Recentlyyou may have heard AV companies throwing around the term “Next Gen” and stating they are the Next Generation of AV. But what does “Next Gen” really mean?
With over 25 years of AV protection behind us, labs worldwide with constant research and development into new technologies, detection and prevention techniques, we pride ourselves on our award-winning multi-layered protection.
We use a combination of various sophisticated detection techniques such as, heuristics, behavioural analysis, threat intelligence & other layers of traditional protection.
Yet, we are still asked if we have so called “Next Gen” technology, but what does that even mean?
Mark James, ESET Security Specialist, explains all things “Next Gen”.
What makes a vendor “Next Gen”?
“According to “Gartner” any company that uses one of the following techniques:hardening (application control), memory prevention (exploit prevention), isolation, activity/behaviour monitoring or algorithmic file classification for malware detection are considered “Next-Gen”.”
Signature Vs. Next Gen? What does this mean?
“One of the first methods for detecting malware was a simple case of matching a string of code to a known string that’s bad. This simple form of detection required you to know what you’re looking for.
“In its simplest form, it’s like learning to read, unfortunately reactive detection means you have to be aware of what you’re looking for first and to combat todays threats that’s not fast enough.”
Some would consider signature based attacks ‘dead’, would you say this is accurate?
“Signatures are certainly not dead.
“They make up an integral part of the multi-layered philosophy that we utilise for maximum protection.
“They are not enough on their own, but with so much malware that is recycled or reused it may be a quick effective way to identify some threats.
“We have to adapt and move with the times, as malware gets better then so must we.
“We see many cases where early forms of security are now deemed insufficient on their own but may still help in certain scenarios.”
As a cyber-security approach, would you consider NG an evolution or revolution in the security market?
“To combat the modern threat of today’s malware you have to adapt, just like the criminals who want to infect you in the first place have to change how they do things to beat the detection methods.
“Securing our digital world comprises multiple levels of protection stacked to help keep you safe, as the bad guys evolve then so must we, and ESET has been evolving right from the very start.”
ESET is often considered a ’traditional’ security vendor as it is longstanding in the AV market, but does that make ESET outdated with 90’s technologies?
“Absolutely not, ESET is an established force in the combat of malware and our experience makes us formidable in that task.
“Fighting the bad guys is not just about installing a piece of software and crossing your fingers. Experience, knowledge and a clear understanding of what we need to achieve ensure we are one of the best security vendors in the market.
Moreover, many endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools are often included in the “next-gen” group – these are covered by ESET Enterprise Inspector on our side. So by this definition, ESET qualifies as “next-gen” on numerous counts – but our multi-layered approach makes us much more.
See our technology page and whitepapers for detailed information.
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