Attackers have also shifted so that in addition to trying to compromise endpoint devices, they’re also targeting credentials and identities. SEE: Mobile device security policy (TechRepublic Premium)īYOD policies have made enterprise networks more diverse, and devices that used to only be connected to corporate networks are now likely on the internet as well. “As Windows protection has gotten better and better over the last many years, the low hanging fruit now is not targeting Windows endpoints but some of these other endpoints that people assume are secure,” Ganacharya said. “We’ve seen a significant rise in vulnerabilities being found and reported for non-Windows platforms, and also in malware and threat campaigns in general.”Īs the dominant desktop OS, Windows used to be the most popular target for attackers, but the MITRE stats for CVEs show the numbers of vulnerabilities found on other platforms rising fast. “Over the last few years, we’ve seen the threat landscape evolve where attackers and cyber criminals are targeting all platforms equally,” Tanmay Ganacharya, partner director for security research at Microsoft, told TechRepublic. Microsoft’s security tools aren’t just for Microsoft platforms, because attackers don’t just go after Windows. Now that attackers can phish employees on any device and try to extract credentials, endpoint protection has to cover more than just Windows.

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