How to Choose an Antivirus Program for Your MSP
A key component of cybersecurity, antivirus software protects computers from malware threats like viruses and Trojan horses. Malware, an industry term that stands for malicious software, is any program that runs on a computer with unintended and often harmful consequences, like stealing passwords, corrupting files or spreading through systems networks and email as worms to steal data or damage systems. Antivirus programs typically work by scanning the file system, apps and emails for known signatures of dangerous code, and identifying new threats as they emerge through cloud-based detection.
When choosing an antivirus program for your MSP, make sure it offers signature-based detection and frequent updates. A traditional antivirus database stores a digital fingerprint for each virus or piece of malware, and any program that matches a fingerprint is flagged as a threat. But these databases must be constantly updated as malware developers tinker with their creations to avoid detection (or release polymorphic strains that change their own signatures over time).
Also look for antivirus programs that offer heuristic-based detection. These more advanced security tools examine each process and behavior for signs of a malicious intent, and may detect behaviors like changing or deleting large numbers of files, monitoring keystrokes, modifying and removing system settings and remotely connecting to computers. They can be especially effective at spotting new or unknown threats that are exploiting vulnerabilities in older programs and applications.