The ever evolving cyberattack landscape mandates enterprises of every size to rethink their cyber security strategy to better future proof and tackle cyber risks. To stay ahead of the more sophisticated cyberattacks, enterprises need an advanced security solution to protect their sensitive data. One such advanced solution is Next-Generation Antivirus (NGAV).
Traditional antivirus completely relies on signature files and definition-based threats; an approach that is rapidly becoming outdated. Its inability to cope up and detect modern threats makes traditional antivirus ineffective against advanced cyberattacks. Whereas next-gen antivirus comes with extra features and delivers the best endpoint protection available for the business, protecting against the full spectrum of modern attacks. NGAV uses a combination of advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Behavior-based Prevention and Analytics, Auto Remediation to exploit mitigation. Its primary goal is to proactively protect user assets and sensitive data from known and unknown threats by anticipating and preventing them before it happens.
In this blog, we will discuss the top 3 reasons to consider implementing a next-gen antivirus over a traditional antivirus.
1. Inability to scale to protect remote workforce model.
COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly forced enterprises to shift to a work-from-home/remote workforce model. As the existing traditional antivirus strategy was not meant to scale to protect remote users, this shift opened new areas of vulnerability to enterprises that they have not encountered before. This necessitate to update signatures especially in roaming or remote workforce and the ineffectiveness of ransomware protection are seen as the major drawbacks of traditional antivirus.
On the other hand, NextGen Antivirus is leading the way in protecting endpoints and is perceived to be a real benefit to the remote workforce. This is because NGAV comes with an easy-to-install/light weight agent, enhanced monitoring capabilities using advanced endpoint detection and response tools, altering & prevention at the endpoint, and centralized monitoring.
2. Increased Zero-day vulnerabilities and exploits need behavior-based analysis.
Traditional antivirus detects threats using signatures, is not found to be effective against zero-day vulnerabilities and exploits. It can perhaps be useful, only when the vulnerability is publicly declared, and the antivirus vendor updates their database, and finally, the antivirus will then be effective against the threat. Given the number of zero-day attacks and its effects keeps rapidly increasing, detecting and preventing the same on an ongoing basis becomes very complicated. NextGen Antivirus comes to the rescue!
NGAV applies behavioral-based predictions and analytics, which creates a behavioral model for a system and identifies malicious atypical behavior, and machine learning algorithms that identify an endpoint/system that is infected with an unknown malware/threat. Upon detecting such zero-day, threats, NGAV can block suspicious processes and prevent the attack from expanding to other endpoints/systems.
3. Increased targeted attacks need efficient AI-based learning.
Targeted attacks are considered as one of the biggest nightmares of an enterprise. It creates a long-lasting impact by creating reputation and monetary damage. Traditional security solutions, while effective in defending against known malware, are not efficient to deal with advanced techniques like targeted attacks.
Unlike, traditional antivirus which gives reactive protection against malicious activity, nextgen antivirus applies artificial intelligence to proactively monitor and significantly increases threat detection. The combination of machine learning and behavior-based analytics combined with artificial intelligence, enables enterprises to proactively act and protect against targeted attacks.
Have questions about endpoint security using nextgen antivirus or other security approaches? Our experts will be happy to help you. Reach us at sales@sbainfo.com
