Cybersecurity for Businesses: Antivirus vs. EDR vs. MDR Services 

Cybersecurity is essential (when the tide goes out, you don’t want to be caught naked). ‘Naked’ means having no cyber defenses and no response plan. The consequences could mean a huge lapse in business continuity, customer data leaks, loss of brand reputation, or even huge fines for lack of regulatory compliance. And we’re not just talking about large businesses being at risk, this matters for businesses of all sizes. Small businesses are the target of 43% of attacks. Of those same businesses, 60% will be closed within 6 months. Cyber attacks can hit a business hard and heavy.

Understanding The Basics

If you’ve already been researching cybersecurity for businesses, you might have encountered these terms: Antivirus, EDR, MDR.

At first glance, they can all seem pretty similar, but each of these three solutions provide very different levels of cyber defence (imagine the digital equivalent of erecting a simple chain link fence versus a proverbial Navy SEAL team on 24-hour cyber patrol).

Antivirus

Antivirus software detects, prevents, and removes malware, such as viruses, ransomware, and phishing attacks, using a database of known threats.

EDR Solutions (Endpoint Detection and Response)

EDR solutions provide advanced threat detection and response by continuously monitoring endpoint behaviors, using machine learning to identify and mitigate threats in real time.

MDR Services (Managed Detection and Response)

MDR is a managed service that combines multiple cybersecurity tools and expert monitoring to detect, analyze, and respond to threats, offering comprehensive security management.

Ninety-four percent of organizations have reported email security incidents. 

Keep in mind that even with top-notch cybersecurity no business can be entirely immune to attacks. New threats—like AI-powered attacks—have made it tougher than ever to maintain flawless protection.

Whether you choose an Antivirus, EDR, or MRD, remember that it needs to be combined with a robust plan that includes data backups, system redundancies, and a business continuity strategy.

A Closer Look At Antivirus (AV) Protection

Antivirus software is designed to detect, prevent, and remove malware, including viruses, ransomware, and phishing attacks. It scans your computer for threats, matches them against a known database, and takes action to mitigate any detected risks.

AV is essential for small businesses with basic security needs or for personal devices, but it lacks the advanced features needed to tackle novel or sophisticated threats. 

AV the digital equivalent of a chain link fence—it will keep threats from wandering in, but any determined attacker will be able to jump over this defence.  

Best For:

• Businesses without sensitive data.
• Those on a very limited cybersecurity budget.

What are EDR Solutions (Endpoint Detection and Response)

An endpoint refers to any physical device that connects to a network system such as a computer, mobile phone, virtual machine, server, smart devices, or anything else with networking ability. 

Endpoint Detection and Response provides advanced threat detection and response capabilities. It uses machine learning to continuously investigate anomalies in real-time, identify suspicious activities, and deploy protective measures.

EDR is important for medium to large businesses needing more advanced levels of cyber security. Although it requires more resources and expertise to manage, your business will be much safer (imagine the digital equivalent of motion detectors and guard dogs).

Best For:

• Businesses storing sensitive data.
• Those looking to invest in cybersecurity.

What are MDR Services (Managed Detection and Response)?

An MDR is a comprehensive service that couples cybersecurity tools with real-time human monitoring. MDRs provide advanced threat identification, comprehensive incident management, 24/7 detection, and expert-led strategic responses.

MDRs bring a variety of cybersecurity tools together to create a robust defense system, tools such as an EDR, SOC (Security Operations Center), and SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) among various other components. 

This multi-pronged approach is perfect for organizations that lack in-house security expertise or that need to reduce the burden on internal IT teams. Essentially, imagine having a fully equipped Navy SEAL team guarding your digital door—it’s very difficult (but still always possible) for any threats to get through.

Best For:

• Businesses storing highly-sensitive data or that have certain compliance requirements
• Those that require continuous, expert monitoring and response.

OneLock: Making Advanced Cybersecurity Accessible & Easy

One of the biggest challenges with cybersecurity for businesses has always been balancing advanced protection with ease of use. 

Antivirus software is quite cheap, but offers limited protection. Meanwhile, EDRs and MDRs offer higher levels of protection, but can often be difficult to implement for small to medium sized businesses due to their complexity and level of expertise needed.

OneLock strikes that balance. It provides the highest levels of cybersecurity on the market by combining all the cybersecurity benefits your business needs into a single, robust Managed Detection Response (MDR) package—while keeping costs more effective.

Part of the expense of EDRs and MDRs is the complicated implementation of these solutions. OneLock simplifies the process, making it simpler to implement a comprehensive security framework and provide top-tier cybersecurity.

How OneLock Works

• Integrates antivirus, EDR, and MDR capabilities.
• Provides real-time monitoring, threat detection, and response.
• Simplifies deployment with a ready-to-use solution

• Offers the highest levels of cybersecurity.
• Reduces the complexity of managing multiple solutions.
• Ideal for businesses seeking an all-in-one security solution.

Service Provided	Antivirus	OneLock
Block Threats	✅	✅
Scan for Threats	✅	✅
Alerts and Blocks Viruses	✅	✅
Keep Operating System Up-to-Date	❌	✅
24/7/365 Security Operations Center (SOC)	❌	✅
Real-time Event Monitoring	❌	✅
Self-managed and Maintained	❌	✅
Prevent Alert Fatigue	❌	✅
Easily Adapts to Hybrid/WFH/Cloud	❌	✅
Device Isolation (Prevents Lateral Infection)	❌	✅
MS365 Account Disablement (Block Payload Delivery)	❌	✅
3rd Party App Vulnerability Alerts	❌	✅
Detect Unusual Email Activity	❌	✅
DNS Firewall: Filter Malicious Websites	❌	✅
Customizable Content Blocking (gambling, drugs, etc)	❌	✅
Continuous Scanning for Vulnerabilities	❌	✅
Data Extracting Detection and Alerts	❌	✅
Privileged Access Detection and Alerts	❌	✅
Anti-System Tampering Alerts	❌	✅
Integrated Windows Defender Built-In (Dual Approach)	❌	✅
Weekly & Monthly Reporting	❌	✅

Conclusion

What is the best solution? Well, that will depend on the unique needs of your business: an antivirus, EDR, MDR, or the comprehensive OneLock solution. Any one of these might be best for you.We’re happy to chat about your business needs and recommend solutions—no obligations or pressure, just advice. Get in touch with us and we’ll steer you in the right direction.