Endpoint antivirus software is any program that prevents and/or detects the presence of malicious software within an endpoint device. These tools typically contain detection features for identifying potential malware and computer viruses that attempt to, or actually penetrate, a device. Most tools possess some form of firewall to stop any virus, worm, trojan, or adware that attempts to penetrate the device. Companies use these tools to protect their devices and the sensitive information within them. These tools typically possess some feature to assess a device’s or network’s health and alert administrators of any infection present. This can help ensure each device in a company’s system is secure. These tools should not be confused with firewall tools, which may have the same features, but also prevent hackers and other parties from penetrating networks and devices. Other endpoint security tools include endpoint detection and response (EDR) and endpoint management software. EDR tools possess a wider range of capabilities for identifying malware and device penetration, along with tools to remove malicious elements. Endpoint management tools help users manage which devices are connected to networks and ensure the security features of those devices are up to date.
To qualify for inclusion in the Endpoint Antivirus category, a product must:
- Possess malware identification and/or removal features
- Possess anti-virus and/or antispyware features
- Show health status of individual devices
- Distribute updates as new virus signatures are detected
