Page 108 - Cyber Defense eMagazine August 2024

sophisticated detection systems, especially in the new AI era [1], resulting in exposed systems.
Cybercriminals continuously develop techniques to bypass Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
solutions. Once these defenses are bypassed, the threats can operate undetected, causing extensive
damage.

Additionally, detection-based systems often reactively identify threats only after infiltrating the network.
This delay in response time can lead to significant data breaches and operational disruptions, highlighting
the need for more proactive security measures. Given these limitations, a paradigm shift towards a
preventive approach is imperative.

The Role of Application Isolation and Zero-Trust File Security

To effectively counter the evolving threat landscape, enterprises must implement a comprehensive
endpoint security strategy that minimizes the attack surface and prevents threats from executing. This
can be achieved by combining two zero-trust approaches: application isolation and zero-trust file security
named Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR).

Application Isolation

Application isolation involves segregating applications from the rest of the system to prevent malicious
code from spreading. By running applications in isolated environments, any potential threats are
contained within the virtual container (isolated environment), safeguarding the primary system. This
approach limits the damage that malware can inflict, as even if an application is compromised, the threat
remains confined and unable to affect other parts of the system. There are various ways to create
endpoint isolation, including virtual machine-based and kernel agent-based methods. Remote Browser
Isolation (RBI) offers a server-based approach for web browsing isolation but does not provide a solution
for removable media, links, and attachments from non-web-based email.

Zero-Trust File Security

Zero-trust file security is a proactive approach to protecting systems from malicious files by not trusting
any file by default, regardless of its source or type. Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR) is an
effective technique within this framework. CDR analyzes and breaks down a file into its basic
components, removes any potentially malicious elements, and then reconstructs the file as a secure
version [2,3]. The files can be images, videos, Artificial Intelligence (AI) models [3], office documents [2],
and more. This process ensures that any embedded threats, such as malware or executable scripts, are
stripped away, leaving the user with a functional and secure file. Organizations can significantly reduce
the risk of file-based attacks by employing zero-trust file security with CDR, safeguarding their systems
and data from potentially harmful content.

Cyber Defense eMagazine – August 2024 Edition 108
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