Top 10 Antivirus software for business

Important news about Antivirus software for business

2022. Malwarebytes lands a $100M cash injection weeks after laying off 125 employees



In a galaxy suspiciously close to our own, cybersecurity leviathan Malwarebytes has announced a rather peculiar turn of events: having given a polite farewell to 125 employees, the company has subsequently managed to acquire a tidy sum of $100 million. CEO Marcin Kleczynski, possibly leaning back in his ergonomic chair with an air of the effortlessly assured, proclaimed that the company was now laser-focused on "where we win"—a place best described as that elusive region of the cybersecurity cosmos where simplicity meets effectiveness, a place refreshingly unburdened by the overly complex solutions of competitors. This investment, he explained, would allow Malwarebytes not only to beef up its team but also to dazzle customers with newfangled innovations, fortify its MSP partner network, and stretch its tentacles further into the far-flung reaches of the international market—all in the name of serving the existing and not-yet-here customers with the kind of cybersecurity that practically makes itself a nice cup of tea and just works.


2021. Microsoft launches Defender for Business



In a universe only slightly less complex than the inside of a Microsoft data center, the folks at Redmond have rolled out Microsoft Defender for Business, a dazzlingly straightforward and budget-friendly endpoint security solution, presumably to stop your business’s digital misadventures before they spiral into an intergalactic fiasco. Specially tailored for companies of up to 300 Earthlings, it boldly takes security from the dreary humdrum of antivirus software to the dizzying heights of next-generation protection, endpoint detection and response, and even some rather fetching threat and vulnerability management. Configuring and managing this marvel is said to be as simple as persuading a hyper-intelligent algorithm to tidy your digital mess, thanks to its intelligent, automated investigation and remediation. With support across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, and a price tag of just $3 per user per month, it seems almost unreasonable that it won’t also make you a cup of tea.

2021. Investor consortium to acquire McAfee for $14B



Cybersecurity software firm McAfee took an intriguing turn today when a consortium of six investment firms announced they are acquiring the company for $14 billion. The investor group will each contribute financial and operational resources. The exact details of how this will function remain somewhat unclear. The company will certainly have to manage multiple leadership figures. It’s notable that McAfee included a “go shop” clause in the agreement, a fairly common practice that allows it 45 days to seek a better offer. Although this is an unlikely outcome, the provision offers shareholders some assurance that the company secured the best possible deal for them.


2021. NortonLifeLock and Avast merge in $8.1B deal



In the grand and mildly perplexing dance of cosmic improbability, U.S. cybersecurity juggernaut NortonLifeLock has swooped in and gobbled up Czech competitor Avast for a staggering $8.1 billion—possibly in small unmarked bills, but more likely in digital ones and zeros. This move, NortonLifeLock announced with the unbridled enthusiasm of a sentient toaster finally connecting to Wi-Fi, will create a consumer cyber safety behemoth, bolstered by Avast’s truly mind-boggling 435 million customers (roughly equivalent to the population of every person, their pet, and the occasional houseplant in a mid-sized galaxy). Founded in 1988, Avast has spent nearly 25 years valiantly protecting small businesses, consumers, and—controversy notwithstanding—possibly even the occasional extraterrestrial mainframe. And now, it seems, they’re all set to boldly go where no antivirus has gone before: deeper into the wallets of the unsuspecting public.


2021. McAfee sells its enterprise business



In a move that would make even Zaphod Beeblebrox raise an eyebrow (if he could remember where he left it), security behemoth McAfee has cheerily decided to offload its enterprise business to a cunningly assembled consortium led by the private equity outfit Symphony Technology Group for the rather head-turning sum of $4 billion. This comes hot on the heels of Symphony snapping up RSA—another enterprise-savvy security company—for a comparatively modest $2 billion last February. Meanwhile, McAfee’s President and Chief Galactic Strategist, Peter Leav, declared with the kind of optimism only found in people who truly know their towel is close by, that the company would now pour its heart, soul, and presumably its marketing budget into the consumer side of things.


2020. Norton acquires Avira for $360M



NortonLifeLock announced it will acquire the German security firm Avira for approximately $360 million in an all-cash transaction. NortonLifeLock was established as an independent entity only last year after Symantec’s enterprise security division was acquired by Broadcom for nearly $11 billion. NortonLifeLock itself is currently a publicly traded company with a market capitalization of about $11.5 billion. Avira, on the other hand, was until April of this year a self-funded tech enterprise primarily focused on security software for consumers. Its offerings include — similar to Norton — anti-virus software. Avira has a clientele of millions, securing around 30 million devices and 1.5 million paying users. Avira has structured its business around a freemium model, which Norton indicated it plans to maintain.


2020. AI-based endpoint security solution SentinelOne gets $267M



SentinelOne, which has developed a machine learning-driven solution called Singularity, has secured $267 million in funding. SentinelOne operates across the entire perimeter of the network to oversee and protect laptops, smartphones, containerized applications and numerous other devices and services connected to a network. Although SentinelOne faces substantial competition — including companies like Microsoft, CrowdStrike, Kaspersky, McAfee and Symantec — it remains a formidable contender in the field. Leveraging advancements in AI and with origins in the Israeli cyber intelligence sector, its platform is designed to function autonomously not only to identify endpoints and their vulnerabilities but also to implement behavioral models and various forms of protection, detection and response in a unified approach.


2020. German security firm Avira has been acquired by Investcorp



Avira, a cybersecurity firm headquartered in Germany that offers antivirus, identity management and other solutions to both consumers and as a white-label product for several major tech brands, has been acquired by Investcorp Technology Partners, the private equity arm of Investcorp Bank. Investcorp’s strategy is to assist Avira in making acquisitions as part of a broader security consolidation effort. The goal is to pursue additional acquisitions to broaden Avira’s product range and significantly expand its geographic presence: currently, the company operates in Asia, Europe and to a lesser extent in the US, while Investcorp also has a substantial presence in the Middle East.


2020. SentinelOne raises $200M for its AI-based endpoint security platform



SentinelOne, which offers a machine learning-based solution for monitoring and securing laptops, phones, containerized applications and various other devices and services connected to a network, has secured $200 million. The rapid growth of devices and the expanding network present significant challenges today, making it increasingly difficult to monitor not only the network's layout but also what potential attackers might be targeting. This is where an AI-driven solution like SentinelOne's becomes essential. The company, which has origins in the Israeli cyberintelligence sector but operates out of Mountain View, has developed its platform to work automatically not only to identify endpoints and their vulnerabilities but also to implement behavioral models and various forms of protection, detection and response simultaneously. This is encapsulated in their product known as the Singularity Platform, which functions across the entire network edge. SentinelOne is not the only player in the endpoint protection field; other competitors include Microsoft, CrowdStrike, Kaspersky, McAfee, Symantec and several others.


2019. Microsoft Defender comes to Mac



Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) is arriving on the Mac. Previously, this was a Windows solution designed to protect the machines of Microsoft 365 subscribers and the assets of IT administrators who aim to safeguard them. It was also formerly known as Windows Defender ATP, but now that it is available on the Mac, Microsoft opted to replace the “Windows Defender” name with “Microsoft Defender.” Many businesses use a combination of Windows and Mac machines and provide all their employees with Office. Having a security solution that covers both systems can significantly simplify management for IT departments — especially since staying updated with security vulnerabilities on a single system is already challenging.