Managing endpoints can be as unpredictable as directing traffic on a busy street. Learn how color-coding cybersecurity measures can help with control, coordination, and compliance.
The current threat landscape is tricky to navigate. Not only do users work from all over the place, but with different endpoints that run across different platforms. Ensuring security can be similar to directing a busy intersection. Devices speeding by, USBs trying to merge, users slamming downloads on random apps to get work done quicker, browsers accessing sketchy sites, and so much more, all happening at once.
On top of this, there are vulnerabilities, zero-days, and malware that have the potential to cause devastating damage and freeze everything in its tracks.
These digital highways hold intersections of risk, productivity, and compliance. Controlling endpoint chaos means knowing what to stop, what to watch, and what to allow, and that starts with classifying risks like a traffic cop at rush hour.
Red to block, yellow to monitor, and green to trust. 🚦
You can build a layered security strategy by classifying threats by color to guide what to restrict, contain, and allow.
- Red light response: Put an immediate stop to behaviors that are unauthorized, unsafe, or in violation of company policy.
- Yellow light response: Allow specific activities within a controlled zone to proceed with caution.
- Green light response: Approve secure and compliant behavior.
Knowing your threats and responding to them.
When your attack surface starts to resemble a chaotic intersection, this strategy can act like the traffic rules you need to sort, prioritize, and respond to each threat with the right level of urgency.
App-based threats
Apps from untrusted and unknown sources can carry malicious payloads, request unnecessary permissions, or open back doors into your network for bad actors to exploit. Then, they can steal corporate data, spy on your users, or act as droppers for ransomware.
- Red light response: Block malicious, unauthorized, and untrusted apps from your network.
- Yellow light response: Allow just-in-time access to restricted apps when an authorized user requests them. Conditionally grant access to apps only on endpoints that are compliant with your organization’s policies.
- Green light response: Have different sets of trusted and productivity-boosting apps allowed on groups of endpoints.
Peripheral-based threats
Removable storage and external hard drives can harbor malware or be used to intentionally or unintentionally leak sensitive data.
- Red light response: Block the use of external and unknown USBs, storage devices, and peripherals.
- Yellow light response: Grant temporary access to peripherals to specific endpoints or users only when the need arises.
- Green light response: Allow known and trusted peripherals to be used within your organization.
Vulnerabilities, exploits, and zero-days
Unpatched vulnerabilities and zero-day exploits are prime targets for attackers looking to infiltrate systems and initiate lateral movement.
- Red light response: Identify and deploy tested patches for critical threats to all devices. Isolate non-compliant and high-risk endpoints from the rest of the network.
- Yellow light response: Grant a grace period for endpoints that cannot be patched immediately. However, continuously monitor them for any sign of compromise.
- Green light response: Ensure the required levels of access are restored once devices are fully patched and compliant.
Web-based threats
Web browsers are common entry points for attackers, and unsecured browsers can expose systems to malware, credential theft, and data leakage.
- Red light response: Block access to known malicious URLs and domains. Disable risky plugins and extensions while enforcing restrictions on unknown downloads and pop-ups.
- Yellow light response: Enable browser or sandboxing when accessing untrusted and unknown sites. Also, send users warnings about suspicious sites to keep them cautious while browsing.
- Green light response: Allow access to approved URLs and internal tools through managed browsers.
Data exfiltration
While securing peripheral use prevents data leaks through external devices, sensitive files can still be exfiltrated through cloud services, personal email, or even as screenshots.
- Red light response: Block unauthorized file transfers and storage channels by preventing uploads to personal cloud services, external email domains, or portable storage.
- Yellow light response: Allow temporary data transfer only for approved users. Also keep an eye on the movement of sensitive files within your organization.
- Green light response: Enable secure data sharing within monitored environments and to trusted work apps such as M365 and email platforms.
Privilege creep
Local admin accounts and users with accumulated privileges are targeted by bad actors for lateral movement or even complete network takeover.
- Red light response: Enforce the principle of least privilege by default. Identify and remove unnecessary local admin accounts on devices.
- Yellow light response: Grant just-in-time access for users who need elevated rights temporarily. Allow self-elevation of privileges only for specific tasks and have it backed by approvals and audit trails.
- Green light response: Allow execution of pre-approved, trusted apps and their legitimate child processes without elevation prompts or blocks.
Red, yellow, green: All signals, one console
Tailoring your security measures to keep your network protected from these categories of threats can be tiring and downright confusing. A comprehensive endpoint management and security solution like ManageEngine Endpoint Central can help you build a layered response to different types of threats under one console.
