Using antivirus on its own is outdated. To put it simply: you need to use modern cyber security to protect your business from modern cyber threats. The combination of XDR and MDR offers robust IT security through tech-based analysis and human expertise.

Cyber security incidents are never far from the headlines – only recently have big brands like M&S, the Co-op and Harrods come under threat. But it’s not just the headline-grabbers that are targets. Official government statistics state that approximately 670,000 UK businesses and charities have experienced a cyber breach or attack in the last year.

It may be tempting to believe that cyber attacks are only concerns for large national and international businesses. However, this isn’t true. Attackers often see smaller businesses – like many of those we know and love in Brighton – as easy targets, making them a popular first choice to try and exploit.

Unfortunately, the assumption that small businesses are less able to combat cyber attacks is based – at least in part – on fact. The same government survey found that cyber security staff training and awareness-raising activities are less common in small businesses. And, although there has been an increase in incident response measures since 2024, fewer small businesses consider cyber security a higher priority than larger ones.

Whatever size the business, phishing attacks – a type of social engineering – remain the most prevalent and disruptive type of breach, experienced by 85% of businesses.

Phishing is when attackers send deceptive emails or messages, often containing malicious links or attachments. Attackers send these emails to trick people into revealing sensitive information, like credit card details or passwords. For example, an email sent from someone pretending to be a supplier chasing an invoice with a link in it to a fake payment portal.

The changing nature of cyber attacks and their increasing reliance on human manipulation help explain why antivirus software is no longer enough to protect businesses in Brighton and further afield.

Traditional antivirus focuses predominantly on detecting and blocking malware. If someone is convinced to enter their credentials on a fake website that isn’t flagged as malicious, antivirus won’t pick it up.

EDR is a type of cyber security tech that continuously monitors and analyses activity on endpoints, otherwise known as devices, like laptops, desktops, mobiles and servers. It effectively works like a security camera for that device, recording data to identify anything suspicious.

Once a threat – like malware, ransomware or even malicious activity carried out by people – has been identified, the EDR system will generate alerts so security teams can act. EDR can also provide its own tools to respond to threats quickly, like isolating infected devices or quarantining suspicious files.

Businesses that are serious about cyber security should be considering MDR. MDR is a fully managed cyber security service, delivered by a team of experts around the clock.

MDR is led by real people who keep a vigilant eye on your networks and tech for anything suspicious. It includes 24/7 monitoring, threat hunting, incident analysis and a team that can talk you through how to respond to and fix any issues.

MDR is a great fit for your business if you want to stay secure but lack the in-house expertise. It provides you an outsourced security operations centre (SOC)., giving you peace of mind that your cyber security is in safe hands. Your cyber security is being monitored, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without you having to employ your own team of experts.

XDR automatically collects and correlates data from multiple security layers, including endpoints, networks, cloud environments and email.

By looking at everything together – rather than in silos and generating isolated alerts – businesses have a more holistic view of the threats they’re facing. This means enhanced visibility, improved detection and faster, more effective responses. In turn, it means any possible damage caused by attackers is limited.

Using both XDR and MDR provides a powerful combination that offers a more robust, proactive and efficient approach to cyber security than either on their own.

XDR monitors your entire IT environment holistically, giving you a full picture of your security. Meanwhile, MDR brings the brains to interpret the data, make the right decisions and take impactful action. Use both and you’re giving your business the best chance to protect itself against even the most complex modern cyber security threats.

Someone in your team receives a phishing email that their email security fails to spot and opens the malicious attachment.

XDR detects that after the employee clicks the link, their computer starts behaving strangely. The tech flags the issue immediately as one that needs investigation.

The MDR team jump on the alert straight away, sees it’s a real attack, and then remotely isolates the infected device. This immediately protects the rest of the network.

You can get any and all these services – from endpoint-only protection right the way through to outsourced SOC – from us. This is thanks to our partnership with Bitedefender. You can find out more on our cyber security page.

For businesses serious about cyber security, we recommend a combination of MDR, XDR, dark web monitoring and cyber security training.

We are pleased to offer a 2-month free trial of Secure Extra from Bitdefender. This package includes MDR and XDR. Try it today and we’ll share reports to show any threats detected, actioned and stopped.

We’re here to help local businesses in Brighton and Sussex protect themselves against cyber threats. Check out the links below to find out more about the cyber security services we offer, as well as some of our latest cyber security guidance.

• Antivirus isn’t enough Part Two – COMING SOON!
• Social engineering guide for Brighton businesses: How to detect & protect your business from phishing
• Cyber security services
• Dark web monitoring through Dark Web ID by ID Agent
• Cyber security training through BullPhish ID by ID Agent