This article first appeared in News in the Channel issue #41.
With AI ensuring that cyberthreats to businesses are growing at a faster rate than ever before, endpoint protection has never been more crucial. But what are customers demanding of endpoint protection solutions and how can resellers ensure customers find the right one for their business?
Cloud services and hybrid working has brought many benefits to businesses of all sizes in recent years, but one of the downsides is that it has expanded the number of surfaces for cybercriminals to attack, with endpoints being one of the most at risk. This means managing this risk is imperative through endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions.
“As AI accelerates the pace and complexity of cyberthreats, attackers are increasingly targeting endpoints as they are often the most vulnerable entry points within a network,” says Steve Burden, solutions director of network, comms and cyber at Wavenet.
“For SMBs and large enterprises alike, the volume of threats is growing, and attackers are using sophisticated, polymorphic malware that can adapt its code to bypass traditional antivirus solutions. This makes a proactive, behaviour-based defence model essential.”
Rob Vann, cyber solutions officer at Cyberfort, adds that cybercriminals know that laptops, desktops and mobile devices are often the easiest route into a network. “We’re also seeing a sharp increase in the volume and sophistication of attacks, with AI helping threat actors automate reconnaissance, phishing and malware development at scale,” he says. “For many organisations, it’s no longer a question of if an endpoint will be targeted, but when. Strong endpoint security has become a business-critical requirement.”
Dray Agha, senior manager of security operations at Huntress, says cybercriminals increasingly weaponise AI to launch multi-layered ransomware and sophisticated malware. “Every laptop, mobile, and connected device has become a frontline battleground,” he adds.
Stuart Miller, director, Partner Channel at Canon UK & Ireland, adds that endpoint security is critical to ensure the safety and security of the data held by an organisation as well as the operational efficacy. “It’s hard to think of an organisation operating today without some kind of EDR software in place whether it be a big box name or something provided with the operating system,” he says.
“The solutions lend themselves to being able to not only prevent security incidents from occurring, provide telemetry during incidents but also provide valuable insights into the overall security posture of the IT estate.”
Mainstream requirement
Rob says EDR has rapidly moved from being a specialist security capability to a mainstream requirement. “Traditional antivirus solutions can no longer keep pace with modern threats, particularly fileless attacks, ransomware and attacks that exploit legitimate tools and processes,” he explains.
“Organisations are increasingly recognising the need for continuous monitoring, behavioural analysis and rapid response capabilities. As a result, EDR adoption is accelerating across the enterprise and mid-market sectors. It provides security teams with greater visibility into endpoint activity and the ability to detect and contain threats before they become major incidents, making it a key component of modern cyber resilience strategies.”
Steve says that EDR adoption is accelerating rapidly across sectors as businesses shift from static defences to dynamic detection and response. “EDR is becoming a minimum requirement when it comes to cybersecurity technology, with many cyber insurers listing it as a requirement of their customers,” he notes.
“The growing awareness that traditional tools are no longer enough is pushing organisations to invest in more intelligent, automated protection. EDR is particularly valued for its ability to detect advanced persistent threats (APTs), monitor user behaviour and support real-time remediation – all of which are especially useful for distributed workforces and hybrid environments.”
Customer trends
Endpoint protection may have become mainstream, but this means customers are demanding more from their solutions than ever before.
“Customers are looking beyond simple threat detection and increasingly want platforms that deliver visibility, automation and measurable outcomes,” says Rob. “AI-powered detection, automated investigation and response, threat hunting capabilities and integration with wider security ecosystems are all high on the agenda.
“There is also growing demand for managed EDR services, particularly among organisations that lack in-house security expertise. Customers want solutions that reduce operational complexity while improving protection. Increasingly, buyers are evaluating EDR as part of a broader extended detection and response (XDR) strategy, bringing together endpoint, network, cloud and identity telemetry to create a more complete security picture.”
Stuart agrees that customers are moving beyond detection alone. “They want integrated, outcome-driven platforms that combine EDR, XDR and managed response,” he says. “I see a clear shift toward automation, faster containment and reduced reliance on in-house expertise. Simplicity, visibility and measurable reduction in dwell time are now key.”
Steve says customers now expect EDR solutions to deliver actionable insight, automated containment and seamless integration with broader threat intelligence and SOC tools. “There’s also strong demand for centralised management and intuitive dashboards that make it easy to visualise, investigate and act on threats; thus enabling the leaner IT teams to stay ahead of cyberthreats,” he adds.
Dray adds that the market is moving aggressively toward automation and simplicity. “Organisations are demanding cloud-native EDR platforms infused with AI that can autonomously detect behavioural anomalies, instantly contain threats, and dramatically reduce ‘alert fatigue’ for their stretched IT teams,” he says.
Staying ahead
With cyberthreats continually evolving – especially since AI became mainstream – it is imperative that EDR solutions stay ahead of the cybercriminals.
“Staying ahead is less about a single tool and more about continuous evolution – leveraging threat intelligence, behavioural analytics and AI to adapt at speed,” says Stuart. “Vendors must prioritise rapid update cycles, integration across the security stack, and real-world validation through active incident response. The organisations that win are those treating EDR as a constantly evolving capability, not just a deployed product.”
Rob agrees that EDR solutions must combine advanced analytics, AI-driven detection and real-time threat intelligence to identify emerging attack techniques quickly. “Equally important is continuous product development, regular tuning and access to skilled security analysts who can interpret and respond to threats effectively,” he says. “The strongest EDR deployments combine technology with human expertise, ensuring that organisations can detect not only known threats but also suspicious behaviours that may indicate a new attack. Ultimately, staying ahead requires a proactive approach that evolves as quickly as the threat landscape itself.”
Steve agrees that staying ahead requires EDR tools that are adaptive and continuously updated. “AI and machine learning play a crucial role in detecting suspicious behaviours and previously unseen threats, including APTs,” he says. “Integration with threat intelligence platforms enables faster identification of malicious tactics and techniques. In addition, automated, policy-based responses also help contain and neutralise threats before they can spread laterally or escalate.”
Dray adds that to continuously outpace threat actors, EDR must blend machine speed with human intelligence. “We should rely on AI for threat detection correlation and instantaneous threat containment, while utilising 24/7 human-led threat hunting to contextualise, investigate, and dismantle complex intrusions,” he says.
Reseller conversations
With the constantly evolving nature of cyberthreats and the EDR solutions that combat them, resellers need to position EDR carefully.
Stuart says resellers should shift the conversation from features to outcomes. “How quickly threats are detected, contained and remediated,” he adds. “Position EDR within an overall security architecture, including identity, cloud and SOC integration. Most importantly, address the skills gap – many customers don’t need more tools, they need better utilisation of the ones they already have.”
Rob agrees that resellers should focus on outcomes. “The conversation should centre on reducing risk, improving resilience and enabling faster detection and response to cyber incidents,” he adds. “It’s important to understand a customer’s security maturity, internal capabilities and business priorities before recommending a solution.
“Resellers should also highlight the value of managed services, particularly for organisations that lack a dedicated security operations function. Integration with existing security investments, ease of deployment and support for compliance requirements are also key discussion points. The goal should be helping customers build a security strategy, not simply selling another security tool.”
Dray says resellers must elevate the conversation from simply selling software licenses to building operational resilience, showing business leaders how modern EDR not only stops breaches but also streamlines beyond-compliance, secures remote workforces and dramatically reduces incident downtime. “Moreover, EDR should not be sold in isolation,” he says. “Security cannot be achieved through one tool or approach and instead must be part of a careful choreography of security that considers security awareness training, identity protection, and security posture beyond compliance.”
Steve says resellers should position EDR as a non-negotiable component of their customer’s cybersecurity strategy. “The key benefits to emphasise are its ability to reduce response times, support compliance and lighten the workload on in-house teams,” he says.
“For MSPs solutions that are easy to deploy and manage at scale can provide a clear ROI by preventing costly breaches. Ultimately, EDR is about enabling resilience in the face of evolving threat landscapes.”
