Traditional antivirus looks for known signs of malicious software. It is useful, but modern attacks often require more than simple virus scanning.
Endpoint Detection and Response, often called EDR, watches for suspicious behavior on computers and servers. Instead of only asking whether a file matches a known virus, EDR can look for unusual actions such as credential theft, suspicious PowerShell activity, or unexpected connections.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is one example of this type of security platform.
For businesses, the difference matters because modern attacks often use legitimate tools in harmful ways. An attacker may not install a classic virus. They may use built-in system tools to move through the network.
Antivirus is still important, but EDR gives IT teams more information about what happened before, during, and after a suspicious event.
The strongest protection combines good endpoint security, user training, MFA, backups, and fast response procedures.