Posted on August 1, 2023July 2, 2023

Many small to medium-sized business leaders wonder, “should I pay for antivirus software?” since most technology and services are touting built-in security features and automatic cybersecurity updates. 

A quick Google search will return results with confusing acronyms and a myriad of opinions on the issue but the short answer is: yes. While built-in protections do help ward off attacks, antivirus is still one of the most effective tools for protecting against malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks. 

But just having one doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Truthfully, a better question most business owners should be asking themselves would be: Is your standard antivirus solution providing the level of protection you think it is?

For years a constant cyclical battle has been waged between hackers and antivirus vendors, with hackers inventing new viruses to infect computer systems and steal sensitive data; and antivirus vendors responding with solutions that detect and defeat these attempts. As the threat landscape has evolved, the advent of Endpoint Detection Response (EDR) and Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solutions have drastically escalated the ability of antivirus vendors to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. 

But what separates these solutions from regular antivirus, and which should you use for the most robust protection? Below, we’ll break down the differences between traditional antivirus, EDR, and MDR by considering:

• Use
• Cost
• For what type of businesses each is best
• Top vendors

Armed with this information, you’ll be able to make a fully informed decision about what security tools best fit your business.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1. How Does Antivirus Work?
2. What is Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)?
3. What is Managed Detection and Response (MDR)?
4. What is MDR Essentials?
5. Antivirus vs. EDR vs. MDR vs. MDR Essentials: A Comparison
6. Which cybersecurity solution is right for my business?

How Does Antivirus Work?

Traditional antivirus solutions help protect your computer from an endlessly-evolving array of malicious threats. It periodically scans your computer for viruses, malware, adware, and remote access trojan horses that may have unwittingly ended up on your computer through email, web surfing, or downloads. If detected, the antivirus program will then notify you, prevent users from accessing the affected files or websites, and attempt to remove the threat from your system. 

Antivirus programs achieve this by storing a constantly expanding database of malicious sites and known threats and then matching these characteristics against sites you access and files you store on your computer. This is deployed across your entire enterprise.

While effective, antivirus is reactive instead of proactive in its protections. This means that hackers can simply add a few new wrinkles to their malware and avoid being detected by a specific antivirus platform. This also means there will always be a “patient zero” who gets infected before the antivirus can detect and destroy any attack.

Cost

Traditional antiviruses typically work on a subscription-based model, which means you’ll have to budget for a monthly or annual recurring expense.

Third-party antivirus solutions usually cost around $100 per year per user, but if you are a Windows-based business, Windows Defender is offered as a free add-on.

Best Fit 

Traditional antivirus programs are a good fit for any business or individual that doesn’t keep sensitive information on their systems and has a limited cybersecurity budget.

Top Vendors

Webroot, Defender and Symantec

What is Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)?

Endpoint threat detection and response is a cybersecurity solution that is the next-level replacement for traditional antivirus. It uses the same database as traditional antivirus but adds artificial intelligence (AI) technology on the back end to monitor and analyze workstation behaviors to proactively detect threats. Instead of reactively scanning workstations and comparing them to predetermined malware definitions, Endpoint Detection and Response leverages its AI-based advanced analytics to monitor the health of all endpoints in real-time. It will then analyze behavior, detect abnormal activity as it happens, kill the process, and notify you immediately so you can review the suspicious activity.

EDR security solution leverages and improves the collective threat intelligence of security teams by collecting and analyzing potential threats and behaviors to better identify, respond to and contain attacks.

EDR solutions usually include the following capabilities:

• Endpoint real time continuous monitoring 
• Event recording
• Data search, investigation, and threat hunting
• Suspicious behavior validation
• Suspicious activity detection
• Threat data analysis
• Actionable intelligence to support security incident response
• Remediation

Cost

Endpoint Detection and Response solutions also typically use subscription-based models. They are offered at various prices ranging from around $5 to $50 per month, per user.

Best Fit

Endpoint Detection and Response solutions are a good fit with any business that:

• Stores sensitive data
• Wants to purchase cybersecurity insurance
• Wants to invest in building a robust cybersecurity network

Top Vendors

Crowdstrike, SentinelOne, Huntress 

What is Managed Detection and Response (MDR)?

Unlike traditional antivirus and EDR, MDR is not a single tool but endpoint security “as a service.” Essentially MDR manages endpoint security by using a collection of advanced cybersecurity tools and supplementing them with a security team known as a Security Operations Center (SOC). This group monitors all your network traffic and system behaviors and handles any cybersecurity-related issues on your behalf. The main benefit of this service is that it significantly improves incident response time and reduces the impact of cyber threats without requiring you to hire additional security staff.

MDR solutions usually feature the following capabilities:

• Continuous network monitoring
• Threat hunting
• Prioritization of threats and security alerts
• Managed investigation 
• Guided incident response service 
• Managed remediation 

Cost

Although highly effective, MDR can be costly since it can come with different levels of services. You can expect to pay around $100 to $10,000 per month, depending on your particular need. 

Best Fit

MDR solutions are a good fit with any business that:

• Handles extremely sensitive data, such as government classified information, or information that could basically destroy someone’s life 
• Can invest top dollar into their cybersecurity
• Has a large number of employees and a lot of different departments, locations, systems…etc.

Top Vendors

Falcon Complete, Sophos Managed Threat Response, Rapid7 Managed Detection and Response

MDR Essentials

An emerging option is MDR Essentials, which is a scaled back service that combines the solo EDR tool with security professionals (SOC). In this setup, the EDR uses machine learning to intelligently monitors behavior and detects and responds to security incidents while also notifying security experts team who will investigate the threat. This gives smaller to medium-sized businesses willing to invest in cybersecurity an entry point to additional security without the prohibitive costs associated with MDR. 

Cost

MDR Essentials could cost you around $10 per device per month.

Best Fit

MDR Essentials is the foundation antivirus protection for any size business, handling any type of data, that would like to have a solid cybersecurity posture.

Top Vendors

CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, many other providers only available through MSPs

Antivirus vs. EDR vs. MDR vs. MDR Essentials

To summarize the main differences: 

Traditional Antivirus

A baseline program for scanning your systems and networks for known cyber threats and malicious sites and quarantining any malicious threats discovered.

Endpoint Detection and Response

An AI-based monitoring and cyber threat detection tool that analyzes user and network habits, identifies any suspicious activities, and responds by shutting down those processes and sending a centralized response for analysis.

MDR

A suite of EDR-like tools coupled with a central cybersecurity response team (known as a SOC), packaged as a service.

MDR Essentials

Essentially just EDR with a small security team (SOC).

The following table also provides a visual guide:

	Antivirus	EDR	MDR	MDR Essentials
Definition	Traditional antivirus solutions help protect your computer from an endlessly-evolving array of malicious threats. Antivirus programs achieve this by storing a constantly expanding database of malicious sites and known threats and then matching these characteristics against sites you access and files you store on your computer. While effective, antivirus is reactive instead of proactive in its protections.	EDR is a cybersecurity solution that is the next-level replacement for traditional antivirus. It uses the same database as traditional antivirus but adds artificial intelligence (AI) technology on the back end to monitor and analyze workstation behaviors to proactively detect threats. EDR leverages its AI-based advanced analytics to monitor the health of all endpoints in real-time.	MDR is not a single tool but endpoint security “as a service.” Essentially MDR manages endpoint security by using a collection of advanced cybersecurity tools and supplementing them with a group of security professionals known as a Security Operations Center (SOC).	An emerging option is MDR Essentials, which is a scaled back service that combines the solo EDR tool with the human element of a SOC.
Cost	Third-party antivirus solutions usually cost around $100 per year per user, but if you are a Windows-based business, Windows Defender is offered as a free add-on.	They are offered at various prices ranging from around $5 to $50 per month, per user.	You can expect to pay around $100 to $10,000 per month, depending on your particular need.	MDR Essentials could cost you around $10 per device per month.
Best Fit	Traditional antivirus programs are a good fit for any business or individual that doesn’t keep sensitive information on their systems and has a limited cybersecurity budget.	EDR solutions are a good fit with any business that: – Stores sensitive data – Wants to purchase cybersecurity insurance – Wants to invest in building a robust cybersecurity network	MDR solutions are a good fit with any business that: – Handles extremely sensitive data, such as government classified information, or information that could basically destroy someone’s life – Can invest top dollar into their cybersecurity – Has a large number of employees and a lot of different departments, locations, systems…etc.	MDR Essentials is the foundation antivirus protection for any size business, handling any type of data, that would like to have a solid cybersecurity posture.
Top Vendors	Webroot, Defender and Symantec	Crowdstrike, SentinelOne, Huntress	Falcon Complete, Sophos Managed Threat Response, Rapid7 Managed Detection and Response	CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, many other providers only available through MSPs
Conclusion	A baseline program for scanning your systems and networks for known threats and malicious sites and quarantining any malicious threats discovered.	An AI-based monitoring and threat detection tool that analyzes user and network habits, identifies an abnormal activity, and responds by shutting down those processes and sending a centralized response for analysis.	A suite of EDR-like tools coupled with a central cybersecurity response team (known as a SOC), packaged as a service.	Essentially just EDR with a small cybersecurity response team (SOC).

How To Choose an Antivirus Software

No solution is suitable for every type of business. While everyone wants the maximum protection available, it’s wisest to tailor your solution to your business’s profile and goals. 

Choose a traditional antivirus if your organization: 

• Needs baseline protection to supplement cybersecurity best practices.
• Has a limited cybersecurity budget.

Choose EDR if your organization:

• Wants to improve its endpoint security and threat detection capabilities.
• Has an in-house team that can respond to the alerts and recommendations produced by an EDR solution.
• Is in the initial stages of building an overarching strategy that will be the foundation for a scalable cybersecurity architecture.

Choose MDR if your organization:

• Requires mature detection and response services that can rapidly identify and defeat advanced threats. 
• Wants top-level cybersecurity expertise without hiring additional staff
• Is looking to fill in specialization gaps within your IT department, or is struggling to attract quality IT talent.
• Handles extremely sensitive data that requires you to allocate a significant budget to cybersecurity.
• Needs to comply with various regulations 

Choose MDR Essentials if your organization:

• Needs top-level cybersecurity solutions but doesn’t have the budget required for MDR.
• Is looking to augment your current EDR solution without hiring additional IT staff.
• Is looking to scale up to MDR at some point in the future.

If you have questions about what antivirus solution might best fit your specific business, don’t hesitate to contact me at lenny@reliabletechnology.co.