Kip Kirchberg

Operational Technology Security

April 15, 2025

In my previous article, I discussed the importance of auditing your environment as the foundation for understanding and mitigating cybersecurity risks. Today, I want to dive deeper into a critical subset of that process: auditing for endpoint security. Endpoints such as laptops, desktops, mobile devices, IoT devices, and servers are often the entry points for cyberattacks. Securing them requires a clear picture of their Cyber Hygiene status. A well-designed cybersecurity dashboard can transform raw audit data into actionable insights for data-driven decisions.

Strengthening Your Cybersecurity with Endpoint Security Standards

To safeguard enterprise networks, organizations must prioritize endpoint security by establishing a clear standard for the security stack installed on all devices. This standard ensures consistency, reduces vulnerabilities, and fortifies the frontline of your cybersecurity defenses—your endpoints.

Why Endpoint Security Audits Matter

Endpoints, including laptops, desktops, and mobile devices, are prime targets for cyberattacks. Recent studies reveal that over 70% of breaches originate from compromised endpoints, often exploited through malware, phishing, or unpatched vulnerabilities. Regular endpoint security audits are critical to maintaining a robust defense. They allow organizations to answer essential questions, such as:

• Are endpoints compliant with your organization’s security policies?
• Are operating systems and applications updated with the latest patches?
• Are all endpoints equipped with up-to-date antivirus solutions (like Windows Defender), application whitelisting tools (such as PC-Matic), or endpoint detection and response platforms (like CrowdStrike Falcon)?
• Are unauthorized devices or software lurking on the network?

Without these audits, organizations risk operating in the dark, unaware of gaps that attackers can exploit. However, auditing is only the first step. To act effectively, organizations must visualize audit data and prioritize remediation efforts to address the most critical vulnerabilities swiftly.

The Need for a Standardized Security Stack

A standardized security stack ensures every endpoint is equipped with the necessary tools to prevent, detect, and respond to threats. By mandating specific solutions, such as antivirus, endpoint detection, and response tools, organizations eliminate inconsistencies that could weaken their defenses. A standardized approach also simplifies audits, streamlines compliance, and ensures that every device adheres to the same high-security baseline.

Step 1: Conducting an Endpoint Security Audit

An effective endpoint security audit involves collecting and analyzing data across several key areas. Here’s a framework to guide the process:

1. Inventory All Endpoints Use tools like Microsoft Endpoint Manager, CrowdStrike, Claroty or Tanium to discover every device connected to your network. Ensure you capture details like device type, operating system, IP address, and user assignment. Don’t overlook IoT devices or temporary endpoints like contractor laptops.
2. Assess Security Controls Verify that each endpoint has active security measures: Endpoint Security Stack Installed and up to date. Firewalls enabled with appropriate rules. Encryption (e.g., BitLocker or FileVault) for data at rest. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for user access.
3. Check Patch Status Identify missing patches for operating systems and applications. Tools like Qualys or Nessus can scan for vulnerabilities and flag outdated software. Prioritize critical patches based on CVE severity scores.
4. Monitor Software Compliance Identify unauthorized or unapproved software. Shadow IT—apps installed without IT consent—can pose serious risks. Leverage endpoint management tools, such as an application whitelist, to enforce a list of approved software.
5. Analyze User Behavior Review logs for suspicious activity, such as failed login attempts, privilege escalations, or connections to known malicious IPs. EDR solutions and firewall logs often provide behavioral analytics to highlight anomalies.
6. Document Compliance Gaps Compare your findings against frameworks like NIST 800-53, CIS Controls, or your organization’s policies. Flag non-compliant endpoints for remediation.

This audit creates a snapshot of your endpoint security posture, but raw data in spreadsheets or reports can overwhelm even the most seasoned teams. That’s where a cybersecurity dashboard comes in.

Step 2: Designing a Cybersecurity Dashboard for Endpoint Security

A dashboard consolidates audit data into a visual format, enabling IT and security teams to monitor, prioritize, and act. Here’s how to build one that drives decisions:

Define Key Metrics Select metrics that align with your security goals. Examples include:

• Percentage of endpoints with up-to-date patches.
• Number of devices missing endpoint detection and response tools
• Number of Devices Missing antivirus
• Number of Devices Missing application white listing app
• Count of high-severity vulnerabilities by department.
• Rate of detected malware incidents over time.
• Compliance score (e.g., percentage of endpoints meeting CIS benchmarks).

Choose the Right Tools Platforms like Splunk, Power BI, Tableau, or Elastic Stack are excellent for building dashboards. Many EDR solutions, such as SentinelOne or Carbon Black, also offer built-in visualization features. Ensure your tool integrates with your audit data sources.

1. Design for Clarity Keep the dashboard intuitive: Use Visual Hierarchy: Highlight critical metrics (e.g., unpatched systems) with bold colors or larger widgets. Incorporate Charts: Bar graphs for vulnerability counts, line charts for patch trends, or pie charts for compliance status. Enable Drill-Downs: Allow users to click into metrics for details, like a list of non-compliant devices. Set Alerts: Configure notifications for thresholds, like a spike in malware detections.
2. Tailor to Stakeholders Different audiences need different views: CISO/Leadership: High-level KPIs, like overall risk score or compliance trends. IT/Security Teams: Granular data, like specific endpoints needing patches or active threats. Auditors: Reports mapping to frameworks like NIST or ISO 27001.
3. Automate Data Feeds Ensure real-time or near-real-time updates by connecting the dashboard to your endpoint management and security tools. Manual updates lead to stale data and missed opportunities.

Step 3: Making Data-Driven Decisions

A dashboard isn’t just a pretty interface—it’s a decision-making engine. Here’s how it empowers action:

• Prioritize Remediation: If 36% of endpoints lack Patches, the dashboard can highlight affected devices, letting you target pushing patches or updates efficiently.
• Track Progress: Monitor patch compliance over time to measure the impact of your efforts.
• Identify Trends: Spot patterns, like recurring vulnerabilities in a specific department, to address root causes.
• Justify Investments: Use data to make a case for budget increases, like upgrading unsupported OS’s or Hardware to bring environment back into compliance.

For example, I once worked with a team that used a Cyber Security dashboard to reduce the number of Endpoints missing the PCMatic Supershield protection agent from 47% to under 5% in three months. By visualizing installation status by department, they identified laggards, tailored communications, and gamified compliance—turning data into results. Leadership supported the effort by incentivizing the first department to meet compliance to a catered lunch.

Challenges and Tips

Building and using a dashboard isn’t without hurdles:

• Data Overload: Focus on 5-10 key metrics to avoid clutter. You can always add more later.
• Tool Integration: Ensure your endpoint tools feed clean, consistent data to the dashboard. Invest time in API setups or data normalization.
• User Adoption: Train teams on how to read and act on the dashboard. A tool no one uses is wasted effort.
• Continuous Improvement: Regularly review metrics to ensure they reflect evolving threats, like zero-day exploits targeting endpoints.

Conclusion

Auditing endpoint security is a non-negotiable step in protecting your organization from cyber threats. But the real power lies in turning audit data into insights through a well-crafted cybersecurity dashboard. By visualizing key metrics, you empower your team to prioritize, act, and measure progress with confidence. In a world where endpoints are under constant attack, a data-driven approach isn’t just smart—it’s essential.

What’s your experience with endpoint security audits or dashboards? Have you found specific metrics or tools that make a difference? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author:

Kip Kirchberg is an international cybersecurity expert with extensive experience in building and leading cybersecurity teams, as well as collaborating with Fortune 500 organizations to enhance their security posture.

His expertise includes, but is not limited to:

• Developing and implementing SIEM platforms
• Endpoint security solutions
• Managing third-party remote access securely
• Securing industrial control systems (ICS)
• Deploying and optimizing next-generation firewalls
• Assisting organizations in identifying cybersecurity risks
• Generating actionable reports that drive informed security decisions
• Building and maintaining incident response teams
• Drafting and adopting corporate cybersecurity governance policies
• Conducting internal and external penetration testing

With a proven track record in cybersecurity strategy and risk management, Kip is dedicated to helping organizations proactively defend against evolving cyber threats.

Article Sources: Rapid 7

Example Data used in this article for visual reference.

Create Cyber Security Dashboard for EndPoint Security Overview

1.      Percentage of Endpoints with Up-to-Date Patches

Example Data:

Total Endpoints: 500

Endpoints with Up-to-Date Patches: 450

Percentage: 90%

2.      Number of Devices Missing endpoint detection and response tools (CrowdStrike Falcon)

Example Data:

Devices Missing Endpoint detection and response tools: 25

3.      Number of Devices Missing antivirus (Windows Defender)

Example Data:

Number of devices missing Antivirus: 23

4.      Number of Devices Missing application white listing app (PC-Matic)

Example Data:

Number of devices missing application whitelisting app: 47

5.      High-Severity Vulnerabilities by Department

Example Data:

IT: 12 vulnerabilities Finance: 8 vulnerabilities HR: 5 vulnerabilities Sales: 3 vulnerabilities Manufacturing: 17

6.      Endpoint Incident Report

Example Data:

(Monthly, January to April 2025): January: 5 incidents February: 8 incidents March: 3 incidents April: 6 incidents

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