The Top 11 Malware Protection Solutions

ThreatLocker offers an endpoint protection platform based on a Zero Trust approach, providing control over content and applications installed on endpoints. The platform employs ThreatLocker Allowlisting, which is deployed in “Learning Mode” to analyze all applications, executables, and processes to create a tailored set of application control policies. This set of policies can be customized for finer control over software.

A key tool in the platform is ThreatLocker Ringfencing, which manages an application’s access capabilities. This may include limits on file access, internet use, and interactions with other applications, reducing the risk of malware infection. Additionally ThreatLocker Storage Control enables admins to monitor all file and media access within an endpoint, while setting policies for physical media resources such as USBs.

The Zero Trust framework presented in ThreatLocker Network Control provides extensive control and visibility over network traffic. Network Control automatically regulates port availability, opening ports for authorized devices and denying access to all other devices or traffic not on an approved list. This helps admins manage Internet of Things (IoT) and shadow IT device access to specific servers, further reducing the risk of ransomware and malware.

ThreatLocker provides an easy installation process, with options such as Microsoft Software Installer or through an RMM. User feedback highlights the sleek design and intuitive functionality of the administrative console, along with its simplicity, ease of deployment, and user-friendly policies for blocking or allowing applications as per user requests.

Avast is market leading anti-malware provider, known for powerful endpoint and network security solutions, aimed at small and medium-sized businesses. Avast’s anti-malware solution is cloud-based, providing seamless management through an integrated platform, quick detection, and rapid mitigation. The solution uses machine learning and behavioural analytics, alongside signature-based detection, to automatically identify and remediate advanced malware threats. Globally, more than half a billion endpoints are protected by the solution.

Avast provides powerful endpoint protection and can effectively block advanced malware attacks through suspicious content analysis and sandboxing capabilities. The software is lightweight and can be easily deployed across any endpoint device, server, laptop, or desktop. Avast also offers a powerful VPN feature to secure online connections and prevent malicious adware from tracking digital activity.

The solution is cost-effective, easy-to-install, and manage. It has a user-friendly admin dashboard, with management policies and comprehensive analytics. We recommend Avast as an ideal anti-malware solution for SMBs and mid-sized teams who require trusted anti-virus to secure all company endpoint devices.

BitDefender GravityZone is a comprehensive endpoint protection software that offers effective defense against advanced malware threats. Bitdefender’s response to advanced-level threats utilizes adaptive AI learning technology that analyses behavior and attack patterns, in order to effectively stop known and emerging malware threats. The algorithms monitor trillions of samples from a global network of 500 million users, ensuring that software is up-to-date. GravityZone provides centralized management for cloud, public, and virtual environments. Administrators can customize security policies to control endpoint protection, adjusting vectors such as firewalls, web-content scanning, USB scanning, and device control. The system can also be tuned to automatically detect and deal with threats as they happen, enabling business activity to continue.

Bitdefender also offer add-on modules to aid scalability for your business for both SMBs and MSPs. The Hyperdetect add-on provides an extra layer of defense against exploits and malware techniques. It also protects against zero-day attacks, credential theft, and custom malware attacks, thereby allowing for enhanced protection against outside threats.

One of Bitdefender’s key assets is its easy deployment and integration, with admins having the ability to customize policies and reports, tailoring the service to their business. Customers have praised its ease of use, security features, and lightweight desktop client that provides crucial information when attacks occur.

Check Point provides highly effective endpoint security and anti-malware solutions. It efficiently detects and removes malware from endpoints with a single scan, offering one of the industry’s fastest malware and antivirus scan and boot time. It incorporates an anti-malware software blade which uses signatures, behavior blockers, and heuristic analysis to identify viruses, spyware, keystroke loggers, trojans, and rootkits.

As part of its comprehensive anti-malware solution, Check Point offers additional components in its Endpoint Security Suite. These include SandBlast Agent for real-time advanced protection technologies, Full Disk Encryption for transparent security on endpoint drives, Capsule Docs for document protection, Media Encryption, and Port Protection for secure access to corporate resources, as well as Remote Access VPN for secure remote access to corporate resources.

Check Point’s anti-malware solution includes an option for advanced Zero-Day Protection with SandBlast Agent. It also features enhanced monitoring capabilities, offering complete audit logs through a single console and allowing for quick detection and remediation of infected or outdated devices. The company’s endpoint security solution is managed from a single console, thereby simplifying management and providing control over scan scheduling and remediation requirements.

Crowdstrike Falcon offers total endpoint protection, with scalable options that cover small and large businesses alike. Each level of protection has its own detection and response AV capabilities.

Falcon Prevent is Crowdstrike’s endpoint protection module which features adaptive machine learning and AI to defend against incoming malicious threats. Falcon Prevent analyzes attack behavior to prevent sophisticated fileless and malware free attacks. As add-ons, Crowdstrike also offer their threat intelligence technology, USB device control, and host firewall control. Falcon Prevent is available in all Crowdstrike plans.

Falcon Insight is Crowdstrike’s endpoint detection and response tool. Insight continuously records and logs attacks, provides comprehensive EDR protection, and improves efficiency of the process through easy-to-use APIs and threat prioritization. This is also augmented through Crowdstrike’s cloud system which allows you to maintain and manage endpoint performance, simple deployment, and eliminates the need for persistent signature updates. Falcon Insight is available in the Enterprise package; this also includes a threat hunting package which targets new and uncovered inbound threats.

Crowdstrike also provide an IT hygiene feature which expands user visibility and live data on incoming threats. IT Hygiene provides a central hub from which administrators can monitor who’s using your network at what time, track admin credentials, track session times for suspicious behavior, and evaluate passwords to improve compliance and security.

Users praise Crowdstrike’s fast and responsive support teams. The Spotlight feature has proved popular due to its visibility for threat vulnerability and its easy API integration. The Falcon range provides comprehensive coverage against malicious online threats for your business, however big or small.

Market-leaders, ESET, provide a cloud-based endpoint security solution, designed to protect businesses of all sizes from attacks like ransomware and malware. With central control and multi-layered protection, ESET Endpoint Security provides protection for computers, laptops, mobile phones, and tablets, as well as file servers and virtual environments. The software utilizes AI learning technology and crowdsourced threat intelligence to identify and eliminate threats. It monitors behavioral patterns across supervised apps to help identify threats and catalogue the threat behavior to improve future identification. Web browser protection and keyboard protection add extra security for when a user visits malicious URLs or unwittingly downloads malicious content. Organizations have central control over their endpoints through ESET’s unified cloud-based management system.

ESET offer their endpoint security package as part of a multiple option, scaling price tier. The base Protect Entry package provides the cloud-based console, endpoint protection and file server security. Protect Advanced adds sandboxing and full disk encryption features. Protect Complete builds on the previous tiers by including mailbox security features, along with cloud app protection for endpoints. Protect Enterprise shares the same features as Advanced, however adds Endpoint detection and response.

ESET have been praised by customers for their strong cooperation and the platform’s simple design. The system provides robust protection against malware, whilst also providing a scalable solution for businesses of all sizes. We recommend ESET Endpoint Security for businesses with a worldwide workforce, and for those where there is a BYOD policy in place.

FortiGuard Antivirus Service is a fully automated malware protection solution focused on securing against malware, ransomware, and zero-day threats. This service uses innovative Content Pattern Recognition Language (CPRL) to mitigate against both known and emergent malware types.

FortiGuard deploys multiple threat detection technologies which include signature-based detection, heuristic, and behavior-based identification, alongside AI and machine learning based analysis. FortiGuard ensures improved security for networks, endpoints, and cloud services through an array of Fortinet products such as FortiGate Next-Generation Firewalls, FortiMail, FortiWeb, FortiClient, and FortiSandbox, enhancing your security posture and lowering the risk of data breaches.

The service outperforms in terms of efficiency and accuracy due to its CPRL implementation that allows identification of malware, even without specific signature files. This is done by combining CPRL with AI and machine learning technologies that identify and neutralize threats promptly. FortiGuard Antivirus is incorporated into Fortinet’s platform-oriented approach which focuses on coordinated workflows and responses, thus making it convenient for diverse groups of users.

The FortiGuard Antivirus Service has use-cases across a wide range of organizations for the protection of IT and OT networks, endpoints, and cloud workloads, ensuring enhanced security and reduced risk of business disruption due to cyber threats.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a comprehensive endpoint security solution that provides multi-platform threat detection and response. The solution can secure devices running on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and IoT platforms. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint uses advanced AI to counter sophisticated cyber threats such as ransomware.

The solution benefits from global threat intelligence, allowing it to effectively mitigate vulnerabilities as well as providing a clear view of the cyberattack landscape. With Microsoft Defender XDR offers robust detection and response functionality for all multiplatform and IoT devices. It also facilitates seamless collaboration between security and IT teams enabling enhanced protection and productivity through unified endpoint management.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint delivers a comprehensive view of your cyberattack surface, encompassing all managed and unmanaged devices across various platforms. It offers granular control over security settings, policies, network/web access, and automated workflows. This ensures an optimal balance between protection and productivity. Microsoft Defender’s unique security enhancements include auto-deployed deception techniques and ransomware disruption, providing a proactive approach to safeguarding your digital estate.

The solution can be integrated with Microsoft’s unified Security Operations (SecOps) platform that combines the power of extended detection and response (XDR) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM). This provides a critical edge in detecting and mitigating cyberthreats, while streamlining threat investigation and response processes. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is an integral part of Microsoft’s comprehensive security portfolio offered with their mainstream Microsoft 365 business products.

A single agent endpoint defense software, SentinelOne identifies, responds and stops threats for malware, ransomware, and zero-day attacks. SentinelOne’s endpoint protection, Singularity, provides scalability, threat prevention and control, threat detection, 1-Click Remediation, and threat hunting. Singularity is an easily accessible SaaS solution, with multi-tenancy and multi-site options. The platform enables simplified deployment and easy integrations with existing security posture. Singularity features AI learning technology that aims to combat file-based threats, firewalls, and granular device control for USB & Bluetooth.

The AI analyzes behavioral threats in real-time to detect fileless attacks, rootkits, and lateral movement within an account. This analysis is then tracked automatically with the storyline feature, plotting out the attack from start to finish, saving security teams valuable time. Customizable autonomous responses on the storyline allow admins to adjust the settings to their preference, with 1-click remediation for all endpoints.

There are two packages which include SentinelOne’s Endpoint protection: Singularity Control and Singularity Complete. Singularity Control includes SentinelOne’s SaaS global platform, along with anti-virus remediation and endpoint control. The package also has the option to add-on features for cloud-security, network features, and a host of SentinelOne’s services and support. Singularity Complete adds EDR features as standard, which covers MITRE ATT&CK Integration, the Storyline feature, and file integrity monitoring. SentinelOne is an easy to deploy, scalable solution for businesses of all sizes.

Sophos delivers a range of advanced endpoint protection, detection, and response solutions. Its flagship product, Sophos Intercept X, helps organizations to prevent ransomware and advanced threats from affecting end-users. Sophos secures networks used by 100 million people across 150 countries and 550,000 businesses.

Sophos Intercept X provides powerful Extended Detection and Response (XDR) capabilities, leveraging powerful artificial intelligence to detect threats before they compromise your system. It identifies and responds to endpoint threats, including those undetected by conventional security measures. Sophos not only detects threats, but also analyzes them, aiding understanding of the risks involved for better preparedness for future breaches.

Sophos offers several advanced malware protection features. Their Synchronized Security allows for real-time threat intelligence sharing between endpoints and firewalls, thereby improving response times. Their built-in machine learning, coupled with top-tier threat intelligence from SophosLabs, increases security without requiring additional personnel. This also includes an advanced form of machine learning known as Deep Learning, which detects both known and unknown malware.

Sophos’s continuous monitoring and response feature, XDR, saves valuable time by blocking a high percentage of threats before they require manual investigation. When greater threats emerge, Sophos MDR—backed by a team of experts—provides guided incident response, assisting in making faster, informed decisions, planning next steps, isolating infected devices, and eradication of threats.

Trend Micro Apex One is an endpoint security and anti-malware solution that integrates advanced threat protection techniques with detection and response. It offers a comprehensive, single-agent portfolio, designed to eliminate security gaps across all user activities and endpoints. With a focus on zero-day threats, Trend Micro Apex One makes use of next-gen anti-malware techniques as well as offering virtual patching. It puts control in the hands of users, providing them with broad visibility and insight into their security environment.

Apex One provides extended detection and response (XDR) capabilities for cross-layer detection, investigation, and threat hunting. Its compatibility with third-party security tools supports real-time threat intelligence updates, enabling quick responses to attacks. Flexible deployment options include on-premises, hybrid, or as a service, allowing customization to fit any environment.

The platform offers strong malware and ransomware protection capabilities that defend all endpoints from malicious scripts. These capabilities advance and evolve to shield against stealthy and emerging threats. The virtual patching feature is particularly useful. This is able to apply virtual patches for protection, before a patch is readily available or deployable. It also includes a ransomware rollback feature that quickly detects and stops encryption processes, restoring any files encrypted in the process.

Trend Micro Apex One integrates with other Trend Micro security products via the firm’s global cloud threat intelligence, delivering rapid response updates to endpoints.