For years, antivirus was the first and sometimes only line of defense for most organizations. Install a lightweight AV agent, let it update signatures, and trust that it will stop anything malicious.
But now, that model simply doesn’t work anymore.
Why traditional antivirus is failing
Attackers started figuring out years ago that signature-based tools were easy to bypass. Modern threats:
- don’t need to drop a malicious file
- operate directly in memory
- use legitimate tools already on the machine
- move laterally once they get inside
- steal credentials silently
- execute scripts instead of malware
If there’s no file to scan, your AV product has nothing to compare against — so it just stays quiet.
The new attack surface
Today’s attacks often involve:
- PowerShell
- WMI
- Scheduled tasks
- Remote access tools
- Credential dumping
- DLL injection
- privilege escalation
Not one of these techniques drops a traditional virus file.
So an organization can have “up-to-date antivirus” and still be completely exposed.
This is where EDR comes in
Endpoint Detection and Response tools exist because traditional antivirus simply can’t see what’s really happening.
EDR doesn’t look for known bad files — it looks for behaviors, like:
- A process spawning a suspicious script
- Unusual login activity
- New services being created
- Rapid file encryption
- Lateral movement attempts
- Administrative tools running in unexpected ways
This is how modern breaches are found.
Why this matters
We’ve reached a point where ransomware, credential theft, and targeted attacks are too sophisticated to catch with old tools. Organizations that rely only on antivirus are operating blind.
What businesses should be doing
Here’s the current new baseline for endpoint security:
- Deploy EDR across all endpoints
Servers, user workstations, and especially remote laptops. - Enable 24/7 monitoring
The tool is only as effective as the people watching it. - Implement least privilege
Reduce admin rights where possible. - Patch aggressively
Many attackers exploit known vulnerabilities. - Use MFA and strong authentication
Passwords alone aren’t enough.
Final thought
Traditional antivirus belongs to another era.
Organizations that want real protection need modern endpoint tools that focus on behaviors, not signatures. The threats have changed — our defenses have to change with them.