Almost all security breaches originate at the endpoint for several reasons: they are the most mobile, and they utilize the most applications. Not surprisingly, the human element of the endpoint also makes it the most vulnerable point of entry for an assault. Adversaries continue to invent novel ways to combat new security protocols, and in today's environment, the attack cadence is off the charts. That is to say; there are constant attacks – both file-based and non-file-based – hitting networks from every possible direction.

Defending EndPoints From Attacks

In response, we must continuously be inventing new defense mechanisms. New defenses grow increasingly complex because the protection must be additive - the old attack methods do not simply disappear when a new one is discovered. Guarding against frequent attacks leads to fatigue of all kinds. There are many sophisticated tools to master to keep up with the ever-growing numbers and types of attacks. These issues, in conjunction with a shortage of domain experts, leads to data and alert overload placed on available staff. Essentially, there is too much work for too few team members and too little time in which to do it.

The first Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) solutions focused solely on prevention; they promised to be an AV replacement, requiring no signatures and using less labor. The reality was that the EPP solutions were not flexible and ineffective when more dynamic attacks would arise. As a result, endpoint solutions began to focus purely on detection and response; these Endpoint Detections and Response (EDR) solutions promised to provide all the evidence you would need to discover attack sources and respond to data breaches. In reality, the EDR platform created a data crush with too many alerts - the process was too manual and created more work for IT personnel.

AI-Powered Detection and Response Solutions

The way forward is to converge EPP and EDR mechanisms and to automate as much as possible when it comes to threat detection and response; this combined solution is the best of both worlds. Such a solution takes care of file-based attacks without using signatures and can predict and prevent them wherever possible. It also takes care of the more dynamic non-file based attacks as the automation component reduces the dwell time at which the attacker is on the endpoint.

SentinelOne takes this amalgamation of EPP and EDR to Prevent, Detect, Respond, and Hunt. The Prevent function is the EPP component, which utilizes Pre-Execution Static AI. The AI-powered solution analyzes portable executables, PDFs, Office documents, and other files before they ever run in memory. If the file is odd in some way, it is quarantined.

The Detect function is the Active EDR piece. If the code passes by the initial Prevent function and begins to run, it will be picked up by Autonomous Behavioral AI Story Tracking. This mechanism tracks everything that happens in the operating system as a set of stories from inception to termination; the software always weighs the various processes to see if the storyline has suspicious activities. Finally, the Respond function not only stops an attack, but it also recovers the system after the attack. The software 'Kill and Cleans,' automatically cleaning-up the system and reversing any unwanted changes.

Threat Intelligence and Endpoint Visibility

SentinelOne's threat intelligence solution provides a fourth function that sets it apart from traditional EPP and EDR software; this is the Hunt function, and it utilizes Active EDR Advanced technology for deep visibility threat hunting. Typically, threat hunting is a very manual process, requiring security personnel to go through stacks of data to find a potential breach. EDRs provide information about malicious files and their location but don't give the full story about where the attack's origin. SentinelOne uses TrueContext ID to put together the whole story surrounding an attack; it looks at artifacts and tracks behaviors that are seemingly innocuous on their own but are malicious when putting together in a bigger picture.

With TrueContext ID, you can walk through an entire attack, step-by-step, from beginning to end with a single click as the software threads actions together. Personnel is less fatigued by alerts and workload, which yields overall higher productivity. This is the next level of advanced threat protection

For more information on endpoint security, and help to implement the technology within your digital infrastructure, reach out to the team at Vandis for a free consultation.