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What to Look for in Antivirus Software for Your Business
By Dave Warner, Systems Engineer at Cenetric
In the past, antivirus software was all you needed to make sure you’re protected from viruses. But today’s threat landscape is complex and evolving by the minute. Simple viruses are no longer your biggest worry.
Businesses need endpoint protection
While traditional antivirus software like Norton Antivirus and McAfee will protect the devices you put them on from known threats on each individual device, that level of protection just isn’t enough for a business.
What you need to look at instead are more vigorous protections called endpoint protection programs (EPP) or endpoint detection and response (EDR). Generally, EPP solutions are best suited for SMBs.
But what’s an endpoint, anyway? It’s any device or server that might be on your network, physically or virtually. Laptops, mobile phones, tablets, cloud servers, and even IoT devices like thermostats or cameras are all endpoints. All endpoints can be called a device, but not all devices are endpoints. To be considered an endpoint, a device must connect to a network.
And that’s exactly why cyber criminals love attacking endpoints — they’re a way into an entire network. Traditional antivirus solutions just aren’t enough because they lack the proactive protection that endpoint solutions offer.
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Why endpoint protection is stronger than antivirus software
Long story short, endpoint protection solutions are more robust than antivirus software and do much more to protect your business.
They detect of all types of threats
Antivirus software protects you from existing malware by comparing files to a database of known virus code. Endpoint solutions watch for all suspicious activity, allowing it to catch new threats that aren’t widely known yet.
They also implement zero-trust protocols— no endpoint is trusted automatically, even if you own it and it’s on your secure network. Zero-trust is especially important when employees use their own devices to interact with your data and systems, particularly in places without secure Wi-Fi.
They monitor and respond in real time
While antivirus solutions scan based on schedules, leaving gaps threat actors can slide through, endpoint solutions continuously monitor for threats and stop them immediately before they can harm your network.
They protect against more than just viruses and malware
Believe it or not, there are attacks that don’t rely on viruses at all and instead turn an endpoint’s core system against your business. For example, if suddenly an entire drive is being encrypted and uploaded to a dark web server, endpoint solutions will see that activity and put a stop to it.
Protecting your email protects your business
Email is one of bad actors’ favorite attack vectors. IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach 2025 Report tells us that phishing was the top way criminals gained access to systems last year, and it’s the trend we’re seeing too. Other not-so-fun email attack facts (via Proofpoint 2025 research) include:
- Links are now used four times more than attachments in malicious emails. Warn (and train) employees about clicking innocent-looking links accordingly.
- There were 3.7 billion URL threats trying to steal credentials over a six-month period observed versus 8.3 million trying to drop malware. Bad actors want your usernames and passwords more than anything else because they’re often a ticket to more valuable data.
- More than a third (34%) of malware campaigns delivered remote access software (intended to take over endpoints).
SMBs should be very cautious about business email compromise (BEC). This is when an attacker gets access to a mailbox, then watches and waits until they can craft a very real-looking email thread designed to convince the target to send them a large sum of money. Well-crafted attacks can be very difficult to spot, and even the less refined ones can catch people by simply casting a wide enough net.
These types of attacks cost businesses a median $50,000 and typically (88%) ask for funds in a wire transfer, according to the Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report. Create tight financial approval systems with multiple checkpoints to add security layers that stop funds from being released to a bad actor. Consistent, frequent training on how to spot BEC is a must for your organization — especially since the rise of LLMs has made it easier than ever for bad actors to create extremely convincing emails and deepfakes.
Huntress has a fantastic cloud identity protection service that we can’t recommend enough. It works with Microsoft 365 to notify you of any potentially compromised accounts. It’s been able to identify compromised mailboxes for our clients within minutes of an attacker gaining access, allowing us to immediately lock them out before any damage can be done. We also like the Barracuda secure email gateway service, Proofpoint, or Securence.
Cenetric will help you protect your business from cyberattack
If you’re using traditional antivirus solutions in your business, you’re putting your company in a dangerous position. Instead, EPP and EDR solutions are designed to protect an entire network of devices from the complex threats businesses are faced with.
At Cenetric, we typically use the highly regarded Microsoft Defender for Endpoint solution with our clients. It’s especially effective if you pair it with a solid managed detection and response solution like Huntress. (Though, as a vendor-neutral managed services provider, we’ll never push any particular solution on you, of course.)
No one’s expecting you to make sense of this technology all on your own — it’s a lot to take in. Cenetric helps clients with this all the time and can help you choose the right endpoint solution for your business. Even if you’ve already been hit by a cyberattack, we can help you repair the damage and implement the right protection for the future.
In either case, Cenetric has the experience to get — and keep — your Kansas City business covered when it comes to cybersecurity. Let’s talk about your needs today.