{"id":44640,"date":"2020-04-12T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-12T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?p=44640"},"modified":"2024-01-29T14:15:14","modified_gmt":"2024-01-29T19:15:14","slug":"how-anti-virus-endpoints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/how-anti-virus-endpoints","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Sure that Antivirus is on your Endpoints"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
It\u2019s now more critical than ever for small- to medium- sized businesses to have strong antivirus (AV) software on all of their endpoints. According to Symantec\u2019s 2019 Internet Security Threat Report<\/a>, only 14% of small businesses say they have a \u201chighly effective\u201d ability to mitigate cyber attack \u2014 even though 43% of all those attacks target small businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was an easier problem to solve in the past, when IT admins were responsible for Microsoft Windows systems in a predominantly Windows environment that was largely on-prem. The basic rule of thumb then was:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n But much has changed. The cloud has moved apps, infrastructure, and files off-prem. Mac and Linux machines now populate the workplace \u2013 meaning it\u2019s no longer \u201cone-antivirus-fits-all.\u201d SCCM isn\u2019t the comprehensive solution that it used to be either.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n And with current predictions saying that cybercrime will cost the world $6 trillion<\/a> annually by 2021, businesses now can\u2019t afford to not<\/em> have strict policies that mandate antivirus be on all endpoints. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Endpoints should be secured<\/a>, regardless of whether or not their data is stored in the cloud. A compromised endpoint can easily lead to compromised applications and infrastructure \u2014 even cloud infrastructure \u2014 full of critical data. And while Mac and Linux may be targeted less frequently by malware, they\u2019re not immune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact is that end users still download and save information on their own systems, and the device itself grants them access to everything else \u2014 proprietary data, resources, and other secured information. AV protects against the possibility of the endpoint being taken over by a nefarious outsider, as well as malware, spyware, trojans, and other digital threats<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many AV apps to consider for each operating system. Some of the most common are Microsoft System Center Endpoint Protection, Sophos Endpoint for Macs, and Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Linux, as well as a wave of \u201cnext generation\u201d solutions such as CrowdStrike, Cylance, and many others. All of these can protect your fleets (to varying degrees) from malware, rootkits, viruses, and other cyberattacks.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n They can\u2019t guarantee complete protection, however, and need to be supplemented by a comprehensive security strategy that can cover all endpoints and users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IT should have a systematic way to ensure that AV is installed and updated on all endpoints. This can be achieved through certain reporting and analytics tools. Generally, these tools provide insight not only into installed applications like AV, but also into a much wider range of statuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One such tool is System Insights<\/a>\u2122, a sub-component of the JumpCloud Directory Platform<\/a>. With it, admins can quickly assess which endpoints have AV software and which need to be updated. This resolves issues before they arise without disrupting the end user\u2019s workflow. And using the JumpCloud API<\/a> and the PowerShell<\/a> module, admins can pull up hundreds of other data points in relation to an organization\u2019s entire fleet. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These insights can then be used for compliance and auditing information, security interrogation, and much more. Plus, it works across all systems in your IT organization, regardless of whether they\u2019re Windows, Mac, or Linux. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ensuring that AV software is installed is an important step in endpoint security \u2014 but it’s not the complete package. Other key security abilities include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
What Antivirus Protects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What AV Tool Should I Use?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Do I Make Sure AV is on All My Endpoints?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Consider JumpCloud<\/h2>\n\n\n\n