The demand for efficient endpoint security has risen to new heights during these unprecedented times. Remote workforces, put in place in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, need the right security practices to keep their devices and the data associated with them safe. Endpoint security is a unified means of protecting applications, the users associated with them, and data.

Endpoints are threatened by different types of threats, like ransomware, phishing, DDoS, and man-in-the-middle attacks; however, as per recent analysis from Cisco, fileless malware threats are most common. Below are the three major categories of endpoint security threats identified and reported by Cisco:

1. Malware usually stores its malicious code in the hard drive for the successful execution of its intended task; however, in a fileless malware threat, the code runs from the memory of the system after it is infected. Poweliks, Kovter, LemonDuck, and Divergent are some common fileless malware threats found in the wild.
2. Fileless malware threats are then followed by dual-use tools that are employed for both penetration and post-penetration routines. For example, tools like PowerShell Empire, Metasploit, Cobalt Strike, and Powersploit are usually used for penetration testing; malicious actors use the loopholes present in these tools.
3. The third critical threat to endpoints are credential dumping tools. Mimikatz, an open source tool, was found stealing credentials from systems. CISA has also warned commercial and federal government organizations about hackers using the Cobalt Strike penetration tool to breach networks.

The above three categories of threats compose 75 percent of overall endpoint security threats, while other threats like ransomware, trojans, worms, wipers, and rootkits make up the remaining 25 percent.

All these threats follow a few basic types of modi operandi; it could be defense evasion, execution, credential stealing, initial access, command-and-control server support, and persistence. All these attack types involve multi-stage attack procedures.

Organizations need to understand the potential attack vectors and their process of evasion, execution, and persistence to nullify them before they harm the corporate network. With the right cybersecurity tools and procedures, like advanced threat prevention, endpoint protection, and endpoint security tools, threats like fileless malware and credential dumping tools can be identified and neutralized at the right time.

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