Remote SupportOverview
Antivirus is not enough. Modern attacks evade signature-based detection by running scripts, using living-off-the-land binaries, and abusing legitimate tools. EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) watches behaviour, not signatures. MDR (Managed Detection and Response) adds human analysts to respond to alerts 24/7.
AV vs EDR vs MDR
Antivirus
Signature-based. Blocks known malware. Fails against fileless, living-off-the-land, and new variants.
EDR
Behavioural detection, process tree analysis, rollback, forensic timeline. Alerts on suspicious activity for someone to investigate.
MDR
EDR plus a human SOC watching 24/7. Alerts triaged, attackers isolated, containment without you waking up.
Platform Comparison
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Bundled in M365 E5 / Defender for Business. Tight Windows integration, AI-driven.
+ Great value when already on M365, strong Windows coverage
- Weaker on non-Windows, config complexity
Microsoft Defender for Business
SMB tier. Bundled with Business Premium. Simplified console.
+ Easy, included in licensing, good SMB fit
- Fewer advanced features than Defender for Endpoint P2
Huntress
MDR-first. Built for SMBs via MSPs. Adds human analysts on top of Defender or as standalone.
+ Outstanding SMB value, strong threat hunting, fair pricing
- Not a full enterprise platform by itself
SentinelOne
Enterprise-grade EDR / XDR with AI-driven detection and rollback.
+ Strong rollback, autonomous response, broad platform support
- Premium price, more than SMBs need
CrowdStrike Falcon
Enterprise market leader. Cloud-native. Adds threat intelligence, OverWatch MDR.
+ Strong detection, deep threat intel
- Top-end pricing, enterprise-focused
Sophos Intercept X
SMB-friendly EDR with MDR option. Strong ransomware rollback.
+ Good SMB positioning, decent MDR pricing
- Detection can lag behind top tier
Our Recommendation
For most Australian SMBs: Microsoft Defender for Business + Huntress MDR. Defender covers the basics included in Business Premium. Huntress adds 24/7 human SOC at SMB-friendly pricing. Best of both worlds.
For larger or regulated environments: SentinelOne or CrowdStrike with their MDR tier. Better advanced-threat coverage, higher cost, worth it above 200 staff or in regulated sectors.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
EDR alerts are useless if nobody is watching. MDR adds a 24/7 SOC that triages alerts, investigates incidents, and responds (isolates hosts, kills processes) on your behalf. For SMBs that cannot staff a SOC, MDR is the difference between catching a ransomware actor at 3am and waking up encrypted.
Rollout Plan
Inventory all endpoints
Windows, Mac, Linux, mobile. Servers and workstations. Everything needs coverage.
Pilot to IT and a small group
Catch false positives early. Tune exclusions.
Roll out in waves
Department by department. Push via Intune or RMM. Verify install per device.
Enable attack surface reduction
Microsoft ASR rules. Block suspicious Office macros, scripts, and child processes.
Tune and enable automatic response
Auto-isolate compromised hosts. Auto-remediate known malware. Tune over 30 days.
Layer MDR if no 24/7 team
Huntress, Defender Experts, SentinelOne Vigilance, CrowdStrike OverWatch. Someone watching while you sleep.
Common Mistakes
Still running AV-only
Signature-based detection is bypassed daily. EDR is the 2026 baseline.
No coverage on servers
Attackers land on a laptop, pivot to a server. Servers need EDR just as much.
EDR deployed but nobody watches alerts
Tens of alerts per day. Without SOC / MDR, they pile up unread.
Auto-response disabled
Manual response takes hours. Attackers do damage in minutes. Auto-isolate compromised hosts.
Over-exclusions
Folders excluded because "it ran slow". Attacker drops payload in that folder. Tune carefully.
No coverage on Mac
Macs get compromised too. Mac EDR is mature. Deploy it.
Get Proper Endpoint Protection
We deploy and manage Microsoft Defender for Business, Defender for Endpoint, Huntress, and SentinelOne including MDR with 24/7 monitoring.