Chief Marketing Officer
Security tools are not a new thing. For example, antivirus has been around since the 1980s. While antivirus is the OG, the adversaries’ tactics and techniques have evolved way beyond what antivirus was created to protect. So endpoint detection and response (EDR) was born of necessity because we need to go past simply protecting users from downloading malicious files. Compounding this, the pandemic pushed people, data, and devices out of the office, disrupting traditional security protocols putting an increased load and requirement to protect these endpoints.
For this reason, the market has latched on to EDR as the must-have solution for cybersecurity; and, specifically, threat detection and response (TDR). In fact, we’re at 3,000 security tools and counting, this makes it extremely challenging for a decision-maker to know what you need–and what you’re getting. So, let’s take a look.
EDR vs Antivirus: A Generational Shift
As we mentioned above, EDR and antivirus come from the same family tree. Their priority is to detect and respond to cyber threats on the endpoint (laptops, mobile phones, cloud, servers, etc).
Antivirus uses signature-based techniques to protect from viruses, malware, and other security threats. Essentially, it’s designed to spot the difference between the code of the computer versus the code of a virus—looking for the calling card of a bad actor. However, malicious and relentless hackers know how antivirus works, and have developed new techniques that make it increasingly difficult (and in many cases, completely impossible) for antivirus software to do its job.
Antivirus had one job to do: look at the signatures. We’re in a much more complicated space–threats, the tools, and the distributed nature of how we work–that requires an advanced solution. A true EDR solution delivers comprehensive visibility across all endpoints with advanced threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities—including incident data search and investigation alert triage, suspicious activity validation, threat hunting, and malicious activity detection and containment. At the end of the day, you want to be fast to detect, fast to respond, and fast to remediate.
Do I Need Both EDR and Antivirus?
The answer is both yes and no. You need the function of what antivirus provides, but if you’ve got the right EDR solution, that will be built in. This is just one example of how a layered approach to security brings in the features and functions you need to protect your endpoints. Essentially, it’s not about a specific tool, it’s about the feature set you need to secure your company’s data from hackers, malware, viruses, and any other forms of cyberattacks.
Can EDR Detect Malware?
EDR can detect malware, ransomware, and other forms of cyberattacks that hackers and cybercriminals use to plague a device and its corresponding data within the endpoints. All EDR should detect malware, but not all solutions are created equal.
An EDR solution should be backed by human experts in a 24x7x365 security operations center (SOC). Why’s this? Because you haven’t mitigated your risk unless someone does something with the alerts coming in. You need human intelligence paired with automation to guide the appropriate response.
Reducing dwell time, how long the adversary is in your environment, is essential. When an attack is identified, you need to squelch it quickly before the adversary gains a foothold.
Can EDR Replace Antivirus?
Yes, EDR includes and extends beyond the capabilities of traditional antivirus. If you’ve got the right EDR solution, antivirus will be baked in. However, bear in mind that EDR solutions solely focus on endpoint protection. That’s just one of six common threat vectors. Comprehensive cybersecurity requires a layered defense strategy, one that defends all threat vectors.
What Is the Difference between EDR and XDR?
Extended detection and response (XDR) delivers advanced cybersecurity protection–because adversaries don’t limit their attacks to just endpoints. Indeed, 93% of attacks start with email. A true XDR solution provides comprehensive protection across all threat vectors–not just one.
XDR delivers on an advanced layered defense model, meaning each layer has distinct functions tuned for the type of attack being launched against you. All components of XDR work in concert to proactively block threats and quickly eliminate adversaries who get in.
XDR includes EDR, and defends across all threat vectors:
Can XDR Replace Antivirus?
XDR solutions aren’t a replacement for antivirus software but rather an approach that folds it in. As malware and viruses become much more advanced and complex, modern methods like XDR help protect your company with the right tools (and the right team wielding them) for the job.
DataEndure: Comprehensive Cybersecurity
The best cybersecurity strategy delivers layers of defense, so your business not only survives but thrives despite the evolving threat landscape. For organizations looking to accelerate their time to security maturity, DataEndure can get you there in 30-90 days. And it’ll cost far less than doing it on your own.
With our managed security services, you’ll be released from the tools-centric approach to securing your business. Everything we do is centered on delivering “the best”. We research the best tools, vet and swap them out when a new leader emerges and back our solutions with human expertise from our 24x7x365 security operations center (SOC).
We have a single goal—your business’ success. We’ve been around for four decades, and security has been core to who we are since our inception. Our experience informs how we build, manage, and evolve the security services we deliver. Just as cybercriminals are always advancing, we’re constantly evaluating new technology and services. Schedule a meeting today.