Modern applications rely on numerous interconnected endpoints to function properly. Maintaining visibility into these critical connection points is fundamental to both system reliability and security.
When endpoints fail, degrade, or become compromised, the impact cascades to users, teams, and ultimately affects your bottom line. Effective endpoint monitoring provides the visibility needed to prevent these issues.
This guide covers the practical aspects of endpoint monitoring from both operational and security perspectives, providing a complete framework for implementing robust monitoring systems.
What Is Endpoint Monitoring?
Endpoint monitoring tracks the health, performance, availability, and security of network endpoints—the user-facing parts of your application that receive requests and send responses, as well as the devices that connect to your organization's network. These include APIs, microservices, web servers, mobile apps, and any device with an exposed interface.
Unlike general infrastructure monitoring, endpoint monitoring focuses specifically on how your services appear to users and external systems, while simultaneously protecting against cyber threats. It provides real-time visibility that answers crucial questions like:
- Is my API responding quickly enough?
- Are my endpoints returning correct status codes?
- Which endpoints experience the most errors?
- Is there abnormal behavior that might indicate ransomware or other cyberattacks?
- Are our connected devices properly protected and patched?
Types of Endpoints Worth Monitoring
The modern enterprise has a diverse range of endpoints that require monitoring:
Application Endpoints
- REST APIs powering critical services
- Web services used by customers
- Database connection points
- Microservices communicating internally
End User Devices
- Laptops and desktops
- Mobile devices running company apps
- Remote workstations
- BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) equipment
Connected Devices
- IoT sensors and controllers
- Point-of-sale systems
- Smart building equipment
- Specialized industry hardware
Each endpoint type represents a potential point of failure or security vulnerability, expanding your attack surface and requiring specific monitoring approaches.
The Dual Nature of Endpoint Monitoring
Endpoint monitoring serves two critical functions in modern IT environments:
Operational Performance Monitoring
For DevOps engineers, endpoints represent the moment of truth for application performance:
- Proactive Issue Detection: Spot performance problems before users report them
- Disruption Prevention: Identify and resolve issues before they impact business operations
- Clear Communication: Enable precise troubleshooting with specific endpoint data
Security Monitoring and Protection
For security teams, endpoints represent critical defense points:
- Threat Detection: Identify malicious activity targeting your endpoints
- Vulnerability Management: Ensure endpoints are patched against known exploits
- Data Protection: Prevent unauthorized access and potential data breaches
- Attack Surface Reduction: Minimize exposure to cyber threats through proper controls
Setting Up Your Endpoint Monitoring Solution
Getting started with comprehensive endpoint monitoring requires addressing both performance and security needs.
Step 1: Identify Your Critical Endpoints
Start by mapping out your most important endpoints—those that:
- Directly impacts end user experience
- Support revenue-generating features
- Process sensitive data
- Present significant security risks
Begin with a manageable number of critical endpoints before expanding coverage.
Step 2: Choose the Right Monitoring Parameters
For each endpoint, determine what constitutes normal vs. problematic behavior:
Performance Parameters
- Availability and response time
- Error rates and throughput
- Data correctness and completeness
Security Parameters
- Authentication anomalies
- Unusual traffic patterns
- Potential phishing indicators
- Signs of lateral movement
Step 3: Select Endpoint Monitoring Tools
While several tools exist in the market, Last9 stands out for endpoint monitoring with its predictable pricing based on events ingested. This approach makes costs manageable even as your monitoring needs grow.
Last9 brings together metrics, logs, and traces in one platform, making it easier to correlate issues across your entire system. It's particularly strong for high-cardinality data—essential when you're tracking numerous endpoints with unique identifiers.
For a complete monitoring strategy, consider these additional components:
- SaaS-based management solutions for scalable deployment
- Security tools that integrate with your existing infrastructure
- Platforms supporting automation for common remediation tasks
- Solutions compatible with Microsoft environments if relevant
Step 4: Implement Proactive Monitoring
Don't just wait for problems to occur. Set up proactive monitoring:
- Synthetic Monitoring: Simulate user interactions and test endpoints regularly
- Real User Monitoring: Track actual end-user experiences
- Security Scanning: Regularly check for vulnerabilities
- Automated Alerting: Configure notifications for abnormal conditions
Common Endpoint Monitoring Challenges
Even experienced teams face challenges with endpoint monitoring. Here's how to tackle the most common ones.
Challenge 1: Alert Fatigue
Nothing creates team burnout faster than constant false alarms.
Solution: Implement progressive alerting thresholds and use baseline-aware alerts that understand normal patterns. Tools like Last9 can help establish these baselines automatically, reducing noise while still catching actual issues.
Challenge 2: Device Diversity
Managing disparate endpoint devices with different operating systems creates monitoring complexity.
Solution: Implement unified endpoint management software that can handle diverse device types. Many providers now offer solutions that work across platforms.
Challenge 3: Security and Performance Balance
Security measures can sometimes impact performance, creating tension between teams.
Solution: Select monitoring approaches that balance security requirements with performance needs. Look for lightweight agents and sampling methods that minimize impact.
Challenge 4: SaaS Application Monitoring
With many business functions moving to SaaS apps, traditional monitoring approaches may fall short.
Solution: Use API-based monitoring for SaaS applications and implement single sign-on solutions that provide visibility into SaaS usage patterns.
Endpoint Monitoring Best Practices
Follow these field-tested practices to get maximum value from your monitoring setup.
Set Clear Metrics and Baselines
- Define what "good" looks like for each endpoint type
- Establish security baselines for normal behavior
- Create alert thresholds for both performance and security deviations
Implement Comprehensive Automation
Automation is critical for effective endpoint monitoring at scale:
- Automated discovery of new endpoints
- Automated remediation of common issues
- Automated patch management
- Automated quarantine for compromised endpoints
Ensure Collaboration Between Teams
Break down silos between operational and security monitoring:
- Use shared dashboards and alerting systems
- Create joint playbooks for incident response
- Conduct regular cross-team reviews of monitoring data
- Implement security testing in development pipelines
Monitor the Full Request Lifecycle
Don't just check if endpoints respond—track the entire lifecycle from request initiation to completion, including authentication processes and data access patterns.
Advanced Endpoint Monitoring Techniques
Once you've mastered the fundamentals, explore these advanced techniques.
Machine Learning for Anomaly Detection
Move beyond static thresholds to machine learning-based detection. These systems learn normal patterns and alert on unexpected behavior that might indicate performance issues or security threats.
Real-time Threat Intelligence Integration
Connect your endpoint monitoring to current threat intelligence to identify emerging cyber threats before they impact your organization. This approach is particularly valuable for detecting ransomware campaigns and sophisticated cyberattacks.
Business Impact Correlation
Connect technical endpoint metrics to business outcomes:
- How do slow API responses affect conversion rates?
- Which endpoints directly impact revenue when they fail?
- What's the potential cost of disruptions or data breaches?
This correlation helps prioritize monitoring and improvements.
Conclusion
Effective endpoint monitoring gives teams visibility where it matters most—at the connection points between your services, users, and the perimeter of your security defenses. If you're after an observability solution that spans everything from metrics to logs to traces, Last9 has you covered, including robust endpoint monitoring.
We help industry leaders like Probo, CleverTap, and Replit with high-cardinality observability at scale. And, we've even monitored 11 of the 20 largest live-streaming events in history.
Think this fits your needs? Let’s talk.
FAQs
What is endpoint monitoring?
Endpoint monitoring is the practice of tracking the health, performance, security, and availability of network endpoints—including APIs, web services, and user devices. It combines operational monitoring with security monitoring to ensure endpoints are functioning correctly and securely.
What is an example of an endpoint?
Endpoints include any device or service that connects to a network, such as user laptops, mobile devices running business apps, IoT devices, APIs, web services, database connection points, and cloud service interfaces.
What is meant by endpoint detection?
Endpoint detection refers to identifying security incidents, suspicious activities, and potential threats targeting endpoint devices. Modern detection uses behavioral analysis and machine learning to identify both known and unknown threats, enabling quick remediation before damage occurs.
What is endpoint management used for?
Endpoint management software is used to centrally configure, update, monitor, and secure all endpoint devices in an organization. It handles asset tracking, software deployment, security policy enforcement, configuration management, and remote troubleshooting.
What are the three main types of endpoint security?
The three main types of endpoint security are:
- Antivirus/Anti-malware protection: Defends against known malicious software
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Provides continuous monitoring and advanced threat detection
- Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP): Comprehensive security that combines preventative protection and detection capabilities
How does endpoint security monitoring work?
Endpoint security monitoring works by installing security agents on devices, continuously collecting security telemetry, analyzing behavior against known threat patterns, and using automation to respond to security incidents like phishing attempts or malware infections.
What is unified endpoint management?
Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) is a comprehensive management solution that secures all endpoint devices from a single console, regardless of type or operating system. UEM combines mobile device management, desktop management, and IoT management into one integrated platform.
What are the benefits of endpoint monitoring for businesses?
Benefits include improved uptime of critical services, faster detection and resolution of performance issues, enhanced security posture, better end user experience, reduced mean time to repair, and improved resource allocation based on usage patterns.
How can endpoint monitoring improve cybersecurity?
Endpoint monitoring improves cybersecurity by providing early detection of security incidents, identifying vulnerable endpoints, detecting unusual behavior that may indicate compromise, validating security control effectiveness, and enabling faster incident response when breaches occur.
