What Is Endpoint Security?

Reviewed by Sanjay Raja · December 5, 2025

Endpoint security is the practice of securing endpoints or entry points of end-user devices such as servers, desktops, laptops, and mobile and supported Internet of Things (IoT) devices from being exploited by malicious actors and campaigns. Endpoint security systems protect these devices on a network or in the cloud from cybersecurity threats.

Why is endpoint security important?

An endpoint protection platform (EPP) is a vital part of enterprise cybersecurity as the endpoint is a primary target for threat actors to gain access to your infrastructure. Businesses have to contend with not only a growing number of endpoints, but also a rise in the number of types of endpoints.

These factors on their own make enterprise endpoint security more difficult, but they’re compounded by remote work and BYOD policies—which make perimeter security increasingly insufficient and create vulnerabilities.

The threat landscape is becoming more complicated, as well: Hackers are always coming up with new ways to gain access, steal information, or manipulate employees into giving out sensitive information.

Added to this list are: 

• The opportunity cost of reallocating resources from meeting business goals to addressing threats

• The reputational cost of a large-scale breach

• The actual financial cost of compliance violations

Given all these challenges, it’s easy to see why EPPs have come to be regarded as must-haves for securing modern enterprises.

Endpoint security components

Typically, endpoint security software will include these key components:

• Machine-learning classification to detect zero-day threats in near real time

• Advanced antimalware and antivirus protection to protect, detect, and correct malware across multiple endpoint devices and operating systems

• Proactive web security to ensure safe browsing on the web

• Data classification and data loss prevention to prevent data loss and exfiltration

• Integrated firewall to block hostile network attacks

• Email gateway to block phishing and social engineering attempts targeting your employees

• Actionable threat forensics to allow administrators to quickly isolate infections

• Insider threat protection to safeguard against unintentional and malicious actions

• Centralized endpoint management platform to improve visibility and simplify operations

• Endpoint, email and disk encryption to prevent data exfiltration

Application and change control to prevent unauthorized users from making changes to existing applications, or installing new ones

Top 5 endpoint protection benefits

1. Enhanced Security and Protection Against Cyber Threats. Endpoint protection safeguards users against sophisticated attacks and helps prevent potentially catastrophic outcomes like revenue loss, reputation damage, destructive data breaches, and business disruptions. Endpoint security software analyzes and vets all changes and movement of data, scanning for malware, ransomware, and viruses.

2. Faster Threat Response and Mitigation. Comprehensive solutions enable organizations to detect threats more quickly and improve response and mitigation times in the event of a breach. This capability is also important for helping organizations swiftly recover from breaches.

3. Robust Infrastructure Protection. Endpoint protection prevents unauthorized access to sensitive infrastructure and helps guard against data loss. Managing endpoints is necessary to secure assets such as corporate data, customer information, and intellectual property.

4. Simplified Security Management. Endpoint protection solutions automate many routine tasks, allowing security staff to focus on higher-value initiatives. A single console enhances visibility, enabling teams to manage all security policies and see all connected devices.

5. Risk Mitigation and Rapid Patch Deployment. Endpoint protection enables risk mitigation by identifying and addressing potential vulnerabilities within the system. This is often achieved through the rapid deployment of the latest security features and technology.

How to choose an endpoint security solution— 3 questions to ask

To protect your business, you need a comprehensive and unified solution that shields devices and endpoints across your hybrid network. Here are three critical questions to ask when choosing an endpoint security solution:

Question #1: How comprehensive is the endpoint protection?

The solution you choose should proactively guard against threats using robust capabilities for prevention, detection, investigation, and response. It should allow you to gain visibility across your on-premises, cloud, and disconnected environments in a single agent and control all your endpoints.

Question #2: Does the endpoint security solution offer centralized management?

You need to be able to easily identify, scale, and manage hundreds of thousands of endpoints from a single console to eliminate security gaps and automate your workflows.

Question #3: Does the endpoint security solution enable proactive risk management?

Staying ahead of threats is key to warding off adversaries. Your endpoint security solution should provide AI-powered proactive threat prioritization, automated alert correlation, and MITRE ATT&CK mapping for predictive security posture assessments.

How Trellix can help

Trellix endpoint security enables you to address complex, distributed security issues quickly and thoroughly. 

• Trellix Endpoint Security provides multilayered endpoint protection spanning your on-premises, cloud, hybrid, and disconnected environments in a single agent, and managed from a single source. It ensures all security components work seamlessly to provide robust protection across all vectors. 

• Trellix Endpoint Detection and Response with Forensics (EDRF) delivers comprehensive, proactive protection, enabling organizations to detect and respond to advanced threats more quickly and efficiently. By leveraging a unique blend of advanced analytics, AI-driven automation, and expert insights, it helps organizations stay ahead of emerging threats and secure their endpoints.

With Trellix, organizations can prevent, detect, investigate, and respond to threats and stay ahead of adversaries.