How Managed Antivirus Is Changing the Approach to Security in Companies

Not every company has the resources, the experience, or the interest to maintain an independent IT security team. In the past, this often meant that users were responsible for managing the antivirus software on their end devices. This inevitably resulted in updates not being installed or questionable applications approved, ultimately making the entire corporate network vulnerable to malware.

Managed antivirus is an efficient and profitable alternative to this. Companies of all sizes can hand over the management of their antivirus protection to a specialized IT service provider to still be protected from malware as best as possible.

In this post, we introduce the benefits of managed antivirus. Also, we go into the services of corresponding providers and give tips on what Managed Service Providers (MSP) should look for an antivirus solution designed for MSP.

What is managed antivirus?

Managed Antivirus is a new and increasingly sought-after service in which one company (usually an MSP) is tasked with taking care of another company's antivirus needs.

In this way, the contracting company can maintain a powerful anti-malware solution without the fixed costs and logistical challenges that an internal IT team would bring with it. Since the internal staff no longer has to deal with the maintenance of the anti-virus protection, inadvertently incorrectly configured security settings are avoided and the risk of infection is further reduced.

The services of a managed antivirus provider

As with any service provider, the scope of services also varies between MSPs. However, the majority offer a complete solution that encompasses every point of antivirus management - from deployment to monitoring to threat elimination. Typical services include:

• Software deployment
• Software configuration
• Update management
• Event monitoring
• Protocol analysis
• License management

What are the benefits of managed antivirus?

With Managed Antivirus, companies receive the services of a dedicated IT team immediately and cost-effectively. The main benefits include:

• Access to security expertise: MSPs are experienced IT specialists and know exactly how to set up and manage a high-performance cybersecurity solution. Thanks to managed antivirus, companies can make use of this specialist knowledge without having to maintain their own IT security team.
• Less administration: Managed antivirus can also make administration easier. Outsourcing routine antivirus management tasks free up resources and allow corporate IT staff to focus on more important tasks.
• Efficient patch management: Antivirus solution providers regularly publish updates so that their products can also detect the latest threats. MSPs monitor the status of the endpoints and ensure that all security patches and signature updates are successfully applied.
• Quick response: To stop threats and prevent malware from spreading across the network, quick responsiveness is required. MSPs can continuously monitor the company's network and react quickly to suspicious events.
• Reliable protection: Managed Antivirus is completely controlled by the MSP. This means that staff cannot access or change the security settings. This minimizes the risk of malware infection due to deactivated or misconfigured software.

What should MSPs look for in an MSP-based antivirus solution?

MSPs that want to offer managed antivirus absolutely need adequate antivirus software. There are numerous solutions on the market, but there are sometimes significant differences between the programs in terms of quality and usability. When choosing appropriate antivirus software, MSPs should consider the following:

• Protection performance: The main characteristic of any antivirus software for MSPs is, of course, how well it protects corporate networks from malware. MSPs must be able to rely on the solution used to reliably protect their customers from known and new types of malware.
• Productivity: Managing security software for thousands of endpoints can be time-consuming. Good antivirus software designed for MSP, therefore, offers functions to make daily work processes more time-saving and with which MSPs can efficiently address the security requirements of all their customers.
• Cloud-based administration: With cloud-based antivirus software, MSPs can also provide extensive security services remotely. An MSP must be able to perform all antivirus management tasks without having to be on site. This applies to provision, configuration, and license management as well as maintenance and incident response. This enables more efficient workflows and thus first-class service to protect customers.
• Support: MSPs should also make sure that their antivirus partner is available for any queries or for solving technical problems with the product. Ideally, the potential provider has a personal customer service made up of cybersecurity experts.

Managed Antivirus ensures that companies pursue new cybersecurity strategies. By outsourcing antivirus management, you can use the concentrated expertise of specialized IT security experts and at the same time free up your internal resources for more important tasks. MSPs who want to provide a managed antivirus service should take the time to find a solution that makes day-to-day administrative tasks easier for them and still offers customers strong protection.