The Plain English Version

Antivirus software scans your computers for malicious programs and removes them. It is the traditional first line of defence against malware - comparing files against a database of known threats.

While still essential, traditional antivirus alone is no longer enough. Modern threats are too sophisticated to catch with signature-based detection alone.

Antivirus vs Endpoint Protection

Traditional antivirus: Scans for known malware signatures. Reactive - it needs to know about a threat to stop it.

Modern endpoint protection: Adds behavioural analysis, machine learning, and response capabilities. Can detect unknown threats based on suspicious behaviour.

What Antivirus Does

  • Signature scanning - Compares files against known malware patterns
  • Real-time protection - Monitors files as they are accessed
  • Scheduled scans - Regular full-system checks
  • Quarantine - Isolates suspicious files
  • Web protection - Blocks known malicious websites

Why Traditional AV Falls Short

Attackers create new malware variants constantly - hundreds of thousands daily. By the time a signature is created, the threat has often moved on. Fileless malware, living-off-the-land attacks, and zero-days bypass signature detection entirely.

For SMEs

At minimum, every device needs antivirus - it catches the low-hanging fruit. But consider upgrading to modern endpoint protection (EPP/EDR) for better coverage. Windows Defender has improved significantly and is free, but business-grade solutions offer central management and better detection.