What Makes EDR Different from Antivirus?
Understanding the difference between Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and traditional antivirus (AV) software is essential for choosing the right solution to protect your network. While both are designed to defend against malicious activities, they take fundamentally different approaches, and only one is truly equipped to address the modern-day threats that companies face. According to SentinelOne 68% of the organizations reported having suffered at least one successful endpoint attack on their data or IT infrastructure.
Traditional Antivirus: A First Line of Defense
Antivirus software has long been the cornerstone of cybersecurity for individuals and businesses alike. Traditionally, AV tools rely on signature-based detection, which means they scan files, programs, and network traffic for known patterns or "signatures" of malicious code. If the software recognizes a known threat, it quarantines or removes the file to prevent harm.
While effective against older, well-known viruses and malware, traditional AV solutions have limitations. They typically lack the ability to detect new, sophisticated, or polymorphic threats that change their appearance to evade signature-based detection. This makes traditional antivirus less effective at defending against modern cyber threats, such as advanced persistent threats (APTs), ransomware, or zero-day vulnerabilities.
EDR: Proactive Detection and Real-Time Response
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is a more advanced cybersecurity approach, designed to provide deeper protection in today’s dynamic threat environment. Unlike traditional antivirus, EDR systems focus on continuous monitoring and data collection from endpoints (e.g., laptops, desktops, and servers) across an organization. This allows them to detect and respond to suspicious activity in real time, rather than just relying on known malware signatures.
The key differentiator of EDR is its ability to detect advanced threats that traditional AV software might miss. EDR tools use behavioral analysis, machine learning, and threat intelligence to identify abnormal activity, even if the threat is entirely new or has mutated to avoid detection. If a suspicious event occurs, the system triggers an alert, giving your IT team the information they need to investigate further and mitigate potential risks.
Key Differences Between EDR and Antivirus
- Detection Methods
- Antivirus: Relies on signature-based detection, which is limited to known threats.
- EDR: Uses behavior-based analysis and machine learning to detect both known and unknown threats, identifying malicious activity in real time.
- Scope of Protection
- Antivirus: Primarily protects against KNOWN traditional viruses, malware, and spyware.
- EDR: Offers a broader range of protection, including advanced threats like ransomware, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), and zero-day exploits.
- Response Capabilities
- Antivirus: Generally takes action only when a known threat is detected, such as quarantining or removing the malicious file.
- EDR: Provides continuous monitoring, incident response, and remediation capabilities, enabling faster response to threats and offering tools to contain and neutralize threats before they cause significant damage.
- Forensics and Investigations
- Antivirus: Lacks deep investigative capabilities, providing limited information on how a threat infiltrated the system.
- EDR: Collects extensive data on endpoint activities, enabling detailed forensic analysis and helping your IT team understand the full scope of an attack, including its origin, impact, and potential spread.
- Advanced Threat Hunting
- Antivirus: Does not support proactive threat hunting.
- EDR: Actively supports threat hunting, allowing IT teams to be alerted of potential threats in their environment. While there is an ability to search for items, it comes with an addon (purple) and is not native to most EDRs. I think most IT individuals would get more from hearing they will be proactively alerted to potential threats.
Which Solution Is Right for You?
While antivirus software serves as a first line of defense, it is no longer sufficient on its own to protect against the wide variety of threats organizations face today. EDR offers a more comprehensive, proactive, and adaptable approach to cybersecurity, making it the best choice for businesses that need to stay ahead of evolving threats.
By investing in EDR technology, you can ensure your organization is well-equipped to detect, respond to, and recover from cyberattacks—keeping your critical assets secure.