Best practices for securing endpoint devices

With hybrid and remote work now the norm, securing endpoint devices is a top priority. An endpoint is any device that connects to your network, laptops, phones, tablets and increasingly IoT, and each one is a potential way in. The good news is that the practices that matter most are well understood, and a modern Microsoft and CrowdStrike stack makes them practical to enforce at scale.

The practices that matter most

1. Patch promptly, everything. The vast majority of malware exploits known, unpatched vulnerabilities. Microsoft Intune handles operating-system updates, and Patch My PC closes the bigger gap, the third-party apps (Chrome, Acrobat, Java, runtimes) attackers actually target. This is Essential Eight patching, automated.
2. Phishing-resistant MFA, not just passwords. Strong passwords help, but multi-factor authentication is what stops the automated and phishing attacks. Microsoft Entra Conditional Access enforces it on every sign-in, ideally with phishing-resistant methods like passkeys and Windows Hello.
3. Encrypt data at rest and in transit. Intune enforces BitLocker on every Windows device at deployment, with recovery keys escrowed centrally. A lost or stolen device becomes an unreadable brick rather than a breach.
4. Run real endpoint protection. Next-generation antivirus, behavioural EDR and attack-surface reduction, delivered by Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or CrowdStrike Falcon, give real-time detection and response, not just signature scanning. Pair it with Airlock Digital application control so only trusted code ever runs.
5. Train your people. The overwhelming majority of breaches involve human error. Continuous, behavioural awareness training (not a dry annual module) helps staff recognise phishing and social engineering, and report it fast.
6. Monitor continuously. Track sign-ins, access patterns and data transfers so anomalies surface early. Feeding endpoint telemetry into Microsoft Sentinel shortens the time to detect and contain an incident dramatically.
7. Have a tested incident response plan. Know the steps, the communications and the recovery path before you need them, and rehearse the plan so it still works as threats evolve.
8. Manage mobile properly. Mobile Device Management (for corporate devices) and Mobile Application Management (for BYOD) let you enforce policy, separate work data, and remotely wipe a lost device, without taking over someone's personal phone.

It is an ongoing process, not a project

Securing endpoints is continuous, it needs vigilance, training and the right technology working together. Done well, every layer, from patching to people, reinforces the others, and the device fleet stops being your weakest point and starts being a managed, measurable strength.

This is the core of our Endpoint & Device Security practice, built on Microsoft Intune, CrowdStrike and Airlock, and mapped to the Essential Eight. A cyber health check tells you exactly where your fleet stands today.