Malware is, at its core, a malicious software that attacks your system, looks to steal sensitive information and corrupts your files. It’s a dangerous cyber-attack that your business needs to be aware of, and have the correct defenses in place to help protect yours and your customers’ key data assets.
According to a recent survey, when asked whether they believed their organization to be protected against ransomware (a form of malware), 50% of the 582 information security professionals asked didn’t feel they were. That’s a worrying statistic, especially when you consider that on average, 230,000 malware samples are produced daily. And that even when having up-to-date endpoint protection, around 75% of companies were still infected with ransomware.
What these statistics show is that it’s not only important to have the correct awareness of the incoming malware threats that may hit your business, but also to ensure that you have the correct protection for your business. From SMBs to large-scale organizations, everyone’s needs are different, and when it comes to protecting yourself from vicious malware attacks, these different defense techniques matter.
There are several different methods of preventing attacks from harming your business, from security awareness to endpoint protection, and email gateway security. So, we’ve put together a list of the top 10 best methods to help defend your business from malware attacks.
Avanan defends cloud-based email systems from targeted threats such as phishing, ransomware, malware, account takeover and data loss, with automated remediation. Avanan’s AI technology analyzes threat behavioral patterns, learning and adapting to them, ensuring the safeguarding of your suite, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Teams and Slack. Integration with Microsoft 365, Azure Active Directory and other linked SaaS applications is seamless.
Avanan provides real-time and historical data for all users, files and events, and policies for each access point. As a result, admins have the ability to identify threats in the network and put the necessary policies in place, preventing malicious emails from entering the inbox. It’s an API-based solution which can be easily deployed. Accordingly, The Mail Exchange record (MX Record) remains unchanged, hiding Avanan’s use from external sources, meaning it can’t be tracked and attackers can’t look to circumvent it.
Avanan provides strong defense against advanced email threats such as malware and business email compromise. For organizations that use Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, the solution offers malware protection, easy deployment, and effective remediation against phishing.
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 in place monitor ‘trillions of samples from a global network of 500 million users’, keeping the software up-to-date. GravityZone provides centralized management, whether in a cloud, public or virtual environment. Administrators can customize security policies to ensure 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 little disruption from business activity.
Bitdefender also offer add-on modules to aid scalability for your business, for both SMBs and MSPs. The Hyperdetect add-on adds an extra layer of defense against exploits and malware techniques. It also protects against zero-day attacks, credential theft and custom malware attacks, 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, whilst also providing the crucial information when attacks arise.
Crowdstrike Falcon offers total endpoint protection, with scalable options to cover small to large businesses, with each level of protection having its own detection and response AV capabilities.
Falcon Prevent is Crowdstrike’s endpoint protection module, which features adaptive, machine learning 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 feature. 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 maintained endpoint performance, simple deployment, and eliminates the need for persistent signature updates. Falcon Insight is available in the Enteprise solution, which also includes a threat hunting package which targets new and uncovered inbound threats.
Crowdstrike also provide IT Hygiene, a 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 assess passwords to improve compliance and security.
Users praise Crowdstrike’s fast and responsive support teams. The Spotlight feature has also proved popular too 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 such as 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 remove targeted threats. It monitors behavioral patterns across supervised apps to help identify these threats, and the threat file behavior too. Web browser protection and keyboard protection add extra security if a user visits malicious URLs or downloads malicious. 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.
IRONSCALES provides email protection through a wide-ranging set of features, such as phishing simulation, user reporting and automated threat remediation. The platform is fully cloud-based and its implementation into Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace is very simple, as MX Record reconfigurations are not required. IRONSCALES provides multi-layered protection against phishing and other email-based attacks, and because of the CheckPoint integration, there’s also protection against viruses and malware protection, all of which is controlled via a single admin console.
IRONSCALES’ technology combines machine learning with threat intelligence and crowdsourced threat reports to identify inbound threats. Emails in any state, whether sent, received or even delivered, can be automatically removed from the inbox, in accordance with the admin policies in place. Warning banners can also be placed on suspect emails, alerting users to potentially harmful sources.
A popular feature with the IRONSCALES platform is the fully customizable ‘Report Phish’ plugin, which can be added to users’ inboxes on any device, allowing them to report suspicious emails and helping deal with threats more efficiently. Upon reporting an email using the button, fellow users who also received the email will be alerted, allowing the email to be quarantined or deleted, in accordance with the admin policies.
Praised by its users for its efficient removal of phishing threats, preventing attacks and its ease of access and management, IRONSCALES provides a strong defense against malware and malicious threats. With training modules and phishing simulations also on offer, users can be more prepared for when attacks may strike, adding that extra layer of protection. We recommend IRONSCALES for organizations who operate in a cloud environment, and are looking for powerful threat protection, user phish reporting, and awareness training capabilities.
Proofpoint are email security market leaders. Their Essentials security solution offers a single platform for spam-filtering, encryption, malware protection, archiving and continuity. Proofpoint protects over 50% of the Fortune 100, the top five banks globally and seven of the top 10 global retailers. Proofpoint analyzes more than 100 billion data points, 100 million email boxes, 200 million social media accounts, and 7 million mobile apps daily. Using this data, Proofpoint bolster their defensive capabilities, keeping their protection up-to-date and defending against the most recent zero-day threats. Proofpoint Essentials is designed at the small to mid-sized business market, while Proofpoint Email Security is designed for enterprise organizations.
Proofpoint Essentials offers strong and reliable gateway email protection, keeping outbound and inbound secure. The gateway stops a host of threats from attacking your business through email and within your network, as well as providing continuity, management controls, encryption, and archiving. With its easy deployment and adaptability, Proofpoint Essentials can be integrated with the likes of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, but also with your business’ pre-existing email servers like Exchange.
Proofpoint Essentials combines certified antivirus protection, along with URL scanning and attachment sandboxing, providing multi-layered inbox security. There is also a user-friendly search function which adds filters for users’ email archives, resulting in easier navigation. With Proofpoint’s market-leading threat intelligence, the software can ensure more accurate threat protection. Essentials also offers advanced protection against phishing attacks and insider threats, with options for granular policy configuration and reporting.
Essentials has the ability to host multi-tenant dashboards for MSPs, providing central management of your clients. Proofpoint’s support network for their partners provides a wide range of marketing materials and webinars with flexible timings. Proofpoint Essentials still reigns as a favorite for SMBs due to its flexible price points and comprehensive protection. We’d recommend Proofpoint Essentials for organizations who are seeking a robust, flexible email threat protection, with encryption and archiving capabilities.
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, and 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 for 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 and Remediation, and Endpoint Control. The package also has the option for 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.
SpamTitan Cloud is a cloud-based secure email gateway that safeguards against email threats. The solution provides email content filtering, antivirus and malware protection, and protection against zero-day attacks. It utilizes several antivirus engines, resulting in effective malicious URL and attachment protection. With real-time scanning of email content, SpamTitan provides constant protection against inbound and outbound email attacks. Customizable management policies can be applied to individual users, domains, and domain groups. Admins can create whitelists, blacklists and greylists for email filtering, and can create granular reports.
Automated updates through the online admin console allow for central management and easy integration to your business’ system. There are a wide range of API integrations, so users can integrate SpamTitan with their third-party management products and existing infrastructure with ease. The product has a white labelled option for MSPs. Reports of effectivity demonstrate how effective the threat protection has been and where you can improve your defenses.
SpamTitan Cloud is a popular choice with SMBs and MSPs because of its central management, accessible interface, threat protection features, and tiered pricing. This also lends to its high scalability, allowing it to be implemented across several users, with multi-level administration, and support for multiple domains.
