server backups instead of a local rollback cache, all on one agent that also runs your backups.. 

Challenges and limits of endpoint security

Endpoint security can reduce risk, but no tool can stop every attack. New threats, stolen credentials, misconfigurations, and other security issues can still create problems even when endpoint protection is in place.

EDR can identify suspicious activity and provide useful context, but someone has to review the alert and decide what action to take. If a team receives more alerts than it can realistically investigate, some may not be reviewed as quickly as they should be.

EDR also doesn’t replace backups. Detection and response tools can help businesses catch suspicious activity sooner and contain certain threats, but recovery may depend on having a current backup if files are deleted, encrypted, or damaged during an incident.

The goal isn’t to guarantee that nothing bad will ever happen. Endpoint security helps you detect problems sooner, understand what happened, and respond with better information.

Endpoint security, insurance, and compliance

Endpoint security can provide records of monitoring, detections, and response activity that insurers and auditors may request as evidence that active security controls are in place.

For healthcare practices, endpoint security can support a HIPAA-ready security approach by providing monitoring, detection, and records you can use as evidence during security reviews. The healthcare organization remains responsible for meeting its HIPAA obligations.

For credit unions, endpoint security can provide evidence of monitoring and response processes that may be useful during audits, examinations, or security reviews.

Endpoint security can support these requirements, but you remain responsible for meeting your insurance, audit, and regulatory obligations.

Getting started

Getting started with endpoint security doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple first step is to understand which devices you need to protect and what security tools are already in place.

• Inventory your servers and devices: Make a list of the endpoints your business uses, including servers, laptops, phones, and other devices.
• Note what security tools are already running: Record any antivirus, endpoint security, backup, or other security tools currently installed.
• Check what your insurer or auditor requires: Review any security requirements or documentation they expect you to provide.
• Choose an endpoint security tool: Compare options based on the protection they provide and the amount of work your team will need to manage.
• Decide who receives alerts: Make sure someone is responsible for reviewing alerts and taking action when needed.