Robust endpoint security is an absolute must for any business that's serious about keeping itself safe from cyber-attacks. And traditional off-the-shelf antivirus\malware software really isn't sufficient except for perhaps the smallest of companies. There are simply too many ways for cyber-criminals to bypass the commonplace security systems.
Currently, the two most popular Enterprise-grade endpoint security systems are from Sophos and McAfee. Which is best for your business? Let's take a look.
Simply put, if what matters most to you is keeping your systems safe from the widest variety of attack types, then Sophos really does win hands-down. In a wide number of independent tests, Sophos has been shown to correctly identify more threat vectors than McAfee.
Part of this is due to Sophos's update policy, which is to automatically download malware definition updates whenever they're released. Sophos may update itself multiple times in a single day. By comparison, McAfee generally only updates in one large batch about once a week. This might seem like a minor point, but when dealing with "zero day" vulnerabilities, it really can make a huge difference.
On top of that Sophos also has clear advantages in terms of its speed and memory footprint. Sophos installs simply take up less system resources than McAfee. This can be particularly noticeable on networks which aren't top-of-the-line and really need as many resources free as possible to keep the users' connections functioning properly.
This all raises the question: If Sophos is so great, why do so many companies still stick with McAfee? Well, the debate isn't entirely one-sided.
The Advantages Of McAfee
While these are somewhat more subjective criteria, McAfee does win out in two key areas: Management/Reporting and customer support.
The McAfee E-Policy Orchestrator is widely regarded as a much more powerful and easier-to-use management console than Sophos's equivalent. McAfee may not have quite the flexibility as Sophos -particularly in managing obscure endpoints such as USB devices- but McAfee is generally seen as much easier to use. And, in particular, it has reporting capabilities that are slightly better than Sophos.
The Bottom Line: Sophos Wins, but . . .
What it boils down to is that Sophos is a clear winner if pure protection is your main criteria AND you have relatively competent IT staff who can learn how to use it effectively. However, if you don't have at least one well-trained techie, McAfee might be the better option due to its usability.
Are you looking for more advice for your systems security? Hummingbird Networks are the networking hardware consultants with a real emphasis on crafting superior security solutions. Contact us today to set up a free consultation!