This guide delves into the evolution of security, discussing the evolution of endpoint security and the importance of network access control (NAC) to protect private customer data and intellectual property in an environment where more people (both internal and external to the organization) are requiring more access. The guide takes a pragmatic view of how to achieve a logical evolution from today's common security tactics to an integrated, holistic set of defenses that can deal with the variety and ferocity of the attackers.

Endpoint security consists of a number of different activities such as traditional anti-virus and anti-spyware, as well as other security activities. There have been some challenges in making the traditional endpoint applications work effectively together as the attack surfaces have evolved. The attacks have changed over time from typical viruses and self-proliferating worms to spyware and social engineering-based attacks. Defenses have to continue changing as well.