Endpoint Protection solutions protect your corporate devices from malware, malicious applications, and investigate security incidents and alerts. They differ from commercial anti-virus software as they allow admins to manage all devices and perform investigation and remediation against threats. This allows admins to easily respond to security incidents and alerts.
Cyberattacks against business devices are on the rise. For this reason, it’s absolutely crucial that your organization, whether a fortune 500 company or a 5-person team, has an effective cyber security plan in place to detect and stop attacks. An important part of this should be implementing strong endpoint security on all of your company devices, with a management portal that allows you monitor and update your endpoints from anywhere.
However, the endpoint security market is extremely crowded and there are a huge variety of vendors with different technologies to stop threats from reaching your corporate devices. Some are aimed at large organizations, while others are better suited to smaller and mid-sized organizations.
To help your organization find the endpoint security solution that works best for you, here’s our list of the top Endpoint Protection platforms.
ESET is a market-leading vendor in endpoint security and antivirus software, known for their powerful yet lightweight cybersecurity solutions. ESET Endpoint Security is their cloud-based endpoint protection solution, designed to protect organization of all sizes against known and zero-day threats such as malware, ransomware and fileless attacks. The solution offers multi-layered protection, which admins can control with a single centralized management console. ESET Endpoint Security protects computers, mobile devices, file servers and virtual environments. It’s available as a standalone product and as a part of a wider enterprise cybersecurity bundle, ESET PROTECT Enterprise, which also includes file server security, disk encryption, a cloud sandbox and EDR.
ESET Endpoint Security combines machine learning technologies and crowdsourced threat intelligence to detect and prevent targeted malware and ransomware attacks. The solution monitors all executed apps for malicious content, based on their known behaviors and reputations. It also scans the behaviors of malicious file processes in each endpoint’s memory to discover and eliminate fileless threats. The combination of technical and human threat intelligence means that ESET’s solution has excellent detection rates before, during and after execution. ESET Endpoint Security also offers web browser protection, preventing users from downloading malicious files and enabling admins to blacklist known malicious URLs, and list URLs that need specific protection.
Security teams can manage their security across all ESET endpoints, including mobiles, via one unified cloud-based management console. This enables them to have a clear overview of their organization’s security posture.
ESET Endpoint Security is praised for being lightweight; it performs as well as any solid anti-malware engine, without the need for extra hardware and without slowing down corporate systems. Cloud-based, the solution is scalable, as well as flexible: ESET Endpoint Security is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux and Android operating systems, with built-in mobile device management for iOS and AndroidOS. On top of this, the admin console is available in 21 languages, and ESET offers localized support in 38 languages. This makes ESET Endpoint Security a strong solution for organizations with a global workforce, as well as those with a large number of BYOD devices in their fleet.
Headquartered in Copenhagen, Heimdal™ is a leading European provider of cloud-based cybersecurity solutions. Their contribution to our list of endpoint security products is their Threat Prevention Endpoint tool. At a glance, the product is a DNS security solution that blends threat intelligence, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to deliver robust threat prevention on all endpoints within your network. It can be integrated with any other solutions that are already in place and does not interrupt existing workflows. It aims to provide teams with total visibility and extended control into the network and subsequent attached endpoints. All of this is achieved via a single clean and consolidated dashboard.
Heimdal™ Threat Prevention Endpoint provides endpoint security by going beyond antivirus capabilities. It ensures safe browsing for all users, whether they’re working from home, in the office, or both by scanning traffic in real-time and blocking any suspicious or harmful domains and stopping any malicious communication. This is particularly helpful for employees on the move who may need to connect to unprotected or already infected networks, as well as protecting end users from sudden redirects to other web pages when browsing.
The product leverages endpoint DNS threat hunting capabilities, which help it detect and process any malicious URLs before tracing the threat back to the source. It also utilizes DarkLayer Guard™, a traffic filtering engine that works on inbound and outbound traffic. This feature can be customized, with admins able to set listings for the engine to refer to.
Heimdal™’s Threat Prevention Endpoint offers a complex but navigable and easy solution for endpoint security, offering a new approach in the form of AI-driven DNS. We would recommend the product for small to medium sized businesses looking for something different.
Avast are a global leader for providing cyber security solutions to businesses and consumers. Avast’s Small Business Solutions protects customers against malware and ransomware threats, alongside VPN and patch management capabilities. Avast has one of the world’s largest threat detection network and threat database, protecting over 440 million endpoints and 10,000 servers globally. This enables them to use to collect and analyze huge quantities of threat data, and create machine learning technologies to stop threats against the endpoint in real-time.
Avast Small Business Solutions is a fully-cloud based solution with an online management platform where you can easily configure device protection, monitor endpoints, and add new devices. Avast operate a leading anti-virus solution, offering advanced protection against ransomware and data theft. Avast also provide leading customer support, with 24/5 support delivered by experienced technical engineers. In addition, Avast also offers identity protection, with password and webcam security designed to prevent workforce accounts and devices from compromise.
Avast Small Business Solutions are available in three tiers: Essential, Premium and Ultimate. Premium and Ultimate delivers additional key security features, including a built-in VPN to encrypt data and secure internet connections when using public WiFi networks, USB protection. Ultimate also provides patch management to ensure vulnerabilities are automatically fixed whenever they pop up. This solution is highly praised by customers, and available for Windows, MacOs, IOS, Android and more.
We recommend this solution to SMBs and enterprises looking for enhanced protection for endpoint devices with VPN, patch management and ransomware protection features.
Bitdefender GravityZone is an all in one endpoint protection platform, delivering both protection and threat detection and response. Bitdefender utilizes machine learning for behavioral monitoring and attack prevention, which they argue stops threats that traditional endpoint protection and anti-virus technologies will miss. They also offer enhanced endpoint control, with patch management, web threat protection and application and device controls to help organizations manage endpoint devices. Bitdefender can be delivered via the cloud, or on-premises.
Bitdefender’s key strengths are its threat research and ease of management, alongside strong threat protection. Behavioral based anti-virus can help to prevent attacks against the endpoint. Bitdefender also has a large R&D team, which helps to keep it on top of new and emerging threats. Bitdefender’s entire endpoint suite is also managed from one admin console.
Bitdefender customers praise the service for ease of use, strong threat protection and their lightweight endpoint client. Users suggest that using GravityZone in the cloud makes managing endpoints ‘seamless’. The central location to manage the application and end users’ stations is very popular with users. However, some customers have suggested that the service lacks some more advanced features offered by other endpoint protection vendors. The service is popular among small to mid-sized organizations, with some enterprise customers as well. We’d recommend it to organizations that need strong endpoint threat protection in an easy-to-manage solution.
Trend Micro offers a full endpoint protection suite. It protects physical endpoints, PCs and Servers, Mac computers and Point of Sale and ATM Endpoints. Trend Micro is delivered as a single agent which provides automated detection and response and centralized visibility and control. Trend provides strong protection against malware and ransomware, with advanced protection capabilities to protect against both known and unknown threats.
Trend’s protects a wide range of endpoint devices, and it’s a suitable solution for newer endpoints and servers as well as legacy operating systems for users with older devices. Trend Micro customers praise the strong threat protection it offers, to protect shared files, hosts and servers from viruses malware and ransomware. Customers also suggest that it’s easy to install and lightweight. Trend is a strong solution for mid-market to larger enterprise customers. It offers powerful threat protection and is available around the world, with a strong partner network.
Crowdstrike offer a comprehensive suite of Endpoint Protection options under their ‘Falcon’ name. They offer a comprehensive, market leading endpoint security platform different options for Enterprise, small and midsized customers, each with unique detection and response AV capabilities. Crowdstrike are one of the leading vendors for endpoint protection, and the company is rapidly growing. They’re operating in over 176 countries, with an increasing market share for endpoint solutions.
Crowdstrike protects against malware attacks and provides continues and comprehensive visibility across all of your endpoint devices. Crowdstrike can also identify and alert admins to unauthorized systems and applications in real time, to allow for faster remediation of threats. Crowdstrike also employ experienced cybersecurity analysts to can provide managed detection and response, and managed threat hunting. Key strengths of this service are the simple deployments, strong threat detection capabilities and the broad range of endpoints they can protect. The solution is fully cloud based, with no on-premise option.
Crowdstrike customers praise the service, with many complimenting the power of the threat detection and the real-time admin alerts. The solution is most suitable for enterprise customers, although Crowdstrike does offer a solution for smaller and midsized organizations. As a cloud-based endpoint solution, Crowdstrike is a good option for organizations looking for powerful endpoint security delivered as a service, with flexible pricing options and fast deployment.
Trellix Endpoint Security (formerly McAfee Enterprise) provides an integrated, centrally managed endpoint protection platform, with advanced threat protection. Trellix uses advanced detection capabilities for threat detection, including machine learning and credential theft monitoring and extended detection and response capabilities (XDR).
The key strengths of the Trellix platform are its threat detection and response, which integrates well with Windows. Trellix have a focus on automation, using machine learning and behavioral analysis to allow endpoints to communicate and detect threats more quickly. This means that there is less of a need for manual detections and remediations, as Trellix can provide automatic analysis, containment and remediation of threats to your endpoint fleet.
Trellix Endpoint Security is suited to larger customers who will be looking for strong endpoint security solution with powerful and automated threat detection and response. The Trellix platform is a strong option to consider for organizations looking for an integrated endpoint protection, XDR and MDR solution, to enable continuous threat monitoring and automated response, with powerful device level protection.
Microsoft’s Endpoint Protection is tightly integrated with Windows 10. Microsoft describe it as being a unified platform for protecting devices with behavioral based anti-virus, post-breach detection, automation and response. Microsoft also provides an incident response console, which provides alerts and incident response activities across the Defender ATP program, as well as ATP, Office 365, Azure and Active Directory.
Defender ATP works natively with Windows 10 but is also available across different environments with a version for Mac and Linux. Windows Defender Anti-Virus is one the most popular business endpoint protection platform, and is the the market leader in this space. However, licensing is difficult to navigate, and that feature parity is not on par with third party endpoint protection solutions. This has been reinforced by independent research which shows Defender does not rank highly against competitors in terms of threat protection.
Customers online praise Microsoft Defender, with some reporting that since installing the service they have seen ‘greater security and efficiency.’. Windows Defender is a good option therefore for Windows customers who are looking for a solution to manage their Windows 10 endpoints, without wanting to use a third-party endpoint protection tool.
SentinelOne is described as an ‘Autonomous AI platform’ for defending against attacks to the endpoint. Through a single agent, SentinelOne detects, responds and stops threats across the endpoint. It’s designed with ease of use in mind; utilizing artificial intelligence to automatically eliminate threats in real time, saving IT security teams time and improving their security efficacy. The solution also provides detailed reports, giving admins teams enhanced visibility across their networks. SentinelOne’s platform has grown rapidly in the last few years. SentinelOne can be deployed across cloud environments and as an on-premise solution.
SentinelOne’s key features are it’s highly automated endpoint threat protection capabilities, with a focus on innovative security approaches. SentinelOne deploys AI algorithms to protect against a wide array of threat vectors in real-time. They argue that this improves security efficiency, by eliminating cloud latency and the need for human intervention. SentinelOne also offers ‘Ranger’ which turns every endpoint into a sentinel which hunts rouge devise and can implement dynamic policies. SentineOne provides a high level of agent performance.
SentinelOne is popular with customers, with online reviews indicating high levels of customer satisfaction. Many praise its effectiveness of threat protection and the simplicity of the service. Users have also reported that deployment is very easy, with minimal impact on their production environment. SentinelOne is a good option for organizations looking for a new approach to endpoint security, with a more automated, simplified approach to endpoint security, without compromising on strong endpoint security functionality.
Sophos Endpoint Protection aims to simplify endpoint protection for organizations, making it simpler to secure Windows, Mac and Linux systems. It provides protection from malware and malicious web traffic. It also allows admins greater control over web content, applications devices and data controls, with comprehensive policy enforcement. The platform can be deployed as a cloud-based console or installed on premise.
In January 2019, Sophos purchased DarkBytes, an endpoint forensics vendor. This service has been incorporated into Sophos’ managed detection and response platform. In October 2019, Sophos agreed to an acquisition by Thoma Bravo, who have said they intend to keep Sophos as a standalone company.
Sophos customers praise the security features offered, arguing that it ‘stops zero-day malware’ and provides advanced anti-ransomware functionality. Customers also praise Sophos for its ease of use. Sophos provides one single admin console, from which all endpoints can be managed. However, customer feedback suggests that some customers have experienced slow installs and software updates. Sophos is a good option for mid-market and enterprise organizations to consider.
Symantec is another of the market leaders for endpoint protection, with a large customer base of large company and enterprise. They provide a complete, integrated endpoint solution, which can be deployed on premise or as a cloud-based solution. Symantec Cloud Endpoint Security provides full endpoint protection, as well as cloud managed endpoint detection and response, which is delivered through a single agent. In August 2019, Symantec’s enterprise security division, including Symantec Endpoint Security, was purchased by Broadcom.
Symantec offer a fully featured endpoint protection solution, with strong threat prevention capabilities, including file-less attack protection, enhanced mobile application security, protection for cloud-connected users and the ability to monitor and block unauthorized access. Symantec utilizes AI to make policy updates easier and simplify workflows for admin teams.
Until recently, Symantec was the market leader in endpoint security, now it’s behind Microsoft with its market share still declining. The Broadcom acquisition has concerned cyber security analysts and many Symantec customers, who fear that cuts will be made to support. Broadcom have made it clear they will focus on growth in the Global 2000 market, which has concerned smaller organizations using the service. The overall effect of this has been that many customers are now looking for alternatives to the Symantec Endpoint Security solution. Other vendors are using this opportunity to their advantage, with some offering special offers to Symantec customers. Overall, Symantec offer a comprehensive and powerful endpoint security solution, but the Broadcom acquisition puts their suitability for small and mid-sized organizations into question.
FAQs
What Is Endpoint Protection?
Endpoint protection is a security solution designed to protect your endpoint devices (PCs, mobile devices, laptops, tablets, etc.) against malware and viruses. These solutions are typically delivered via a piece of software which sits on the end-user’s device and is managed by admins from a central cloud dashboard.
What Features To Look For In An Endpoint Protection Solution?
To protect endpoint devices against malware, there are many key features enterprise endpoint protection solutions provide for teams. This includes:
- Anti-virus and anti-malware detection engines to prevent harmful malware
- Analysis of inbound and outbound traffic to prevent malicious downloads
- Data loss prevention (DLP) features, such as data encryption and file upload prevention
- Application and device control policies, to prevent users installing certain apps and services
- Reporting and alerting so admins can quickly identify compromised devices
There are also more advanced endpoint protection services, termed ‘Extended Detection and Response solutions (XDR)’ these services provide greater remediated and investigation features, often utilizing machine learning to enable faster identification and resolution of detected threats. They also often integrate with third party tools for more in-depth reporting across your security stack. You can view our guide to the top XDR solutions here.
How To Choose The Right Endpoint Protection Solution?
There are many considerations to make when choosing an endpoint protection solution, including factors such as price, features, and compatibility with the devices your workforce uses. Some important factors to consider when choosing the right solution include:
- Features: How developed is the solution’s feature-set, and does it meet the challenges facing your organization?
- Scalability: What is the cost for your organization, and can it scale with your teams’ growth?
- Performance: Does the solution impact on the performance of machines? Is it easy to manage for end users?
- Integrations: Does it integrate with the devices your workforce is already using? What about other security tools?
- Support: Is the solution regularly updated? Does it have an in-depth knowledge base?
Planning out your organization’s requirements around these questions can be a strong way to identify the best endpoint protection solution for your organization.
