Is Antivirus Enough? Modern Methods to Combat Intrusion, Ransomware, and More Sophisticated Attacks

In a world where the significance of cybersecurity is prominent, traditional anti-virus solutions are simply not enough. Whether a business is large or small, every company is a target.

 A September 2020 Gartner survey showed that the evolving threat landscape was ranked as the top factor impacting security risk and management leaders during the next three to five years. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the modern methods hackers are using to combat intrusion, ransomware, and other sophisticated attacks. 

What exactly is an intrusion?

According to NIST, an intrusion is defined as a security event, or a combination of multiple security events, that constitute an incident in which an intruder gains, or attempts to gain, access to a system or system resource without having the authorization to do so. An intrusion may include malware, ransomware, cyber-enabled equipment destruction, or social engineering attacks, such as phishing campaigns. 
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EDR vs. MDR – What is the difference?

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

EDR is a cybersecurity solution that uses data analytics to identify potential endpoint threats before they occur, block malicious activity, and offer remediation suggestions. As Gartner research states, EDR solutions must provide four main capabilities:

• Detect security incidents 
• Contain the incident at the endpoint
• Investigate security incidents 
• Provide remediation guidance 

An EDR system operates by sending out an alert to specified professionals when suspicious behavior is detected. The system can then restrict activity, remove the threat, and repair any damage caused.

Not only does EDR focus on preventing an attack, but it also offers mitigation capabilities — to reduce damage if one occurs. Because endpoints are often the main target for a hacker to compromise a company, it is a priority for any given organization. 

Managed Detection and Response (MDR)

MDR offers a different cybersecurity solution and is usually provided by an MSP, or managed service provider. MDR services utilize a host of cybersecurity tools and can be used to provide complete network coverage — or a specific type of coverage —designed to complement existing cybersecurity efforts. Some of the cybersecurity tools used in these MDR solutions may include:

• Vulnerability management
• Intrusion detection
• Cloud vulnerability
• Network traffic analysis
• EDR

EDR tools are an integral component of an MDR solution's security offering — as they are critical to detection, analysis, and response activities. MDR is designed to step in where an organization’s cybersecurity capabilities fall short. It tackles more advanced threats that an in-house IT team may not have the resources to address.

‍Security Operations Center (SOC)

‍A Security Operations Center (SOC) is a command center facility for a team of IT professionals with expertise in information security who monitor, analyze and protect an organization from cyber attacks. Although the size of an SOC team varies depending on the size of the organization, they generally have the same roles and responsibilities.

SOC teams must constantly stay one step ahead of attackers and in recent years this has become more and more difficult. Two of the main issues that SOCs currently face are a shortage of cybersecurity skills and an increased volume of security alerts. They are often forced to piece together information from multiple monitoring solutions, not seeing critical attacks until it’s too late.

Antivirus is not enough

Because the world of IT security is quickly evolving, businesses need additional protection to stay ahead of cyber attacks. Advanced threat protection – including both MDR and EDR – provides a much more effective solution against such risks.

Some of the top reasons why they offer the best level of protection include:

• Quickly identify unprotected devices
• Offer more visibility and control 
• Provide autonomous protection
• Deliver around-the-clock monitoring to manage threats

MDR, EDR, and SOC tools elevate an organization’s security and address threats. However, they assist businesses in a diverse assortment of ways. To better understand what your organization can benefit from most, it is critical to understand and assess the function of each service.

At Riverstrong, we understand that the evolving IT landscape means an increase in cybersecurity threats and their detrimental consequences. That’s why we work to stay up-to-date with technology solutions and inform our clients of our practices along the way.

To learn more about which cybersecurity plan is right for your organization, and how our team at Riverstrong can help, check out the services we offer!

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