Can We Say Next-Gen Yet? Results of the SANS 2016 Endpoint Security Survey

BETHESDA, Md., March 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The definition of endpoint is diversifying to include nontraditional computing devices or "things," and IT professionals are waking up to the fact that those endpoints require different thinking around security, according to results of a new survey to be released by SANS Institute in a two-part webcast on Thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18.

"As the perimeter continues to dissolve and end-user technology continues to evolve, more endpoints are being exposed to external threats," says G. W. Ray Davidson, SANS mentor and author of the survey.

Respondents reported having traditional endpoints, including desktops, laptops and servers. But nontraditional endpoints such as printers, POS devices and even wearables are now being connected to networks.

SANS found a direct correlation between endpoint security management and resulting breaches, starting with desktops, laptops and servers, which are still the source of most breaches. Of the 44% who indicated that they had had an endpoint compromised within the past 2 years, 85% of them involved desktops, 68% involved laptops and 55% affected servers.

Meanwhile, 86% consider desktops to be endpoints that should be managed and protected—and 79% feel the same way about servers. Yet, only 74% of respondents report including desktops and/or servers in their security and IR programs. Another 72% consider employer-owned mobile devices to be endpoints worth protecting, while 54% cover them in their security and IR programs.

One interesting diversion from this trend is wearables, which are connected to 9% of respondent networks, and just over 8% cover them in their endpoint protection policies.

Davidson continues, "Enterprises of all sizes are facing a variety of new organizational and technological challenges in addressing the increased exposure."

Full results will be shared during a two-part webcast at 1 PM EDT on both Thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18, sponsored by Guidance Software, Great Bay Software, IBM Security, Malwarebytes and Sophos, and hosted by SANS. Register to attend the March 17 webcast, which focuses on the evolving definition of endpoints and how that influences endpoint security today, at www.sans.org/u/eTF and the March 18 webcast on how endpoint security stacks up as a next generation of protection at www.sans.org/u/eTP

Those who register for the webcast will also receive access to the published results paper developed by SANS mentor and endpoint security expert, G. W. Ray Davidson.

Valuable Info! #EndpointProtection Survey Results: PART 1 - 3/17, www.sans.org/u/eIF. PART 2 - 3/18, www.sans.org/u/eIZ #infosec

All you need to know about #EndpointSecurity in 2 webcasts: 3/17, www.sans.org/u/eIF. PART 2 - 3/18, www.sans.org/u/eIZ

Where ARE the #Endpoints? Find out 3/17, www.sans.org/u/eIF AND 3/18, www.sans.org/u/eIZ - Survey Results #infosec

The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of training and certification to professionals at governments and commercial institutions world-wide. Renowned SANS instructors teach over 50 different courses at more than 200 live cyber security training events as well as online. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates employee qualifications via 30 hands-on, technical certifications in information security. The SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent subsidiary, offers master's degrees in cyber security. SANS offers a myriad of free resources to the InfoSec community including consensus projects, research reports, and newsletters; it also operates the Internet's early warning system--the Internet Storm Center. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners, representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to help the entire information security community. (www.SANS.org)

SOURCE SANS Institute

Related Links

http://www.sans.org