What does Synchronized Security Lateral Movement Protection use to identify endpoints that have a red health status?

Synchronized Security Lateral Movement Protection identifies endpoints with a red health status by utilizing the MAC address. The MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communications at the data link layer of a network. This allows the system to track devices on the network accurately, regardless of their IP address, which can change due to various factors such as DHCP assignments.

By leveraging the MAC address, Synchronized Security can effectively monitor the health of devices and determine if they are vulnerable or compromised. This method is particularly useful in preventing lateral movement within a network, where an attacker might try to propagate from one compromised device to another.

Using IP addresses or host names could present challenges, such as changes in IP due to network reconfiguration or dynamic addressing, making them less reliable than the MAC address for consistently identifying endpoints. Device type can provide context but does not uniquely identify or determine the health status of endpoints in the same way as the MAC address does in this specific security context.