Endpoint security ‘non-existent’ at many organisations

Endpoint security is ‘non-existent’ at my organisation, say half of respondents to Osirium Technologies poll

59% recognise that controlling endpoints protects data and mitigates human error, but concerns about productivity and user frustration are a barrier

Half (49%) of respondents to a recent Twitter poll carried out by Osirium Technologies plc (AIM: OSI), the leading UK-based vendor of Privileged Access Security (PAS) solutions, describe their organisation’s endpoint management security as ‘non-existent’. One in 10 (11%) admit that it is their lowest priority.

Of those that have implemented or are in the process of implementing an endpoint security strategy, 16% describe themselves as ‘all over it’ while a quarter (24%) say it is a work in progress. When asked about the main factors driving their organisation’s need for endpoint security, protecting business data (35%) and avoiding employee error (25%) came out on top. However, for one fifth of respondents (21%) it is simply ‘a tick-box exercise’.

Endpoint management security allows IT teams to identify, monitor and control end-users’ access to corporate networks and systems. This protects data from being exposed to a breach through employee mistakes that allow malware or ransomware to be installed, for example, and the abuse of local admin accounts by cyber attackers. It also adds a layer of protection if devices lack the necessary security tools or configurations to defend against attacks.

A key part of endpoint security is the removal of local administrator rights from users, controlling how they connect to systems. However, many respondents are concerned about the impact this will have on the business.

More than a third (36%) say the biggest challenge with removing local admin permissions is that it would upset users. A quarter (25%) believe it would increase workloads, and a further 21% are worried that it would hinder productivity, with employees finding themselves unable to carry out tasks, and the IT help desk inundated with requests for simple actions such as software installations. Only 18% are worried about the technology side of things, citing complexity of endpoint security solutions as the biggest challenge.

Many respondents (41%) do not know how their organisation tracks local admin accounts. The majority of those that do so use manual systems – 21% paper-based logs and 23% spreadsheets – which can be laborious and unreliable. Only 15% have an endpoint management system (EPM).

It appears that respondents are under no illusion that their existing endpoint security approach is suboptimal. Only half (49%) are confident that it will present abuse of local admin access, with more than a third (35%) having no confidence at all.

David Guyatt, Chief Executive Officer of Osirium said: “A lack of awareness of the importance of securing endpoints, and how best to do it, is leaving organisations open to attack. The responses to our poll suggest that for a significant proportion endpoint management is not even on their radar. This appears largely to boil down to worries over the impact that removing local admin rights will have on the business, and this reflects what we’re hearing from our customers.

“The solution is endpoint privilege management, which switches focus from elevating users’ access privileges to allowing elevated privileges for specific processes and applications, and only for as long as the user needs them. This reduces the attack surface without employees having to change the way they work, or getting frustrated waiting for permissions to be granted.”

Attracting 1,663 responses, the Osirium Technologies Twitter poll was conducted during the week of 25 July 2022.

How would you best describe your current endpoint management security strategy?

-Non-existent – 49%

-It’s least priority – 10.9%

-It’s a work in progress – 24%

-We are all over it – 16.1%

What are the biggest factors driving your need for endpoint security?

-Improve security posture – 20.2%

-To avoid employee error – 24.5%

-To protect business data – 34.8%

-It’s a tick-box exercise – 20.6%

How do you currently track local admin accounts?

-We don’t know – 41%

-Paper-based logs – 21.3%

-Manually – spreadsheets – 23.2%

-We have an EPM system – 14.6%

How confident are you that your existing endpoint security will/is preventing abuse of local admin access?

-100% confident – 26.2%

-Great, but not 100% – 23%

-Can’t rely on it alone – 16.2%

-Not at all – 34.6%

What is your biggest challenge with removing local admin permissions? (367 engagements)

-Hinders productivity – 21.4%

-Increased workload – 24.6%

-Upsets users – 36.1%

-Complexity of solutions – 17.9%

About Osirium Technologies Plc

Osirium Technologies plc (AIM: OSI) is a leading UK-based cybersecurity software vendor delivering Privileged Access Management (PAM), Privileged Endpoint Management (PEM) and Osirium Automation solutions that are uniquely simple to deploy and maintain.

With privileged credentials involved in over 80% of security breaches, customers rely on Osirium PAM’s innovative technology to secure their critical infrastructure by controlling 3rd party access, protecting against insider threats, and demonstrating rigorous compliance.

Osirium Automation delivers time and cost savings by automating complex, multi-system processes securely, allowing them to be delegated to Help Desk engineers or end-users and freeing up specialist IT resources. The Osirium PEM solution balances security and productivity by removing risky local administrator rights from users, while at the same time allowing escalated privileges for specific applications.