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Given the increasing complexity and frequency of cyberattacks, antivirus software is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for modern businesses. These software systems are designed to provide superior protection against cyber threats, enhancing the safety and integrity of business data.
Choosing an appropriate enterprise antivirus solution for your business hinges on several key considerations. We delve into each of our top seven picks below, outlining the use cases, pricing, key features, pros, and cons of each solution.
Here are our top picks for enterprise antivirus software:
Before investing in an enterprise antivirus solution, it’s essential to compare key features, pricing and scalability. The comparison table below lists seven top antivirus products, outlining key factors for consideration.
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Best for comprehensive malware protection
Malwarebytes for Business is a widely trusted antivirus software solution recognized for its robust protection against various malware types, including ransomware and phishing scams. It offers an excellent selection of features tailored for businesses looking to secure their digital assets and operations.
Contact Malwarebytes for a quote for more than 100 devices on either plan.
Best for scalability
GravityZone Business Security is a reputable business antivirus software recognized for its prowess in detecting and mitigating advanced cyber threats as well as its prevention-based protection. With its machine learning (ML) algorithms, it offers continuous protection against emerging and sophisticated cyber threats.
Best for large-scale enterprises
Symantec End-User Endpoint Security, now a part of Broadcom Inc., provides a sophisticated security solution crafted to meet the demands of large enterprises. With a wide array of advanced tools at all levels of the attack cycle from prevention to mitigation and response, it ensures robust and comprehensive security for all devices — including protection for mobile in addition to traditional devices.
Symantec does not publish any pricing information on their products, but resellers such as SHI list their Endpoint Protection solution at $39.00 per year per user.
Best for integration with the Microsoft ecosystem
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a robust enterprise antivirus solution that provides an additional layer of security for businesses within the Microsoft ecosystem. With comprehensive endpoint protection, it effectively counters a wide array of cybersecurity threats.
This service is included with Microsoft 365 enterprise plans starting at $36.00 per user per month, providing a value-added solution for subscribers.
Best for cloud-native endpoint security
CrowdStrike Falcon Endpoint Protection provides a cloud-native solution to endpoint security. It uses AI to proactively detect and mitigate threats, making it a prime choice for businesses seeking cutting-edge protection. The platform is characterized by extensibility and flexibility to ensure that its users’ vast security needs are met.
CrowdStrike Falcon offers four plans:
Best for multilayered protection
Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business is an industry-leading antivirus software recognized for its comprehensive protection capabilities. It offers a well-rounded approach to endpoint security, combining conventional protection methods with advanced ML algorithms to detect and neutralize threats before they can compromise your systems. Kaspersky’s robustness and ability to guard against a wide array of cyberthreats make it an excellent choice for businesses looking for a single solution to cover all their security needs.
Kaspersky offers three plans for medium-sized businesses, with volume discounts for larger enterprise purchases.
Best for SMBs
Avast Business is a robust solution specifically designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers a comprehensive suite of protection tools in a user-friendly package. Its all-in-one protection for SMBs ensures mission-critical data is secure while employees are protected.
Selecting the best enterprise antivirus software requires a deep understanding of the key features that define these robust security solutions. Here are a few crucial components that businesses should prioritize when choosing their antivirus software, including malware protection, advanced threat detection, integration capabilities, and scalability.
Comprehensive malware protection is a foundational feature of any reliable enterprise antivirus software. It not only scans for and removes known malware, such as viruses, worms, and Trojan horses, but also uses advanced heuristics to detect new and emerging malware threats.
This lets businesses maintain robust protection against a broad spectrum of malicious software, securing their crucial data and IT infrastructure.
In addition to identifying known threats, the best enterprise antivirus software includes advanced threat detection capabilities. This feature employs sophisticated techniques such as ML, behavioral analysis, and threat intelligence feeds to identify previously unseen or zero-day threats.
Such proactive threat hunting allows businesses to thwart cyberattacks before they infiltrate their systems.
Cloud-native endpoint security is another pivotal feature that enables real-time, continuous protection of devices connected to your business network.
As businesses shift towards cloud computing and remote work environments, securing all endpoints — including servers, workstations, and mobile devices — becomes crucial. This feature ensures that every entry point to your network is well-protected, whether it’s located on-premises or in the cloud.
Even the most advanced antivirus solution needs to be user-friendly. A well-designed, intuitive interface allows IT teams to navigate the system effectively, perform tasks efficiently and respond promptly to security alerts.
Furthermore, this aids in easier management and monitoring of your business’s security posture, thereby minimizing the likelihood of overlooking critical security threats.
In many cases, antivirus software needs to work in conjunction with other security and business tools. Integration capabilities ensure that your antivirus solution can communicate with other software, enhancing visibility, improving response times and facilitating a more coordinated and effective security strategy.
As businesses evolve, so do their security needs. Scalability is an essential feature that ensures your enterprise antivirus software can adapt to changes in your business size, structure, or operational strategies.
A scalable solution can accommodate an increasing number of users and devices, handle more significant amounts of data, and adapt to new or expanded operational requirements, all while maintaining optimal performance and security.
Working with top-tier enterprise antivirus software brings numerous benefits to businesses of all sizes. These powerful tools not only provide essential security coverage, but also deliver strategic value in a digitally-driven operational landscape.
By leveraging advanced antivirus software, businesses significantly enhance their overall security posture. These solutions come equipped with robust features designed to detect, neutralize, and prevent a wide variety of cyberthreats.
From defending against ransomware and phishing attacks to detecting zero-day exploits, enterprise antivirus software helps create a secure digital environment for business operations.
Implementing effective business antivirus software can result in substantial cost savings over time. Cybersecurity incidents, such as data breaches, come with significant financial implications — including regulatory fines, remediation costs, and potential loss of business due to reputational damage.
By proactively protecting the enterprise with antivirus software, businesses can mitigate these risks and stay clear of the associated costs.
Cybersecurity incidents can cause significant downtime, disrupting business operations and impacting productivity. Enterprise antivirus software helps prevent these disruptions by ensuring that threats are identified and handled before they can cause harm.
Furthermore, many of these solutions offer automated response features, freeing up IT staff to focus on strategic tasks instead of constant threat management.
Many industries have stringent regulatory requirements related to data security. Having robust enterprise antivirus software can be a crucial element in maintaining compliance with these regulations. Such software not only provides the necessary security controls but also generates reports that can demonstrate compliance to auditors.
Most business antivirus software solutions offer scalable security measures that can grow with the business. Whether a business is expanding its workforce, incorporating more devices, or opening new locations, its antivirus software can adapt to these changes.
Additionally, businesses can tailor their antivirus solutions, choosing specific features and protections that best meet their needs and risk profile.
Following five simple steps can help you streamline the search for the best antivirus software for your organization and significantly narrow the field.
Enterprise antivirus software is a security tool that safeguards business networks and devices from cyberthreats. It offers extensive features beyond personal antivirus options.
Yes. All businesses, irrespective of size, need antivirus software to protect against increasing cyberattacks such as malware, ransomware, and phishing.
Enterprise antivirus software defends against various threats including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, ransomware, and phishing. It also counters advanced persistent threats (APTs) and zero-day threats.
Antivirus software should be updated whenever new updates are released by the provider. These updates contain new threat definitions and enhancements for superior protection against the latest threats.
Yes. Many enterprise antivirus solutions protect remote workers with features like VPNs, endpoint protection, and cloud-based management. Always verify these features with the provider.
Our selection of the top seven enterprise antivirus software for 2023 was based on evaluating each software’s features, such as comparing comprehensive malware protection, cloud-native endpoint security, and scalability.
User experience, including the ease of installation, user interface, customer support and user reviews, were also vital criteria in our review process.
We also assessed pricing and cost-effectiveness to produce a balanced, comprehensive guide to help you make an informed choice based on your needs and budget.
Choosing the right enterprise antivirus software is crucial in today’s digital business landscape. Each software listed here offers robust protection, but the ideal one for you depends on the specific needs and budget of your business.
Evaluate your business requirements, consider the pricing and features of each solution, and choose the software that aligns best with your objectives.
Having an effective antivirus solution is critical — but don’t neglect your firewall. We reviewed the best firewall software, the best enterprise firewalls, and the best firewalls for SMBs to help you find the solution that works best for you.
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