What are Examples of Endpoint Device?

Every business wants to avoid ransomware attacks, but the problem is that endpoints are incredibly vulnerable and are the favorite targets of cyber criminals.

According to research, more than 67 percent of the organization experienced one or more endpoint attacks where they compromised data and privacy.

If you run a business, you need to secure your endpoint. But before that, you should know about different examples of endpoints. So, let’s continue reading and uncover all the details below.

Before I start unlocking some examples, it’s good to comprehend the concept of the endpoint.

What is an Endpoint device?

It is a remote, physical computing device that communicates back and forth to a network with which it is connected. After covid-19, remote work culture has become very common everywhere in the world. As a result, more and more employees use their remote devices to connect with business networks. Cybercriminals easily hack these remote machines and get access to the business network.

What are Examples of Endpoint Device?

Some examples of endpoints include:

Computers- Desktops
Smartphones
Tablets
Workstations
Servers
Internet of Things IoT such as POS, Surveillance cameras, etc

Why are Endpoints Vulnerable?

Endpoint devices are vulnerable as they have their own operating system. They can communicate back and forth with your network. When a hacker takes control of any endpoint device, it can easily send files to other systems to corrupt the whole network.

Many remote users don’t update their antivirus or other security programs. Sometimes this lack of upgrade is an excellent vulnerability that a threat actor can exploit. Other times, criminals get access to employee IDs and passwords.

Every cybercriminal has a specific objective. Here are some common goals:

Make a compromised endpoint an entry and exit point to access confidential data and information of an organization, such as trade secrets, customer privacy details, financial account info, etc
Getting complete control over an endpoint to hold data hostage for ransom. Ransomware attacks are becoming standard. In 2023, the cost of this breach was $4.54 million.
Taking control of an endpoint device and turning it into a botnet only to initiate a Denial-of-Service attack.

Common Risks of Cybersecurity at Your Endpoint

Here are some common risks your organization faces due to vulnerable endpoints.

Outdated Patches

You often need to update software and applications that need an upgrade. It is essential to update them, and if you don’t, cybercriminals use outdated patches and vulnerabilities to exploit your overall network.

Drive-by-download

It is where malware automatically downloads in your system without your knowledge.

Phishing attack

It is the most common type of social engineering attack in which a criminal manipulates its target to get sensitive information such as bank information, credit card details, and other sensitive data.

Ransomware

It is a malware attack where the attacker locks the systems or files and then demands a ransom (a specific amount of money) that needs to be paid to release the system or files.

Malware ads It is another common cyber threat that every endpoint faces. Threat actors use online advertisements to spread malware in the business network.

Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks

It is another typical attack where bad actors shut down machines and networks and completely cut off user access. They do this by flooding target devices with fake traffic or info designed to initiate a crash or exploit bugs or vulnerabilities in the system. Flooding the traffic to a target is a common attack form.

DDoS - Distributed Denial of Service

It is an advanced form of DoS. During this attack, a victim is targeted from many sources, such as multiple systems or users working in sync. Multiple systems attack a target at once. This specific attack is quite sophisticated. It leads to severe damage. Besides, it’s not easy to shut down DDoS.

Fileless Malware

It is a hard-to-detect kind of malware. Most security systems are designed to deal with the file-based attack. However, in the case of file-less malware, the attacker doesn’t need to install malicious files on the victim’s devices. It’s completely different. No file is required. During fileless malware, attackers use native and legitimate programs to start a security event on a targeted device. This attack has zero-foot print; signature-based detection isn’t enough to identify it.

Xcitium EDR is an advanced endpoint detection and response tool that efficiently handles fileless malware attacks across all organizational endpoints.

Cryptojacking

It is another cyber threat that almost all digital user experience. In this method, cybercriminals secretly use processing resources of devices to mine cryptocurrency. They use websites or online ads with infected scripts that download and execute automatically on the victim’s browser.

What are Examples of Endpoint Deviceand how to Protect it?

Endpoint devices include laptops, tablets, computers, IOT, servers, cloud workstations, etc. You have a complete picture in mind of all the examples of these devices, including the threats they face. So, what about protection? Well, if you don’t want any threat actor to exploit the vulnerability of your enterprise endpoints, then you should get the best-in-class security solution known as EDR.