Next-Generation Antivirus: What Is It?

As cyber security threats evolve, so must our defence strategies. Traditional antivirus solutions are no longer sufficient to combat sophisticated and varied threats. Next-Generation Antivirus represents the modern, advanced approach to safeguarding systems, addressing the limitations inherent in legacy antivirus technologies.

Next-Generation Antivirus (NGAV) utilises a multi-faceted, proactive approach to security, leveraging advanced technologies to detect, block, and prevent known and emerging threats. The antivirus employs continuous monitoring, real-time threat intelligence, behavioural analysis, and machine learning to identify and mitigate attacks, often before they are fully executed. This enables NGAV to combat known malware and new, never-before-seen attack vectors.

Let’s understand NGAV in detail.

How does Next-Generation Antivirus Work?

NGAV utilises a sophisticated combination of artificial intelligence, behavioural detection, and machine learning algorithms to identify and combat potential threats. Its cloud-based infrastructure eliminates the need for complex integration into an organisation’s existing tech stack, making deployment and management simpler.

Moreover, the cloud-based infrastructure ensures timely updates of NGAV, providing real-time protection against evolving techniques and tools. Through continuous monitoring and real-time threat analysis, NGAV can detect anomalies in system behaviour that may indicate malicious activity, even if the attack has never been encountered before. The system’s machine learning algorithms enhance its ability to learn from each new threat, making it increasingly effective.

Benefits of Next-Generation Antivirus

With the evolution of cyber security threats and more advanced technologies, enterprise customers must reassess their reliance on legacy antivirus solutions. Moving away from outdated antivirus systems in favour of next-generation antivirus security technologies offers significant advantages in several critical areas:

Reduced Operational Costs

Running outdated technology can lead to significant hidden costs, especially when it leaves your organisation vulnerable to evolving cyber threats. Outdated technology also requires more frequent manual updates and support interventions, further draining valuable resources. By adopting modern AV technologies, organisations can streamline operations, reduce the complexity of maintaining legacy systems, and potentially lower long-term cyber security costs.

Endpoint Protection

NGAV provides robust endpoint protection by utilising advanced techniques to safeguard devices from modern threats. Unlike traditional antivirus solutions that focus on detecting known malware through signature-based methods, NGAV adopts a more proactive and comprehensive approach. NGAV continuously monitors endpoint activities, analysing file and process behaviours in real time. It looks for Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) and suspicious behaviours, such as unauthorised access attempts, unusual file movements, and abnormal process execution, allowing it to identify threats as they emerge.

Fileless Attack Detection & Prevention

Fileless attacks pose a significant threat to endpoint security, as they bypass traditional antivirus systems that typically detect malicious files. These attacks reside entirely in memory, using legitimate system tools or processes to carry out malicious activities. NGAV is specifically designed to detect and block fileless attacks, such as PowerShell exploits, Living-off-the-Land (LotL) attacks, or attacks that leverage trusted system processes.

Ransomware Protection

NGAV effectively protects against ransomware, which can lock down an organisation’s data and demand ransom. NGAV utilises advanced detection techniques, such as monitoring for rapid file modifications (e.g., encryption of a large number of files), to detect ransomware activity early. Many NGAV platforms include specialised ransomware-specific features, such as rollback capabilities, which allow the restoration of files to their pre-encrypted state without the need to pay a ransom.

Reduce Post-breach Costs

While no security solution can guarantee the complete prevention of cyber attacks, NGAV plays a crucial role in reducing the financial and operational impact of a breach once it occurs. NGAV’s real-time threat detection capabilities help security teams identify and contain breaches early, minimising the duration of the attack and the potential damage. By leveraging behaviour analysis, machine learning, and threat intelligence, NGAV can detect even the most sophisticated attacks that bypass traditional antivirus systems.

Conclusion

As cyber threats continue to evolve, employing strong security measures, such as next-generation antivirus, is crucial to bolster our defence mechanism and effectively address modern threats. Its ability to provide a clear attack storyline, automate containment, and assist in forensic analysis ensures that organisations can quickly address vulnerabilities and reduce the financial impact of an attack. By utilising behavioural analysis, machine learning, and real-time threat detection, NGAV empowers organisations to combat known and unknown vulnerabilities with greater efficiency. With NGAV, businesses are better equipped to defend against the increasingly sophisticated and dynamic landscape of cyber threats.

Subscribe to Cyber News Live for real-time updates, expert analysis, and breaking news on the latest threats and trends. Don’t miss out on vital information to protect your business.