There are a lot of devices out there. From phones to laptops to the billions of IoT gadgets, the number of devices across an organization’s network is greater than ever — and only growing. As cybercrime skyrockets, these near-countless devices represent an ever-growing vulnerability. Yet only 10% of organizations monitor 100% of their endpoints.
So how can a small to medium-sized business like yours possibly secure all of its devices? With help — more and more companies are turning to managed service providers (MSPs) for endpoint management.
The Bring-Your-Own-Device Complication
Endpoint management gets meaningfully harder once personal devices enter the picture. An employee checking email on a personal phone, or working from a personal laptop while traveling, extends your attack surface onto hardware your IT team doesn’t control and may not even know about. A workable BYOD policy doesn’t have to mean banning personal devices outright, but it does mean requiring baseline protections, a passcode, remote-wipe capability, approved apps only, before that device gets access to company data, rather than leaving it entirely to individual judgment.
So Many Endpoints
An endpoint is any device that connects to a computer network: laptops, mobile phones, computers, printers, and most IoT devices too. Between the increase in IoT devices, the rise of remote work, and ongoing digital transformation, endpoint management has become unprecedentedly important — and unprecedentedly difficult.
The Inventory Problem Most Businesses Don’t Realize They Have
Ask most business owners exactly how many devices are connected to their network right now, and few can answer precisely. Between employee laptops, phones, tablets, printers, smart TVs in conference rooms, and IoT devices nobody thought to count, the real number is usually higher than expected, and the gap between assumed and actual device count is often exactly where unmanaged, unpatched risk hides. Building and maintaining an accurate device inventory isn’t a one-time exercise, it’s an ongoing baseline that every other endpoint security decision depends on.
What Is Endpoint Management?
Endpoint management is the process of monitoring and securing every laptop, phone, workstation, and more across an organization. It’s more than just tracking which systems are where — it’s a streamlined way to implement security measures consistently across an entire company.
MSPs to the Rescue
A robust endpoint management system requires significant planning, and an in-house IT team can quickly find itself overwhelmed by a growing list of endpoints. That’s where an MSP comes in, using powerful remote monitoring and management (RMM) software to keep every device safe and secure.
Endpoints make a tantalizing target: a Ponemon Institute study found that 68% of organizations have experienced one or more endpoint attacks that successfully compromised data or infrastructure, and one report documented a 627% increase in endpoint-detected ransomware. Here’s how an MSP’s RMM-driven approach addresses that.
Cyber Defense
An MSP can set scheduled security updates through RMM software without interrupting the workday, enforce security policies, patch vulnerabilities, and configure advanced threat detection — all deployed and connected through a single, centralized location.
Visibility
RMM software lets an MSP remotely monitor your entire IT infrastructure — hard drive space, software issues, whatever it is, RMM provides both a bird’s-eye view and a magnifying lens for investigating problems.
Authorization
An MSP can establish security policies suited to your organization’s needs: refusing non-compliant or unrecognized devices, requiring complex passwords, and mandating authorized antivirus software — increasingly important given the surge in remote work.
Compliance Assistance
In an era of stringent compliance regulations like HIPAA and CCPA, thorough endpoint management brings the visibility and audit trails organizations need to demonstrate compliance — helping avoid hefty fines, legal repercussions, and reputational damage.
Remote Configuration
An MSP can remotely configure a new hire’s hardware without needing physical access to the device — a benefit that extends to any endpoint on the network, in-office or remote.
Preemptive Problem Solving
An MSP constantly assesses endpoint needs and resolves issues before they happen, curbing problems that would otherwise slow down operations, and providing immediate remote access when an employee does need help.
What Happens When a Device Is Lost or Stolen
A lost laptop is a logistics problem without endpoint management and a security incident waiting to happen with one. Properly managed endpoints can be remotely locked or wiped the moment a loss is reported, encryption keys can be revoked, and access to company systems from that device can be cut off immediately, turning what could be a serious data exposure into a hardware replacement instead. Without that management layer in place beforehand, there’s often no way to know what was on the device or to do anything about it after the fact, turning what should be a routine hardware loss into an open-ended, uncomfortable question about what data may now be exposed, and to whom, with no good way to answer it.
Endpoint Management vs. EDR: Not the Same Thing
It’s worth distinguishing endpoint management from endpoint detection and response. RMM-driven endpoint management is about visibility and control, patching, configuration, inventory, knowing what’s on your network and keeping it current. EDR is about active threat detection on top of that foundation, watching behavior for signs of compromise. A business needs both, since well-managed but unmonitored endpoints can still be silently compromised, and monitored endpoints that aren’t properly patched and configured just give attackers more open doors to try in the first place.
Elevate Your Endpoints
Endpoint management isn’t optional. The threat of cyberattacks is too great, and with an ever-growing list of endpoints, your devices must be monitored and managed. They’re not just lifeless hardware — they’re the tools your organization requires to function.
Looking for an experienced MSP to manage your endpoints? CelereTech has the tools and know-how to keep your endpoints running smoothly and securely, no matter the device type or location. Schedule your call today.
