Every device that connects to a network, whether it's a laptop, a smartphone, or a server, can become a target for cyberattacks.
As remote and hybrid work increases, so does the number of endpoints in use. Understanding what endpoint security is is a useful starting point, but teams also need a repeatable set of controls to apply across every device.
We have outlined 10 essential endpoint security best practices that help reduce risk and improve control across an organization's network.
Knowing what devices connect to your network is the first step in protecting them. This includes computers, phones, servers, and IoT devices. Automated IT asset tracking tools can scan networks to find connected devices. This creates a baseline inventory that shows what's normal in your environment. Regular checks help identify new or unauthorized devices. Without a complete inventory, unknown devices might access your network without proper security controls.
The risk is real. According to Verizon's Mobile Security Index, up to 70% of successful data breaches originate at endpoint devices, so every device you cannot see is a gap you cannot defend.
How Endpoint Central helps:
Endpoint Central offers automated endpoint discovery and real-time asset inventory. It identifies every device on the network, categorizes them by type and OS, and alerts IT teams to unauthorized endpoints, ensuring total visibility.
Software updates fix security holes that attackers target. Delaying these updates leaves systems vulnerable to known exploits.
A patch management system helps prioritize and deploy updates across all endpoints. Critical security patches should be applied quickly, while less urgent updates can follow a regular schedule. Testing patches before wide deployment helps prevent compatibility problems. Automated patch management tools can streamline this process and ensure consistent patching.
The data shows why speed matters. Verizon's 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report found that exploitation of vulnerabilities is now the most common way attackers gain initial access, at 31% of breaches, up from 20% the year before. Only 26% of critical vulnerabilities in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog were fully remediated during 2025, according to Help Net Security's analysis of the report.
How Endpoint Central helps:
Endpoint Central automates patch management across Windows, macOS, Linux, and 1000+ third-party applications. It supports testing, approval workflows, scheduling, and detailed patch compliance reporting. Continuous vulnerability management prioritizes what to fix first, and Mac fleets get the same coverage, as covered in our guide to endpoint security for Mac.
Modern endpoint protection platforms (EPPs) go beyond traditional antivirus software. They combine multiple security functions in one solution.
These platforms use advanced methods to detect threats:
Ransomware was present in 48% of the breaches analyzed in Verizon's 2026 DBIR, up from 44% the previous year. Signature-based antivirus alone cannot keep pace with that.
How Endpoint Central helps:
Endpoint Central includes built-in EPP capabilities such as next-gen antivirus, anti-ransomware, and behavior-based threat detection. It monitors for known and unknown threats, integrates threat intelligence, and supports automated remediation actions, all from a single interface.
Encryption converts data into a code that can only be read with the correct key. This protects information even if a device is lost or stolen. Full-disk encryption secures everything stored on a device. File-level encryption can protect specific sensitive documents. Encryption should also cover data being sent between devices (data in transit). This prevents information from being intercepted during transfer.
Devices leave the building more often than most teams expect. Teqtivity's Q2 2026 Asset Intelligence Report notes that 71% of HR professionals report at least one departing employee who never returned company equipment, at an average value of $1,963 per device. Encryption keeps the data on those devices unreadable.
How Endpoint Central helps:
Endpoint Central allows centralized BitLocker encryption management for Windows devices. IT admins can enforce encryption policies, manage recovery keys, and generate compliance reports with ease.
The principle of least privilege means giving users only the access they need to do their jobs. This limits what an attacker can reach if they compromise an account.
Regular access reviews help identify and remove unnecessary permissions. Admin accounts should be strictly limited and used only when needed. Application control policies can restrict which programs run on endpoints. This prevents unauthorized software from being installed.
Stolen credentials remain a major factor. Analysis of Verizon's 2026 DBIR shows credential abuse still appears at some point in 39% of breaches, which is why limiting what any single account can do matters so much.
How Endpoint Central helps:
Endpoint Central offers endpoint privilege management capabilities that let IT teams remove standing admin rights, grant just-in-time elevation for approved tasks, and restrict software installations. Application control adds allow and deny lists, minimizing access exposure across all endpoints.
See how Endpoint Central helps you enforce patching, encryption, and least privilege across every endpoint from a single console.
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools monitor devices for suspicious activity. Unlike prevention tools that block threats, EDR focuses on detecting and responding to attacks that get through initial defenses. EDR systems collect detailed information about endpoint activity. This data helps security teams investigate incidents and understand how attacks unfold. These tools can automatically respond to specific threats by isolating affected devices or terminating malicious processes.
How Endpoint Central helps:
Endpoint Central's endpoint detection and response uses AI-powered behavioral detection with MITRE ATT&CK mapping. When a threat is confirmed, it can quarantine the compromised endpoint, terminate malicious processes, and initiate rollback without waiting for manual investigation.
Network segmentation divides a network into smaller sections. Each section can have its security controls and access restrictions.
If an attacker compromises one segment, they can't easily move to others. This contains the damage and protects critical systems.
Segmentation can be based on:
Monitoring traffic between segments helps detect unusual movements that might indicate the lateral movement of an attacker.
How Endpoint Central helps:
Endpoint Central supports segmentation at the device level. Configuration management enforces host-based firewall settings across the fleet, and EDR can isolate a compromised endpoint from the network to stop lateral movement.
Additional security measures are needed when employees use personal devices for work or connect from home networks. Mobile device management (MDM) tools apply security policies to smartphones and tablets. These can enforce encryption, password requirements, and app restrictions. Containerization creates separate workspaces on personal devices. This isolates work data from personal apps and makes it easier to remove company information when needed. VPNs or zero trust access models help secure connections from remote locations. A written endpoint security policy ties these controls together and sets clear expectations for employees.
Mobile users face their own risks. In Verizon's 2026 DBIR, the median click rate in mobile-centric phishing simulations, such as voice and text messages, was 40% higher than in email simulations, as noted in the report's executive summary.
How Endpoint Central helps:
Endpoint Central includes robust Android, iOS, and Windows MDM support. It allows IT to enforce encryption, push security policies, configure corporate profiles, remotely wipe lost devices, and containerize corporate data on BYOD endpoints. For distributed teams, see how remote endpoint management keeps every device covered.
People are often the weakest link in security. Training helps employees recognize threats and follow good security practices.
Effective training includes:
Simulated phishing tests can measure how well employees apply their training.
The human element was present in 62% of breaches in Verizon's 2026 DBIR, and social engineering was the third most common breach pattern at 16% of all breaches.
How Endpoint Central helps:
Training reduces mistakes, and technical controls limit the damage when one slips through. Endpoint Central's browser security controls enforce web filtering, restrict risky extensions and downloads, and isolate untrusted sites, so a single missed phishing link is far less likely to become an incident.
Backups protect against data loss from ransomware, hardware failure, or human error. A good backup strategy follows the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of data on two different media types, with one copy stored off-site. Regular testing ensures backups can be restored when needed. Automated backup solutions reduce the risk of missed backups.
Recovery readiness changes outcomes. Verizon's 2026 DBIR found that 69% of ransomware victims in its dataset did not pay the ransom, which points to the value of having tested recovery options in place.
How Endpoint Central helps:
Endpoint Central's anti-ransomware module stops the spread of an attack and enables one-click file rollback using tamper-proof VSS shadow copies. This adds a fast recovery layer on top of your regular backup plan.
Use this checklist of endpoint security best practices to review where your organization stands today.
NIST does not publish a single endpoint security standard, but its guidance gives endpoint security best practices a recognized, vendor-neutral foundation. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 organizes cybersecurity outcomes into six functions: Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. Most organizations use it on a voluntary basis, and it maps cleanly onto the ten practices in this guide.
Alongside the framework, NIST's detailed publications cover the specific controls behind each practice. SP 800-53 Rev. 5 defines the security and privacy controls, SP 800-40 Rev. 4 covers enterprise patch management planning, SP 800-124 Rev. 2 covers mobile device security, and SP 800-61 Rev. 3 aligns incident response with CSF 2.0.
| Best practice | Relevant NIST guidance |
|---|---|
| Identify and inventory all endpoints | SP 800-53 CM-8 (System Component Inventory); CSF 2.0 Identify function |
| Implement comprehensive patch management | SP 800-40 Rev. 4 (Enterprise Patch Management Planning); SP 800-53 SI-2 (Flaw Remediation) |
| Deploy endpoint protection platforms | SP 800-53 SI-3 (Malicious Code Protection) |
| Utilize encryption for sensitive data | SP 800-53 SC-28 (Protection of Information at Rest) |
| Enforce the least privileged access controls | SP 800-53 AC-6 (Least Privilege) |
| Implement endpoint detection and response | SP 800-53 SI-4 (System Monitoring); SP 800-61 Rev. 3; CSF 2.0 Detect and Respond functions |
| Establish network segmentation | SP 800-53 SC-7 (Boundary Protection); SP 800-207 (Zero Trust Architecture) |
| Develop BYOD and remote work policies | SP 800-124 Rev. 2 (Managing the Security of Mobile Devices in the Enterprise) |
| Conduct regular security awareness training | SP 800-53 AT-2 (Literacy Training and Awareness) |
| Create backup and recovery plans | SP 800-53 CP-9 (System Backup); CSF 2.0 Recover function |
In short, NIST tells you what outcomes to achieve, and the best practices in this guide show how to achieve them on endpoints. Endpoint Central supports this alignment with built-in NIST CSF 2.0 compliance reporting.
Putting ten best practices into action across a mixed fleet is difficult when each control lives in a different tool. ManageEngine Endpoint Central brings them together as a unified endpoint security solution, managed from a single console with a single agent across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS devices.
From automated patching and vulnerability management to endpoint protection, BitLocker encryption, privilege and application control, EDR, and MDM, Endpoint Central covers the controls described in this guide. Its endpoint security management capabilities also give IT teams the reporting and audit trail needed to prove compliance.
The results are measurable. A commissioned Forrester Total Economic Impact study found a 442% ROI with Endpoint Central.
Endpoint security is not a one-time project. It is a set of habits that need consistent enforcement across every device, every day. Start with the checklist above, close the gaps that matter most, and let automation handle the routine work. Try Endpoint Central free for 30 days to see how quickly these best practices come together in your own environment.
Endpoint security best practices are the proven controls that protect devices such as laptops, servers, smartphones, and IoT devices from cyberthreats. They include maintaining a complete device inventory, patching promptly, deploying endpoint protection, encrypting data, enforcing least privilege, using EDR, segmenting networks, securing BYOD and remote work, training employees, and keeping tested backups.
The highest-impact steps are knowing every device you manage, patching vulnerabilities quickly, and removing standing admin rights. Verizon's 2026 DBIR found that vulnerability exploitation is now the leading way attackers gain initial access, so patching and visibility come first. Layer endpoint protection, encryption, and EDR on top of that foundation.
Critical and actively exploited vulnerabilities should be patched as soon as the patch has been tested, ideally within days. Routine updates can follow a regular cycle, such as monthly, aligned with vendor release schedules. Automated deployment policies and test groups help teams move fast without causing disruption, and only 26% of critical known exploited vulnerabilities were fully remediated in 2025, so speed is a real differentiator.
NIST guidance covers asset inventory, flaw remediation and patching, malicious code protection, encryption of data at rest, least privilege, system monitoring, boundary protection and segmentation, mobile device security, awareness training, backups, and incident response. These appear across SP 800-53 Rev. 5, SP 800-40 Rev. 4, SP 800-124 Rev. 2, SP 800-61 Rev. 3, and the NIST CSF 2.0.
Start by enrolling every remote device in a central management platform so it can be patched, monitored, and configured without physical access. Enforce encryption, apply least privilege, use MDM and containerization for personal devices, and secure connections with VPN or zero trust access. A unified platform such as Endpoint Central lets IT manage remote and off-network endpoints from one console.
