Cyber criminals are constantly trying to access your network, steal your data or disrupt your business. If your antivirus software involves Endpoint Protection (EPP) alone, it is simply not enough in the fight to prevent a cyber attack. For true cyber security, you need next generation antivirus: Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR).
Why Traditional Antivirus is Not Enough
Standard antivirus protection (EPP) protects your network from end to end on any device that has access to your network, but it can only work against known threats. EPP works using signature files — think of these like a “no fly” list. EPP compares the files it encounters and blocks any that are within its signature files as known risks. That’s why EPP is unable to protect against new malware — it is only as good as it’s latest signature file.
Next Generation Antivirus Protection (EDR)
Often simply referred to as next generation antivirus (Next Gen AV), Endpoint detection and response (EDR) continually monitors for cyber threats and responds quickly to mitigate them. Because of this, EDR is an effective tool to protect against zero-day vulnerabilities — a weakness that is either unknown or has not yet had a patch developed for it. Until this weakness is discovered and fixed, hackers are able to exploit zero-day vulnerabilities in programs, data, hardware operating systems and your network’s infrastructure.
64.1 percent of malware attacks are zero day.
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) compliments endpoint protection (EPP) and adds a tighter layer of security to create a comprehensive next generation antivirus solution for your business. An EDR solution can be deployed without changing your endpoint protection and layered on top of your network environment.
Next generation antivirus protection is more important today than it ever was before. In the past, employees accessed data and applications inside the safety of a corporate network firewalled from outside threats. The cloud is now where the workforce accesses data and applications as the world has adapted to a work-from-home culture that is likely here to stay. Cyber criminals have also adapted and their tricks and accessibility tools are used to target endpoints despite remote locations.
Protect Your Business From Cyber Threats
You need to keep control over your data and software applications even when your endpoints are in various locations. Here are tips to keep your business protected from cyber threats:
- Enforce strong passwords and other best practices.
- Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- Upgrade device software to the latest versions supported by manufacturers.
- Monitor all devices and endpoints remotely.
- Run advanced detection tools that provide threat intelligence, security monitoring, threat hunting and incident analysis and response.
- Seek in-person verification for any financial changes.
- Put security needs at the front of the agenda to ensure that security measures are in place to combat and prevent cyber attacks in all manners of business computing.
Make a Clean Sweep of Company Data
Are you still holding onto that payroll report from the day you started your business 11 years ago? What about the emails sent back and forth to your company’s financial institution last year? Is there private financial information enmeshed in them? How about that file containing all the passwords you or your employees use because they were too hard to remember?
This type of information is all a cyber criminal needs to be able to attack your business. Even with outdated information, criminals can use it for social engineering — they trick your employees into taking actions that provide access to your network. Make a clean sweep. Remove unnecessary folders or files that give cyber criminals access to company data.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking your business is too small for cyber attack. One in five small businesses fall victim to a cyber attack and 60 percent go out of business within six months of attack. Properly dispose of information pertinent to your business and upgrade to next generation antivirus protection. Help protect against cyber attack with endpoint detection and response for your network.
Consult the IT Experts
Not sure what type of malware protection you have? Start that conversation today with your managed service provider or internal IT support team. There is no time to waste.
If you are already a Convergence Networks client, you know that we believe in using next generation antivirus solutions across all of the businesses we support. If you would like to better understand your antivirus support, we’ll be happy to go over the particulars with you, just reach out to your account manager. Not a Convergence Networks client? Next Gen AV is one of many reasons to become one. We take tech headaches off your plate so you can put time and money back into your business. Contact us to learn how.
