Endpoint Protection and Malware Policy

The Endpoint Protection / Malware Policy (P20) codifies the essential controls and operational requirements needed to secure all organizational endpoints against a broad array of malware threats. The policy’s purpose is to mandate technical and procedural standards for safeguarding desktops, laptops, mobile devices, servers, and virtual infrastructure from viruses, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, fileless malware, and other advanced threats. It addresses the complete lifecycle of endpoint defense, spanning real-time malware detection, behavioral monitoring, incident containment, and recovery, ensuring that organizational systems remain resilient and operational even against emerging malware techniques. The scope of the policy is comprehensive and extends to all endpoints owned, managed, or authorized by the organization, including BYOD and cloud-hosted assets. It covers internal employees, contractors, Managed Service Providers, and any user or administrator permitted to operate, maintain, or support organizational endpoints. The threat landscape acknowledged by the policy is broad, encompassing both common and sophisticated attack vectors such as adware, phishing, botnets, vulnerability exploits, and USB-based malware propagation. Key objectives of the policy are to uphold the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of endpoint systems and the data they process. It mandates the deployment of centrally managed malware defense platforms, such as antivirus, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), with prescribed minimum technical features: real-time scanning, heuristic detection, automated quarantine, and robust alerting. The policy further requires seamless integration of endpoint protection with surrounding security processes, including asset management, incident response, access controls, and threat intelligence analysis. Clear roles and responsibilities are defined for CISO, Endpoint Security Leads/SOC Managers, IT Operations, Application Owners, regular employees, and third-party providers. Each role is accountable for specific aspects ranging from maintaining protection tool registers and ensuring policy enforcement, to user-level responsibilities like reporting suspicious incidents and prohibiting unauthorized device connections. Policy enforcement is rigorous, with provisions for agent deployment, strict update regimens, technical baseline controls, weekly reviews, and explicit procedures for policy exceptions or non-compliance. Incident response is supported by a maintained Malware Response Playbook, and ongoing compliance is ensured through periodic audits, mandatory corrective actions for uncovered weaknesses, and clear consequences for violations. The policy is tightly aligned with a wide range of international standards and regulations, including ISO/IEC 27001:2022 (Clause 8.1 and Annex A: 8.7), ISO/IEC 27002:2022 (Controls 8.7, 8.8), NIST SP 800-53 Rev.5, EU GDPR (Article 32), EU NIS2 (Article 21), EU DORA (Article 9), and COBIT 2019, ensuring best practice and audit-readiness for regulated organizations. Review and continual improvement requirements are also specified to guarantee adaptability to evolving threats and changes in legal or technical environments.