Critical Capabilities for Endpoint Protection

Bitdefender

• Core endpoint protection — The product dashboard is intuitive for administrative and security operations tasks. All agents support anti-malware features. Additionally, the Windows agent supports firewall management, device control, application control, exploit prevention, and proactive hardening and attack surface reduction (PHASR). The macOS agent supports firewall management and device control, while the Linux agent primarily supports exploit prevention. Endpoint telemetry collection customization offers good granularity. System resource requirements are average relative to other vendors.
• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, Bitdefender offers email security as an auxiliary workspace security control. Browser security, endpoint DLP, and identity protection remain immature relative to other providers. Bitdefender’s recent introduction of a security data lake improves third-party telemetry ingestion and correlation. AI discovery and usage control are handled by the existing endpoint agent and its deep packet inspection engine, providing visibility but limited control over prompts and agentic interactions.
• On-premises endpoint protection management — The on-premises product supports deployment in both internet-connected and air-gapped environments. Detection, response, vulnerability assessment, and patch management are limited compared to the SaaS version.

Broadcom

• Core endpoint protection — The product dashboard is intuitive for deployment and onboarding, but less so for security operations tasks. All agents support anti-malware features. The Windows agent supports a range of prevention capabilities, including firewall management, device control, exploit prevention, application control, intrusion prevention, and application containment with tuning recommendations. The macOS agent supports firewall management, device control, intrusion prevention, and browser security, while the Linux agent primarily supports exploit prevention. Endpoint telemetry collection customization and detection and response features are lacking. System resource requirements are average relative to other vendors.
• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, auxiliary workspace security capabilities include email security, browser security, endpoint DLP, and identity protection. Apart from the recently released unified security agent, which combines endpoint protection, web security, and secure access capabilities, both native and third-party integrations are limited.
• On-premises endpoint protection management — The on-premises product supports deployment in both internet-connected and air-gapped environments. Notable gaps include detection and response capabilities, which are available through a different Broadcom product.

Check Point Software Technologies

• Core endpoint protection — The product dashboard is intuitive for deployment and onboarding, but less so for security operations tasks. All agents support anti-malware features. Key features of the Windows agent include disk encryption, device control, firewall management, application control, URL filtering, browser security, and DNS inspection. The macOS agent supports disk encryption, device control, firewall management, and application control. The Linux agent primarily supports exploit protection. Endpoint telemetry collection customization and detection and response features, such as interactive remote shell, are lacking. System resource requirements are high compared to other vendors.
• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, auxiliary workspace security capabilities include email security, browser security, enterprise DLP, and identity protection. Browser security is supported only through an extension, not a full-stack browser. Check Point offers some native and third-party integrations focused on telemetry and intelligence ingestion, as well as cross-portfolio integration on the endpoint agent and product console levels. Some security operations integrations, such as threat hunting, are limited or rely on the Infinity Playblocks capability.
• On-premises endpoint protection management — The on-premises product supports deployment in both internet-connected and air-gapped environments. Notable feature gaps in the on-premises product, compared with the SaaS version, include threat hunting and browser-based DLP.
  

CrowdStrike

• Core endpoint protection — The product dashboard is intuitive for administrative and security operations tasks. All agents support anti-malware features. Key features of the Windows agent include firewall management, device control, exploit protection, and application control. On macOS, device control, firewall management, and exploit protection are supported. Falcon’s features for Linux primarily focus on firewall management and exploit protection. Customization of endpoint telemetry collection and detection and response features are mature. System resource requirements are low compared with other vendors.
• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, auxiliary workspace security capabilities include endpoint DLP, browser security, and identity protection, but lack native email security. Identity threat protection features are mature. Endpoint DLP is strong on Windows but still maturing on macOS, with notable gaps such as limited egress support for Bluetooth, AirDrop, and printers. Browser security and AI discovery and usage control features are robust but not yet fully integrated. CrowdStrike’s third-party integration library is extensive and primarily accessed through CrowdStrike Falcon Next-Gen SIEM.
• On-premises endpoint protection management — CrowdStrike does not offer an on-premises endpoint protection management option. However, Falcon can be configured so that protected endpoints without direct internet connectivity can communicate with its cloud-based management via a proxy, enabling software and content updates.
  

ESET

• Core endpoint protection — The product dashboard is intuitive for deployment and onboarding, but less so for security operations tasks. All agents support anti-malware features. Key features of the Windows agent include firewall management, intrusion detection, device control, and exploit protection. On macOS, device control and firewall management are supported. Linux primarily supports device control and exploit protection. Full disk encryption is available either directly in ESET PROTECT or through a separate ESET product. Customization of endpoint telemetry collection is granular in the on-premises version, but not in the cloud-based version. System resource requirements are average compared to other vendors.
• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, auxiliary workspace security capabilities include email security and protection for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace apps. ESET does not provide endpoint DLP or runtime browser security. Basic browser memory protection and keylogger protection are included with the main endpoint agent. Identity protection capabilities are nascent, primarily focused on ingesting identity signals from Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft Active Directory. ESET’s native and third-party integrations, as well as AI discovery and usage control capabilities, are limited compared with other vendors.
• On-premises endpoint protection management — The on-premises product supports deployment in both internet-connected and air-gapped environments. Notable feature gaps in the on-premises product, compared with the SaaS version, include vulnerability assessment, patch management, and third-party integration.
  

Fortinet

• Core endpoint protection — FortiEndpoint’s management dashboards differ in usability and are less intuitive for security operations tasks. All agents support anti-malware features. The Windows agent supports a comprehensive set of prevention capabilities, including host firewall, disk encryption, device control, and exploit protection. The macOS and Linux agents lack host firewall management. Endpoint telemetry collection settings provide good granularity. Protection and EDR functionality are average compared with other vendors, and granular customization for detection is lacking. The agent is lightweight, resulting in minimal impact on endpoint performance.

• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, Fortinet offers auxiliary workspace security capabilities such as email and browser security, while identity protection remains immature relative to other providers. The solution offers an endpoint DLP feature. Fortinet’s third-party integration library is primarily accessed through its FortiSIEM product.

• On-premises endpoint protection management — The on-premises product supports deployment in both internet-connected and air-gapped environments. Feature parity with cloud-based offering is solid with near feature parity for protection and EDR capabilities.

Microsoft

• Core endpoint protection — The Defender for Endpoint product console may be less intuitive for new users, as it presents a busy, text-heavy view, especially during security operations tasks. All agents support anti-malware features. Prevention and protection functionality is above average, while EDR capabilities are robust. The Windows agent supports a broad range of prevention and protection capabilities, including host firewall management, device control, exploit protection, web content filtering, and attack surface reduction. The macOS and Linux agents lack host firewall management, attack surface reduction, and file response capabilities, and device control is not available on Linux. Endpoint telemetry collection settings provide rich granularity. System resource requirements are average compared with other vendors.

• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, Microsoft Defender and Purview Suites offer auxiliary workspace security capabilities such as email, browser, data, and identity protection. Endpoint DLP capabilities are solid and supported through the Purview product bundle. For threat detection, investigation, and response (TDIR) functionality, Defender for Endpoint integrates tightly with the native Microsoft ecosystem, while integration with third-party products heavily relies on Sentinel SIEM.

• On-premises endpoint protection management — Microsoft does not offer an on-premises endpoint protection management option. However, Defender for Endpoint can be configured so that protected endpoints without direct internet connectivity can communicate with Defender for Endpoint cloud-based management through a proxy to download software and content updates.

Palo Alto Networks

• Core endpoint protection — The product dashboard is feature-rich with extensive configuration options and customization, which makes it less intuitive for new users across most tasks. All agents support anti-malware features. The Windows agent supports a comprehensive range of prevention and protection capabilities, including host firewall management, device control, application control, and exploit protection. Disk encryption and file integrity monitoring (FIM) are supported on both Windows and macOS, and endpoint DLP capabilities are available on these platforms as well. However, Linux lacks device control and firewall management. Endpoint telemetry collection is robust, and the system resource requirements are low compared with other vendors.
• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, auxiliary workspace security capabilities include browser security, endpoint DLP, and identity protection. Browser security is supported through both an extension and a full-stack browser (Prisma Browser) administered through a separate product console. Palo Alto Networks offers strong native and third-party integrations for TDIR.
• On-premises endpoint protection management — Palo Alto Networks does not offer an on-premises endpoint protection management option. However, it can be configured so that protected endpoints without direct internet connectivity can communicate with the cloud-based management console through a broker virtual machine (VM). This is done for the purpose of downloading software and content updates and collecting log data for analysis.

SentinelOne

• Core endpoint protection — The product dashboard is streamlined and intuitive for most administrative and security operations tasks. All agents support anti-malware features. The Windows agent supports a range of prevention features, including host firewall, device control, and exploit prevention. However, application allowlisting is not currently supported. The macOS agent supports host firewall management and device control, while the Linux agent primarily supports firewall management, anti-malware, and exploit prevention. SentinelOne offers robust EDR functionality, with granular EDR telemetry customization across major modern operating systems. System resource requirements are low compared with other vendors.
• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, auxiliary workspace security features include mature identity protection and strong third-party integrations for TDIR. However, runtime browser security, email security, and endpoint DLP are not offered by SentinelOne directly. AI discovery and usage control features are robust, but not yet fully integrated into the Singularity product following SentinelOne’s recent acquisition of Prompt Security. Most non-native third-party integrations are handled through the Singularity AI SIEM offering.

• On-premises endpoint protection management — The on-premises product supports deployment in both internet-connected and air-gapped environments. However, certain features, such as EDR and vulnerability assessment capabilities, are limited compared with the SaaS version.

Sophos

• Core endpoint protection — The product dashboard is intuitive for deployment and onboarding. All agents support anti-malware features. The Windows agent supports a range of prevention features, including host firewall, device control, application control, and exploit prevention. The macOS agent supports device control, application control, and exploit protection, while the Linux agent primarily supports anti-malware and exploit prevention only. Endpoint telemetry collection customization offers good granularity. System resource requirements are average compared with other vendors.

• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, auxiliary workspace security capabilities include browser security, email security, and network security. Identity protection capabilities are currently nascent and have limited telemetry ingestion support. Endpoint DLP features are immature. Sophos’ introduction of broader TDIR capabilities via its Secureworks acquisitions improves third-party telemetry ingestion and correlation, as well as automated workflow creation. Limited AI discovery and usage control are handled by the existing application and content control features. However, Sophos does not offer control over agentic AI interactions.

• On-premises endpoint protection management — Sophos does not offer an on-premises endpoint protection management option. However, Sophos can be configured so that protected endpoints without direct internet connectivity can communicate with its cloud-based management via a proxy or through cloud-connected endpoints designated as “update caches,” enabling software and content updates.
  

Trellix

• Core endpoint protection — The product dashboard is less intuitive, as users must work across multiple consoles for configuration management and security operations. All agents support anti-malware features. The Windows agent supports a range of prevention features, including firewall management, device control, application control, exploit prevention, and web control. The macOS agent supports firewall management and device control, while the Linux agent primarily supports exploit prevention, host firewall, and application control, including allowlisting. Additionally, endpoint telemetry collection customization offers limited granularity. System resource requirements are average relative to other vendors.

• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, auxiliary workspace security capabilities include email security and data security, but do not include identity protection or browser security. Trellix offers some native integration with its endpoint protection product portfolio. However, third-party integration is mainly available via Trellix’s HyperAutomation product.

• On-premises endpoint protection management — The on-premises product supports deployment in internet-connected, air-gapped, and hybrid environments. However, in fully air-gapped deployments, certain features such as AI Assistance are not available, and adaptive protection is limited compared with hybrid and SaaS deployments.

TrendAI

• Core endpoint protection — The product dashboard is streamlined and intuitive for most administrative and security operations tasks. All agents support anti-malware features. The Windows agent supports a range of prevention features, including host firewall, device control, intrusion prevention, integrity monitoring, and application control and allowlisting. The macOS agent supports host firewall and device control, while the Linux agent supports host firewall, intrusion prevention, and application control. TrendAI Vision One offers robust EDR functionality with granular EDR telemetry customization and a relatively complete set of response actions. System resource requirements are average relative to other vendors. TrendAI Deep Security, a specialized workload security product, supports legacy operating systems.

• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, auxiliary workspace security capabilities include integrated email security and identity protection. DLP is good on Windows but has notable gaps on macOS. TrendAI Vision One offers strong native integrations and an extensive list of third-party integrations, primarily accessed through the TrendAI Vision One console. Limited AI discovery and usage controls are supported through data security features and application control. However, TrendAI does not provide controls for agentic AI interactions.

• On-premises endpoint protection management — The on-premises product supports deployment in both internet-connected and air-gapped environments. Notable feature gaps in the on-premises product, compared with the SaaS version, include vulnerability assessment, patch management, and third-party integration. TrendAI offers two on-premises products, TrendAI Apex One for workstations and TrendAI Deep Security for servers.

WithSecure

• Core endpoint protection — The product dashboard is intuitive for deployment and onboarding, but less so for security operations tasks. WithSecure supports identifying unmanaged endpoints via AD sync. However, there is no option to push agents from the management console. All agents support anti-malware features. The Windows agent supports a range of prevention features, including host firewall, device control, application control, and exploit prevention. The macOS agent supports host firewall and exploit protection, while the Linux agent primarily supports basic exploit prevention. Endpoint telemetry collection customization offers good granularity. System resource requirements are average compared with other vendors.

• Workspace security — In addition to endpoint protection, auxiliary workspace security capabilities include email security and identity security. Its identity protection capabilities are nascent and primarily focused on ingesting identity signals from Microsoft EntraID. WithSecure does not provide endpoint DLP or runtime browser security. However basic browser protection for web threats is available using a browser extension. WithSecure’s out-of-the-box third-party integrations are limited, and the platform does not include AI discovery or usage controls.

• On-premises endpoint protection management — The on-premises product supports deployment in both internet-connected and air-gapped environments. Notable feature gaps in the on-premises product, compared with the SaaS version, include vulnerability assessment, patch management, and third-party integration. The vendor announced end-of-life for its on-premises product WithSecure Business Suite.