CyberSecurity Options: What Do You Actually Need?

If you’ve talked to more than one IT or security vendor, you’ve probably heard a whole alphabet soup of tools thrown around:

AV. EDR. MDR. XDR. NGAV.
Fun, right?

Let’s slow it down and talk about what these tools really do — and how to figure out what makes sense for your business.

Because spoiler alert: there’s no single “right” answer for everyone.

Antivirus (AV): The Old Standby

Antivirus is the most basic layer of endpoint protection.

Traditional AV:

  • Looks for known bad files (malware signatures)
  • Blocks or removes them when detected
  • Works well against yesterday’s threats

Think of AV like a metal detector at the door.
It catches obvious weapons — but it doesn’t help much if someone slips past security or uses a new trick.

Pros:

✔ Simple
✔ Cheap
✔ Better than nothing

Cons:

✘ Struggles with modern attacks
✘ No visibility into what happens after an infection
✘ Little to no response capability

Bottom line:
AV alone is no longer enough for most businesses.

EDR: Endpoint Detection & Response

EDR is where modern security really starts.

Instead of just scanning files, EDR:

  • Watches behavior on your computers
  • Detects suspicious activity in real time
  • Records events so attacks can be investigated
  • Can isolate a device if something bad happens

EDR answers questions like:

  • How did this start?
  • What did the attacker do?
  • Did it spread anywhere else?

Think of EDR as security cameras + an alarm system, not just a lock on the door.

Pros:

✔ Much stronger protection than AV
✔ Detects unknown and “zero-day” threats
✔ Great forensic visibility

Cons:

✘ Requires expertise to manage
✘ Alerts don’t fix themselves
✘ Tools alone ≠ protection

Important note:
EDR is powerful — but only if someone is actually watching it and responding.

Which leads us to…

MDR: Managed Detection & Response

MDR is EDR plus humans. This is mostly commonly what we roll out with clients who want quality cybersecurity with more of a set-and-forget mindset.

With MDR, you get:

  • EDR tools installed on your systems
  • A 24/7 security operations team watching alerts
  • Real people investigating suspicious behavior
  • Active response when something looks wrong

This is the difference between:

“We have alerts”
and
“Someone is handling it right now”

Think of MDR as hiring a security team without having to build one.

Pros:

✔ 24/7 monitoring
✔ Faster response to real threats
✔ Less burden on your internal team
✔ Best protection for most small & mid-sized businesses

Cons:

✘ More expensive than AV or EDR alone
✘ Quality varies a lot by provider

So… Which One Do You Need?

Here’s the honest answer we give clients all the time:

Very small / low-risk environments

➡️ Modern AV at a minimum
Often the Windows Defender built into Windows or many very low cost options.

Growing businesses handling real data

➡️ EDR
But only if someone is responsible for reviewing and responding to alerts. We do have EDR offerings, but only when someone on staff is able to monitor alerts- great for co-managed IT clients where we support an in house IT staffer or team.

Most businesses today

➡️ MDR
Especially if:

  • You don’t have internal security staff
  • You want protection outside business hours (our MDR is 24-7 human monitored and remediated but an American cybersecurity team).
  • You want faster detection and response
  • You don’t want to be “the one who missed the alert”

The Ultrex Take (No One-Size-Fits-All)

At Ultrex, we don’t force everyone into the same security stack.

Why?
Because:

  • Not every business has the same risk profile
  • Not every budget supports the same tools
  • Security is always a balance between cost, protection, and convenience

We also don’t bill per ticket or per “security incident.”
If we recommend EDR or MDR and help manage it, that support is part of your retainer, not a surprise invoice.

Our job isn’t to sell you the fanciest acronym — it’s to:

  • Understand your environment
  • Talk through real risks
  • Match protection to your needs
  • And adjust as your business grows

Final Thought: Tools Don’t Equal Security

AV, EDR, and MDR are all tools.
What matters is how they’re deployed, monitored, and responded to.

If you’re not sure where you land — or if you’ve been told “you need MDR” without anyone explaining why — that’s a conversation worth having.

We’re happy to walk through it with you. No pressure, no scare tactics, no nickel-and-diming.

👉 Let’s find the right level of protection — together.