ManageEngine, the enterprise IT management division of Zoho Corporation, announced the addition of the next-generation antivirus (NGAV) capability in its unified endpoint management (UEM) solution, Endpoint Central, positioning it as an endpoint protection platform (EPP).

In today's cyber environment, NGAV is crucial to addressing the loopholes left undetected by traditional antivirus solutions. Endpoint Central's NGAV leverages a deep learning model implemented with neural networks in combination with behavioral detection to detect both known and unknown threats, including those with previously unseen attack patterns. It offers edge-AI-based, real-time protection and offline capabilities by carrying out monitoring, analyses and remediation workflows locally on the device.

"Endpoints have been one of the most utilized threat vectors by cybercriminals for quite some time now," said Mathivanan Venkatachalam, vice president of ManageEngine. "Over the last decade, we have been consistently adding endpoint security capabilities like vulnerability assessment and remediation, browser security, endpoint privilege management, data leakage prevention and anti-ransomware, helping organizations minimize the attack surface. With the release of the NGAV capability, we are adding AI-based malware protection to Endpoint Central, rounding it off as an EPP, thereby providing customers with a holistic cyber defense approach."

Benefits of Endpoint Central's NGAV

Endpoint Central uses a single, lightweight agent for its wide range of high-stakes capabilities like device life cycle management, remote troubleshooting, user experience management and endpoint security.

Apart from reducing organizations' IT footprints, this unified approach offers:

- A wide scope for remediation policies: Security teams can apply necessary patches, quarantine affected devices from the internet and intranet, force login credential resets, revert devices to their IT-approved baseline versions and remove vulnerable applications.

- Seamless incident investigation: Built-in remote troubleshooting and system management capabilities offer instant and thorough incident investigation of quarantined devices.

- Feedback loops for bolstering the security posture: Security policies can be continuously updated based on threats detected by the NGAV engine, constantly enhancing the cybersecurity posture.

ManageEngine has been in the IT management market for over 20 years and has built a strong foundation of IT management and security capabilities from the ground up. The NGAV addition to Endpoint Central is a move to strengthen endpoint security within the company's comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity solutions.

"We aim to offer an AI-powered, unified, end-to-end platform for the digital enterprise in which cyber resilience is of paramount importance," added Venkatachalam. "The platform will enable customers to devise and implement a comprehensive security strategy by building workflows across multiple ManageEngine security offerings, automating threat detection, threat responses and incident investigation."