Emsisoft vs Microsoft Defender for Business

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Our analysts compared Emsisoft vs Microsoft Defender for Business based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Endpoint Security Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Emsisoft Software Tool
Microsoft Defender for Business Software Tool

Product Basics

Emsisoft is a smart virus and malware protection platform that provides its users with personalized service and expert support. It cleans devices using dual-engine technology and advanced smart cleaning. It ensures complete protection through web protection and browser security, real-time file guard, behavior blocker and anti-ransomware.

It delivers hourly detection updates and monthly releases to protect against the latest cyberthreats. It provides anti-malware for home devices, multi-layered protection for office workstations, servers, remote workers and a console for managed service providers.
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Microsoft Defender for Business is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect small to medium-sized businesses from cyber threats. It offers advanced threat protection, endpoint detection and response, and automated investigation and remediation capabilities. This software is particularly suited for industries such as healthcare, finance, and retail, where data security is paramount. Its unique benefits include simplified deployment, centralized management, and integration with other Microsoft services, providing a seamless security experience.

Key features include real-time threat detection, vulnerability management, and detailed reporting. Users appreciate its intuitive interface and robust protection mechanisms, which are often highlighted in user reviews. Compared to similar products, Microsoft Defender for Business stands out for its ease of use and comprehensive coverage. Pricing details can vary, so it's recommended to contact SelectHub for a tailored quote based on specific needs. This ensures businesses get the most accurate and relevant pricing information for their requirements.

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$1.83/Device, Monthly
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$3/User, Monthly
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Product Assistance

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Videos
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Videos
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Email
Phone
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FAQ
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Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
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Product Insights

  • Layered Protection: Provides four-layered protection to prevent online threats on all levels. Blocks malicious website connections and prevents access. Offers privacy filtering without SSL exploitation. Checks modified and downloaded files with a dual-engine scanner. Monitors active processes’ behavior and raises alerts on detecting suspicious activities. 
  • Protects Against Ransomware: Discover new and emerging threats using its intelligence-gathering network and partnership with ID Ransomware. Blocks vectors such as email, unpatched vulnerabilities or insecure RDP through exploit detection and attack surface reduction in common applications. Enables behavior-based detection and stops ransomware-specific behavior. 
  • Increased Protection: Operates without user login, and real-protection begins from boot time. Automatically protects new devices connected to the server. Provides instant email notifications on detecting malicious files for quick response and investigation. Actively monitors and protects risk-exposed file servers. 
  • Automate Malware Scanning: Offers an advanced commandline interface for high performance in heavy load workspaces. Allows automatic scans of incoming data from web servers or files. Facilitates virus scan integration in custom workflows like project management tools, chat, email, ticket systems and more. 
  • Cloud Management: Provides a web console to manage the protection of all endpoints, sites and clients. Respond to alerts, updates, scans, license usage and more via a single and intuitive dashboard. Access its cloud console through a web browser or Android and iOS apps for any device. 
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  • Enhanced Threat Detection: Microsoft Defender for Business leverages advanced AI and machine learning to identify and mitigate threats in real-time, reducing the risk of data breaches.
  • Automated Response: The software automates the response to detected threats, ensuring swift action to contain and neutralize potential security incidents without manual intervention.
  • Comprehensive Protection: It provides end-to-end security across devices, applications, and data, ensuring a holistic defense strategy for your business environment.
  • Cost Efficiency: By integrating multiple security functions into a single platform, Microsoft Defender for Business reduces the need for multiple security solutions, lowering overall costs.
  • Scalability: The solution is designed to grow with your business, easily scaling to accommodate increasing numbers of devices and users without compromising performance.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Helps businesses meet regulatory requirements by providing detailed reporting and audit trails, simplifying compliance with standards like GDPR and HIPAA.
  • Reduced Downtime: By quickly identifying and addressing threats, the software minimizes downtime and ensures business continuity, keeping operations running smoothly.
  • User-Friendly Interface: The intuitive dashboard and easy-to-navigate interface make it simple for IT teams to manage security tasks and monitor the overall security posture.
  • Integration with Microsoft 365: Seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365, providing a unified security solution that enhances the protection of your existing Microsoft ecosystem.
  • Proactive Threat Hunting: Enables proactive threat hunting capabilities, allowing security teams to identify and address potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
  • Customizable Policies: Offers customizable security policies tailored to the specific needs of your business, ensuring optimal protection without unnecessary restrictions.
  • Expert Support: Access to Microsoft's extensive support network and resources ensures that your business can quickly resolve any security issues that arise.
  • Employee Training: Includes tools and resources to educate employees about security best practices, reducing the likelihood of human error leading to security incidents.
  • Real-Time Alerts: Provides real-time alerts and notifications, enabling immediate action to address potential threats and minimize impact.
  • Data Encryption: Ensures that sensitive business data is encrypted both in transit and at rest, protecting it from unauthorized access and breaches.
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  • Enterprise Security: Delivers advanced features for larger businesses through a license plan upgrade. Synchronize active directory users and devices with a management console and quickly deploy new devices. Limit access to protection settings by defining custom permission policies. Invite unlimited managers and admins to a workspace. 
  • Browser Security: Offers a browser extension, Emsisoft Browser Security, to block access to websites distributing malware and prevent phishing attacks attempting to steal passwords. Requires manual installation and gets regularly updated through the extension store. 
  • Emergency Kit Scanner: Scans for malware and cleans infected computers without software installation. Incorporates a scanner with a graphical user interface to scan the infected PC for viruses, ransomware, trojans, worms, keyloggers, adware, spyware and other malicious programs. 
  • Commandline Scanner: Check systems for malware infections using its lightweight expert tool for professional users who don’t require a graphical user interface. This console application is suitable for batch jobs and comes included with subscriptions to all products. 
  • Ransomware Decryption Tools: Offers custom decryption services and technical advisory to recover files, restore business operations and minimize damage from a ransomware attack. Provides no-cost recovery using existing decryption tools. Cracks encryption code errors and builds a decrypter that doesn’t require paying a ransom. Finds a suitable solution if encryption can’t be cracked, which can reduce the paid ransom. 
  • Mobile Security: Provides a next-generation security solution for Android devices, which scans all stored files for malware infections. Its real-time protection blocks apps as they arrive, and web protection prevents access to suspicious websites. Lock or wipe devices remotely when lost or stolen through its anti-theft feature. 
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  • Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Provides advanced threat detection and response capabilities to identify and mitigate sophisticated attacks on endpoints.
  • Threat and Vulnerability Management: Continuously scans for vulnerabilities and provides actionable insights to prioritize and remediate risks.
  • Automated Investigation and Remediation: Uses AI and machine learning to automatically investigate alerts and remediate threats, reducing the burden on IT teams.
  • Next-Generation Antivirus: Offers real-time protection against malware, ransomware, and other malicious software using advanced heuristics and behavior analysis.
  • Attack Surface Reduction: Implements policies to minimize the attack surface by controlling the applications and scripts that can run on devices.
  • Integration with Microsoft 365: Seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365 services, providing a unified security experience across email, documents, and collaboration tools.
  • Centralized Management Console: Provides a single pane of glass for managing security policies, monitoring threats, and viewing security reports.
  • Customizable Security Policies: Allows businesses to tailor security settings to meet their specific needs and compliance requirements.
  • Cloud-Based Threat Intelligence: Leverages Microsoft's vast threat intelligence network to stay ahead of emerging threats and provide up-to-date protection.
  • Device Control: Manages and restricts the use of external devices such as USB drives to prevent data leakage and malware introduction.
  • Incident Reporting and Analytics: Offers detailed incident reports and analytics to help businesses understand and respond to security events effectively.
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Ensures that only authorized personnel have access to security settings and data, enhancing overall security posture.
  • Scalability: Designed to scale with your business, providing robust security for small to medium-sized enterprises without compromising performance.
  • Compliance Management: Helps businesses meet regulatory requirements by providing tools and reports for compliance management.
  • 24/7 Threat Monitoring: Offers continuous monitoring and alerting to ensure that threats are detected and addressed promptly, regardless of the time of day.
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Product Ranking

#41

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Endpoint Security Software

#68

among all
Endpoint Security Software

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User Sentiment Summary

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Fair User Sentiment 1 reviews
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60%
of users recommend this product

Microsoft Defender for Business has a 'fair' User Satisfaction Rating of 60% when considering 1 user reviews from 1 recognized software review sites.

n/a
3.0 (1)

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Strong Malware Protection: Employs a dual-scanner approach, including its own engine and Bitdefender's, to achieve a near-perfect detection rate, even against zero-day threats.
User-Friendly Interface: Features an intuitive design that makes it easy for users of all technical skill levels to navigate and understand, simplifying security management.
Real-Time Protection: Provides continuous monitoring and employs a multi-layered approach to stop threats before they can execute, including behavior-based detection to identify and block ransomware activities.
Customization Options: Offers a high degree of flexibility, allowing administrators to fine-tune security settings to meet the specific needs of their organization.
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Strong Protection: Safeguards your business from various threats like ransomware and malware, ensuring your data and operations remain secure.
Streamlined Management: Offers a single dashboard to monitor and manage security across all devices, simplifying administration for your IT team.
Proactive Defense: Identifies and addresses vulnerabilities before they can be exploited, minimizing the risk of successful attacks.
Automated Response: Takes immediate action against threats, even outside of business hours, ensuring continuous protection without manual intervention.
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Limited Features: Emsisoft may not meet the comprehensive security needs of business users as it lacks features like firewalls, VPNs, and content filtering.
Technical Interface: The numerous customization options, while offering flexibility, could be overwhelming for business users who prefer a more user-friendly experience.
Web Protection Concerns: The effectiveness of Emsisoft's web protection has been questioned, potentially leaving business users vulnerable to online threats.
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Complex Setup: Some users have reported that the initial configuration of Microsoft Defender for Business can be more complicated compared to other security solutions, potentially requiring additional time and resources.
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Is Emsisoft security as soft as its name might imply? User reviews from the last year suggest that Emsisoft is a bit of a niche product. It shines in its robust malware protection, consistently receiving praise for its ability to detect and neutralize even the most stubborn threats, like a digital guard dog sniffing out trouble. Users appreciate the straightforward user interface, finding it refreshingly easy to navigate, unlike some competitors that resemble complex control panels. However, Emsisoft falls short in its feature set compared to industry heavyweights like Norton. It lacks a comprehensive suite of tools, such as a firewall, VPN, or parental controls, which some users find limiting. This absence of a complete security package makes Emsisoft feel like a specialized tool rather than a one-stop shop for all things cybersecurity. Essentially, Emsisoft is best suited for users who prioritize top-notch malware protection above all else and are comfortable with a degree of technical customization. It's like a high-performance engine - powerful but requiring a bit more hands-on management. Those seeking a more comprehensive security suite with all the bells and whistles might find Emsisoft lacking and should explore alternatives offering a broader range of features.

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Is Microsoft Defender for Business truly a defender of businesses, or does it leave them vulnerable? User reviews from the last year reveal a mixed bag. On one hand, Defender for Business is praised for its robust security features, particularly its effectiveness in combating ransomware and malware. Users highlight its integration with other Microsoft products as a key strength, allowing for a centralized security management experience. For instance, its seamless compatibility with Microsoft 365 streamlines security workflows and reduces the need for third-party solutions. This integration is particularly valuable for businesses heavily reliant on the Microsoft ecosystem, offering a unified and cost-effective approach to security.However, the initial setup process is a common pain point, often described as complex and time-consuming. This complexity might pose a challenge for businesses lacking dedicated IT expertise. Additionally, while Defender for Business excels on Windows platforms, its performance on other operating systems like macOS or Linux is reportedly less impressive. This limitation could be a dealbreaker for businesses with diverse device ecosystems. Overall, Microsoft Defender for Business is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, prioritizing strong security features and seamless integration over cross-platform compatibility. Its robust protection against modern threats, combined with its user-friendly interface once set up, makes it a valuable asset for businesses seeking a comprehensive yet cost-effective security solution.

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