You may have heard that antivirus software is outdated and ineffective against today’s cyber threats. That’s not entirely true. The term antivirus is what is outdated. It is now more common to say you have an endpoint protection solution. Endpoint protection is a cybersecurity strategy that protects devices connected to a network from malicious actors and cyber threats. While antivirus software alone isn’t enough to protect your organization, it’s still vital to your overall cybersecurity strategy and should be part of your endpoint protection strategy.

The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) highlights the high risk of cyberattacks for small and medium-sized businesses. SMBs are particularly vulnerable to system intrusions, social engineering, and web application attacks, which account for 92% of all breaches. Additionally, 98% of these breaches are financially motivated, showing that SMBs are often targeted for profit.

Let’s explore why a comprehensive endpoint protection strategy is key to protecting your business from today’s advanced cyber threats.

The Evolution of Endpoint Protection

Antivirus software has made remarkable progress over the years, going from basic tools that identify viruses to advanced solutions that protect your systems against a wide range of modern cyber threats.

• Antivirus Software—Original Purpose

In its early days, antivirus software detected and removed viruses that spread through basic file-sharing methods, like floppy disks and email attachments. These viruses were easier to detect based on known malware patterns.

• Improved Endpoint Protection

Cybercriminal attacks are often very complex. Antivirus programs have evolved to detect malware using behavioral analysis and machine learning. This means it can identify new threats even when there is no known pattern. However, traditional antivirus software does not usually monitor behaviors a threat actor might employ to gather intelligence, elevate privileges, or spread access. To address this, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions were developed to monitor for these behaviors that are not detectable by antivirus solutions alone.

• Today’s Endpoint Detection and Response

The best-in-class endpoint protection solutions incorporate the functions of antivirus and behavior analysis by unifying data from both with incident response.  This incorporated data is often referred to as unified threat intelligence. This intelligence data automatically locks down systems if suspected activity is observed. The very best solution will be to have the intelligence data reviewed by security analysts who often provide remediation services to eliminate threats. These solutions are often referred to as Managed Endpoint Detect and Response solutions, or MDR.

How MDR Prevents Modern Threats

Here’s how a Managed Detection and Response solution combats today’s most dangerous threats: 

1. Stopping Ransomware: One of the most destructive forms of malware, ransomware locks your data and demands payment for its release. MDR uses behavioral detection to identify suspicious activities common in ransomware attacks and do so before the malware can spread or encrypt your files. Thus, MDR solutions can prevent ransomware from causing significant damage, blocking them in real-time. 
2. Phishing Protection: Phishing attacks have become more advanced and sophisticated, making it harder for employees to recognize fake emails or malicious websites. MDR solutions prevent malware associated with phishing attempts from running on your systems. If it is not preventable, lock down the system so the malware can’t be spread, reducing the risk of a data breach significantly. 
3. Defense Against Zero-Day Attacks: Zero-day attacks target an unknown or unaddressed security hole, such as in software. They are one of the most dangerous forms of attack. While traditional antivirus software struggled to combat such attacks, next-gen antivirus tools use AI-driven analysis to detect abnormal behavior and catch these threats, ensuring your business stays protected even against emerging, previously unknown threats. 

Endpoint Protection is Part of a Comprehensive Security Strategy

While an Endpoint Protection strategy is crucial for defending against security breaches, it works best when part of a multi-layered cybersecurity strategy. Combining antivirus with other tools can help you address security gaps and reduce the chances of vulnerabilities going unnoticed. Here are other key elements of a comprehensive security strategy:

• Firewalls: Firewalls act as your first layer of defense by blocking unauthorized access to your network. Together, firewalls and antivirus software form a solid defense in protecting your systems from external and internal threats.
• Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): These systems continuously monitor your network for any suspicious activity. If malware slips past your antivirus software, the IDS identifies the irregular behavior and alerts your team before it can spread.
• Data Backups: No antivirus software can fully guarantee protection from every breach, which is why backing up your data regularly is critical. If ransomware strikes and locks your files, current backups allow you to restore everything without paying a ransom or losing important data. Cloud-based backups are especially useful since they store your data securely offsite, protecting it from local issues or failures.

By implementing Endpoint Protection strategy with these additional cybersecurity tools, you can create a multilayered defense system that mitigates the risks posed by modern cyber threats.

Proactive Security for Small Businesses

In a time when cyberattacks are more frequent than ever, every small business needs reliable antivirus protection.  An Endpoint Protection strategy goes beyond just detecting viruses and malware—they offer robust protection against threats like ransomware, phishing, and zero-day exploits.

But Endpoint Protection on its own isn’t enough to keep your business fully secure. To ensure comprehensive security, it’s important to incorporate antivirus software into a layered cybersecurity strategy, which includes firewalls, regular backups, and intrusion detection systems.