With cyberattacks becoming more sophisticated, end-users and businesses should double up their efforts from protecting their networks and devices. After all, cyberattacks might result in huge revenue losses, most especially if valuable data were compromised and operations were disrupted.This is where endpoint antivirus and endpoint security software come in.
With the ability to block cyberattacks, no one can afford to not have one of these software to protect themselves against hackers. However, it is also important to determine which of these two tools could really help you when an attack occurred within your network.
Both solutions can bring an additional layer of protection to your endpoints, valuable data, personal files, and the system that supports your entire network. But even if they share some vital features and offerings, one of these tools might lack something or be too extreme for what you need.
To help you decide, we have highlighted the major differences between endpoint antivirus and endpoint security software, enabling you to determine which solution suits your unique situation.
With the ability to block cyberattacks, no one can afford to not have one of these software to protect themselves against hackers. However, it is also important to determine which of these two tools could really help you when an attack occurred within your network.
Both solutions can bring an additional layer of protection to your endpoints, valuable data, personal files, and the system that supports your entire network. But even if they share some vital features and offerings, one of these tools might lack something or be too extreme for what you need.
To help you decide, we have highlighted the major differences between endpoint antivirus and endpoint security software, enabling you to determine which solution suits your unique situation.
What is Endpoint Antivirus Software?
An endpoint antivirus helps users prevent, detect, and remove malware that infected their devices. It can block the most common threats that endpoint users might encounter online, including viruses, worms, bots, trojans, ransomware, and spyware.
This solution can be installed on individual devices, without disrupting the whole operation of an organization. Hence, its installation into network servers, desktops, laptops, mobile phones, or more is way more convenient than installing other tools that may cause service downtime. It is designed to know what type of malware has infected a device, and in some cases, it can automatically remove them from the network or block them from penetrating.
An endpoint antivirus software also alerts the endpoint users, pushing them to take action and remove the attack. Meaning, it helps prevent the spread of the malware before it could paralyze the entire device or compromise more valuable data.
What is Endpoint Security Software?
As the name suggests, an endpoint security tool keeps every endpoint safe. These endpoints are the most common devices connected to a network, such as desktop PCs, workstations, laptops, tablets, smartphones, servers, and every single unit that is connected to the internet (or your network). And unlike an endpoint antivirus, one endpoint security software can protect all these devices via a central management portal.
It features most capabilities of an endpoint antivirus, too. Moreover, it provides organizations with a more proactive solution that will not only fight malware but will also prevent an attack even before it occurs. This is because it can also learn even the behavior of a more sophisticated attack. With this, it can alert the IT security team when it detects a malicious activity happening on one of their network’s endpoints.
Endpoint Antivirus vs Endpoint Security Software: Which one’s for you?
Endpoint security software can protect a whole organization while an endpoint antivirus can only protect an individual’s device
Designed to keep the entire network safe and secure, endpoint security software is aimed at enterprises and built exclusively with organizations in mind. It gives organizations a strong layer of protection against any attack and suspicious activity, as it enables them to monitor and investigate everything that is penetrating or connecting to the network.
Meanwhile, an endpoint antivirus will also fight malware or detect malicious activity only on the device it is installed on.
- Endpoint security can protect you against known and unknown threats
One of the most vital reasons why IT security experts choose endpoint security software over endpoint antivirus is because of its ability to protect a network even against unknown threats, zero-day threats, fileless and signatureless malware, phishing attacks, drive-by malware, and other sophisticated attacks invented today.
On the other hand, endpoint antivirus software can only fight known malware and threats that are included in a database of your device’s known attacks or risks. Hence, when a more sophisticated or new threat occurs, it might successfully harm your device or your entire data.
- Endpoint security software avoids data loss
Unlike endpoint antivirus, endpoint security software doesn’t just protect every endpoint of a network. It also protects data and helps restore it when compromised by an attack. Most security software has a Data Loss Prevention feature that monitors data on every endpoint and blocks malicious activities trying to harm it.
Takeaways: Endpoint Antivirus Software
While an endpoint antivirus can secure one’s device and the data saved on it, endpoint security software offers more in-depth protection that keeps the entire network safe against threats and attacks. It can be customized and fit any organization, too, allowing businesses to find the best security tool that will provide their IT security team with a better response once an attack occurs.
Learn more details about the differences between the endpoint security software and endpoint antivirus when you talk with one of our experts today.
