Current eMessage > Tech > February 2017

Technical Information

Tired of Ransomware?

by MACC’s Technical Support Team

MACC has recently partnered with Dell to bring to you its latest endpoint security solution, Dell Threat Defense, a new advanced-threat prevention solution specifically designed for the needs of growing businesses with limited or no in-house IT staff.

According to Dell…
Threat Defense uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to proactively prevent, rather than reactively detect, advanced persistent threats and malware including zero day and targeted attacks such as spear phishing or ransomware. The solution offers a significantly higher level of protection, stopping 99 percent of malware execution, far above the average 50 percent efficacy rating of many traditional anti-virus solutions.

Many small and medium businesses have limited or no in-house IT staff, and are under-equipped to keep on top of the rapidly-evolving threat landscape and determine how best to protect their business. In the recently released Dell Data Security Survey, 69 percent of small and mid-market businesses say that data security is a burden on their company’s time and budget. In addition, 65 percent are holding back plans to make their workforce more mobile due to security concerns. SMBs need to prioritize data security to protect their assets, but they also need to be productive in order to grow their business.

In fact, according to the 2014 Dell Evolving Workforce Study, 64 percent of employees globally conduct at least some business at home after business hours. Threat Defense provides businesses with an easy and manageable way to enable their workforce to be mobile and secure, while reducing the resources commonly required to implement security solutions. It features an intuitive, cloud-based management console, enabling updates and compliance reporting through a single management pane.

Threat Defense reflects the multi-platform reality of the modern workplace with compatibility on a range of Dell and non-Dell devices. Additional features include:

• Lightweight Footprint:Threat Defense consumes only one to three percent of CPU resources, a much lower footprint than traditional anti-virus solutions, which means better performance for end users. In addition, as the solution does not rely on signature updates, it does not require a continual network connection to the internet to detect threats.
• Safe-List Flexibility:To allow for direct control over known secure files and apps, Threat Defense enables administrators to safe-list files at the policy level or via a signed certificate where no threat action will be taken against the file or application.
• Advanced Script Control and Malware Analysis:Threat Defense offers additional script control that prevents malicious ActiveScripts and PowerShell from running. IT administrators can also upload a suspicious file to the cloud for analysis, enabling them to analyze threat vectors they are facing and take better preventative measures.

The Dell Threat Defense solution is available through a subscription-based model to provide small businesses with a way to manage resources as they grow.

For more information on this technology or other questions you may have, feel free to contact your MACC Tech Support Team and we will be happy to help!  We can be reached at 402-533-5300 or via email at macctechs@maccnet.com.