Antivirus Software Isn’t Enough to Protect Your Business. Here’s What You Need to Know.

Beyond antivirus software, protect your business in 2022.

Ordinary anti-virus (AV) software will not protect your business from cyberattacks. As we head into 2022, ransomware in particular has grown into a global problem for businesses of all sizes. From the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack to the more recent Kaseya cyberattack, everyone in the IT industry is fighting back against a crush of new malware, especially ransomware.

Notwithstanding that reality, the good news is that there are software tools available like End-Point Detection and Response (EDR), Extended Detection and Response (XDR), and Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services that can thwart intrusions when properly utilized. Here’s a look at what you need to know to protect your business moving forward.

The ransomware industry is a multi-billion dollar business, and the ransoms required to decrypt networks and files after an attack are only rising. According to research by Sophos, the average ransomware payout was $170,404 in 2020, with some businesses paying substantially higher amounts. Still, you have to wonder how hackers are able to enjoy this level of success and operate with impunity. The answers are complex, but the proliferation of RaaS exploit kits certainly isn’t helping.

Ransomware can look every bit as functional as a genuine customer relationship management software, including multiple payment options, and calls-to-action to lower the ransom. It’s this “fear of missing out” that often tips the scales in the hacker’s favor despite a business’s capability to restore systems and data after an attack.

What makes matters worse is that the actual authors of the ransomware don’t even need to participate in the attack. They essentially rent out their platforms and take a percentage of the profits, much like an affiliate marketing model. Thus, a novice hacker with minimal skills can cause just as much damage as a sophisticated malware author. It is for this reason that Managed Detection and Response (MDR) when layered with EDR/XDR is critical in achieving the highest level protection for your business.

The reality of ransomware – and any malware, really – is that evading standard AV solutions is step one when coding malware. There is a misconception that cyberattacks are the work of a lone wolf. In fact, ransomware gangs are responsible for some of the biggest attacks over the past year. They are persistent and constantly adjusting their tactics, techniques, and procedures to break into the more well-defended networks.

Whereas AV solutions depend on the signature matching of known threats, EDR/XDR solutions actively protect end-points through an alerts-based setup. This type of software analyzes data to identify where the attack came from, how the malware is currently behaving, and how to respond in real-time to the threat. Out-of-the-box, standard AV software simply can’t stand up against today’s evolution of growing ransomware threats.

The best protection your business can achieve is a layered approach. Given threats complex and cybercriminals sometimes adjust their methods during the actual attack, many ransomware are essentially polymorphic malware. When faced with a sophisticated, advanced malware author incorporating Managed Detection and Response (MDR) through an expert, you have access to a team of security solutions experts.

While EDR/XDR works well at protecting end-points – all end-points and networks, MDR also protects both end-points and the network with a managed service poring over alerts to detect irregular and malicious activity in its nascent form. You get the most protection when you combine these two solutions. The bottom line? Sophisticated threats require sophisticated safeguards like an EDR/XDR with a service layer to incorporate an MDR solution.

Our team of cybersecurity experts can handle everything from ransomware negotiations to EDR/XDR deployments alongside MDR services. We conduct holistic security assessments to build a plan of action and bring your technology infrastructure to its maximum potential without compromising security.

Edited and reprinted with permission from https://www.bridgeheadit.com/antivirus-software-for-business-2022/.