There are hundreds of antivirus software platforms, and you research feverishly trying to figure out the age-old question: what is the best antivirus software? The truth is that each AV platform can do exactly what it says it can do.
Sort of.
It turns out that the best antivirus software isn’t exactly a stand-alone application; it’s a combination of both antivirus software and human interaction. Why? Because software is still a blunt tool that needs a human eye to handle the nuances. Let’s break down what that looks like day to day.
What is the Best Anti-Virus Software? Then and Now
Historically, antivirus software was limited to looking for virus signatures. A virus signature is a unique string of bytes and code that is commonly found in malware families. These codes are the malware’s thumbprint. Your antivirus software would download files to scan for these virus signatures, updating its database and patching your systems as more virus signatures, or thumbprints, are found.
This was a great approach—twenty years ago. Back then, the answer to “what is the best antivirus software” was simple: any AV software that spotted virus signatures and removed them.
Modern antivirus platforms have had to evolve along with the ever-increasing sophistication of our current security threats. Hackers and bad actors find ways to hide their activities from traditional antivirus platforms, making infected files seem safe. Checking for virus signatures is no longer enough; cybercriminals hide these thumbprints easily now.
Security software programs driven by artificial intelligence are the norm now. This sophisticated antivirus software asks itself questions about irregular program behaviors, for instance:
Why did this program launch another program and try to hide itself?
Why is this application acting in a suspicious way?
The days of a single level approach with antivirus platforms are long gone. The best antivirus software will combine virus signature scans as well as malware behavior detection. But even that isn’t enough.
Why Isn’t AI Based Antivirus Software Enough?
It’s true; AI can solve the malware problem, but it is a little too efficient. AI based antivirus software can be overzealous, deleting and blocking safe files and code along with the infected ones. AI can identify a potential problem, but it cannot discern between good and bad.
In other words, modern antivirus platforms find perceived problems, but it will also identify good software or applications as potentially dangerous because it can’t tell the difference between them. All the AV software can see is “behavior.”
This means that even the best antivirus solution, if left unchecked, can wreck a network by deleting good files and applications along with the bad ones.
When Good Files go Bad
Why would good files appear to behave “badly” to an AI based antivirus solution? Consider the human factor in programs. For every good software programmer in the industry, there are five bad ones. The bad programmers use poor coding practices that can lead to false positives from your AI based antivirus software. Once a file is flagged as unsafe, your antivirus platform will get to work, even if it shouldn’t.
If left unchecked, AI based antivirus platforms can remove programs, slow down your systems, and destroy your applications.
What is the Best Antivirus Software? It’s a Total Solution
Integris has implemented Sentinel One’s Endpoint Detection and Response along with our dedicated SOC desk as part of its AV antivirus strategy. Sentinel One currently offers the best in machine-based learning as well as in signature scanning.
But that’s only half the picture.
We also offer our Security Operations Center, a 24/7 manned desk that continuously monitors our AI based antivirus software. This is a comprehensive antivirus approach we can truly stand behind: advanced AI malware detection with a human touch.
This combined approach is Iconic Fortify, and it’s exclusively offered through Integris. Iconic Fortify gives our clients piece of mind, with
- On-demand security operations
- Simple deployment, always-available threat coverage
- Next-gen threat detection and remediation
- Ransomware peace of mind
- Complete SOC Services
- Threat Detection
- Response and Remediation
- Next-Generation Endpoint Security
The best antivirus software is not just an antivirus, it’s a complete package of software and human support. To learn more about our comprehensive security packages, contact Integris for a free, no obligation consultation today, and let us make a customized cybersecurity plan, just for you.
