Antivirus, EDR, XDR: properly protecting your endpoints and servers

For years, an antivirus was enough to feel safe. Not anymore: modern attacks — ransomware, "fileless" techniques, misuse of legitimate tools — bypass classic detection. Protection of endpoints (workstations, servers) has therefore evolved, and the vocabulary with it: antivirus, EDR, MDR, XDR. Let's sort it out.

Classic antivirus: necessary, no longer sufficient

Traditional antivirus relies mainly on signatures: it recognises already-known malware. That's effective against the common stuff, but blind to a brand-new threat or an attack that only uses the system's legitimate tools. It remains a basic building block — but one among several.

EDR: detecting behaviour, not just files

EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) shifts the approach: instead of only looking for known malicious files, it continuously monitors machine behaviour — launched processes, network connections, file changes, privilege escalations. It thus spots suspicious patterns (an office process massively encrypting files, for instance), alerts, and enables a response: isolate the machine, kill a process, roll back. It also keeps a trail for investigation.

MDR: EDR operated by experts

An EDR generates alerts… but someone still has to analyse and act on them, around the clock. MDR (Managed Detection and Response) is an EDR operated by a security team (SOC): detection, triage, investigation and response are handled for you. It's the right solution when you don't have an in-house security team available at all times.

XDR: correlating beyond the endpoint

XDR (Extended Detection and Response) broadens the scope: it correlates endpoint signals with those from the network, email, cloud and identities. An attack becomes visible as a whole, not just machine by machine — which speeds up detection of campaigns that move laterally from one system to another.

How to choose?

• The non-negotiable baseline: a modern, up-to-date antivirus/EDR on every workstation and server.
• No 24/7 security team: favour an MDR offering, where experts monitor and respond for you.
• Complex environment (cloud, multi-site): XDR brings the correlation that isolated tools lack.
• Always: tested backups, up-to-date patching, MFA and network segmentation — EDR doesn't replace basic hygiene.

Protection that starts in the network

Endpoint security is essential, but it's all the more effective as part of defence in depth: upstream filtering, DDoS protection, segmentation, and continuous monitoring. Our managed IT integrates the deployment and follow-up of these protections into the operation of your infrastructure, hosted on our infrastructure and connected via our IP transit.