It’s in the data. Security needs a rethink in 2025

The recent study from 451 Research, as highlighted in the article “Ransomware Defender Risk: ‘Overconfidence’ in Security Tools,” published on govinfosecurity.com paints a sobering picture of the current state of endpoint security. The study reveals that only 13% of respondents who faced a ransomware attack found endpoint security tools effective in blocking the threat – 13%. Paradoxically, after such an attack, 40% of organizations chose to increase their investment in endpoint security platforms. This dichotomy raises an essential question: Why are we continuing with this approach to endpoint security?

Low confidence, large investment?

Among the baffling findings of the study is the fact that even organizations that hadn’t been hit by a ransomware attack had low confidence that endpoint security tools would intercept an attack – only 25%. A statistic unfortunately born out by the attack success rates.

A patchwork of solutions – hope vs strategy

The article highlights that 23% of organizations are running more than five tools and agents on their endpoints which “they do not see as ideal”. This complexity at the endpoint only drives up the OpEx costs of managing and maintaining the endpoint estate, consuming the resources of IT and putting focus on keeping the lights on rather than innovation. And with the actual effectiveness, and confidence in these solutions already at a low, is this really the right strategy?

New year – new you!

Increasingly, applications are not actually being run at the endpoint. For an ever increasing percentage of users, they are using SaaS apps or virtualized apps. Research from ESG highlighted that just 5% of organizations surveyed are delivering virtual desktops and applications to more than 75% of their users, which I’d expect, virtualization has often been a specific tool for specific use cases rather than a blanket approach, but this number is forecasted to grow to a whopping 38% of respondents in just two to three years! So if you aren’t deploying a traditional endpoint approach, why are you still deploying a traditional endpoint and all of its, erm, nuances… Maybe a new year’s resolution should be to ask whether previous assumptions and approaches are the right assumptions and approaches for the modernizing end user computing arena.

A Preventative Security Model™

Rather than continuing to patch over the cracks with additional tools, enterprises must rethink endpoint security from the ground up. A Preventative Security Model emphasizes building a foundation where endpoints are inherently secure. This means adopting solutions that are purpose-built for secure operations, reducing the attack surface rather than simply detecting and responding to threats after they’ve breached defenses. Designed with Zero Trust principles and integrated into other Zero Trust technologies, IGEL OS provides a lightweight, Linux-based operating system optimized for endpoints in SaaS and virtualized environments. IGEL minimizes vulnerabilities by operating within a locked-down framework, ensuring that endpoints are inherently secure.

Eliminating complexity

One major advantage of adopting a secure-by-design endpoint is the simplification of endpoint management. Instead of running multiple security tools that create complexity, highlighted earlier as a concern, organizations can eliminate endpoint security tools from both their CapEx and OpEx freeing funds for further EUC modernization or Zero Trust security based projects.

Proven effectiveness in enterprise environments

The real-world efficacy of IGEL’s model is evident across industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and government. These sectors, often targeted in ransomware attacks, have found success in deploying IGEL as part of a zero-trust framework. By reducing reliance on traditional endpoint security platforms and focusing on prevention, these organizations have achieved greater resilience against modern cyber threats.

Shifting the paradigm

The 451 Research study underscores a critical need for a paradigm shift in how we approach endpoint security. The current patchwork of tools and reactive investments isn’t sustainable in the face of evolving ransomware strategies. Instead, enterprises must adopt preventative models that reduce the likelihood of breaches and simplify security architectures.

Conclusion: Prevention is the future

The data is clear: endpoint security as it exists today isn’t working. Enterprises must stop relying on reactive measures and instead invest in technologies that are secure by design. IGEL’s preventative approach offers a proven path forward, enabling organizations to protect their endpoints effectively without the complexity of traditional tools. The time to rethink endpoint security is now—because the cost of inaction is far too high.