Your MSP or IT provider might be recommending an upgrade from antivirus to EDR, and you want to understand what you are paying for. This post explains the difference in plain language, what each one actually does, and why the gap between them matters more in 2026 than it did five years ago.
How Traditional Antivirus Works
Traditional antivirus works by comparing files and processes against a database of known malware signatures. If a file matches a known-bad signature, the antivirus blocks or quarantines it. This model works against known threats but fails against new malware variants, fileless attacks, and living-off-the-land techniques that use legitimate Windows tools for malicious purposes.
Signature databases are updated regularly, but attackers move faster. Most modern ransomware is designed specifically to evade signature-based detection. Relying on legacy antivirus as your primary endpoint defence in 2026 is comparable to locking your front door but leaving the back door open.
What EDR Does Differently
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) continuously monitors behaviour on the endpoint rather than scanning files. It records what processes run, what network connections are made, what registry keys are modified, and what files are written or read. When a pattern of behaviour looks suspicious - even from a legitimate-looking process - EDR flags it for review or automatically contains it.
EDR can detect attacks in progress rather than only catching them at the point of initial infection. It also records a forensic timeline of activity, so when an incident does occur, you can understand exactly what happened and when.
The Managed vs. Unmanaged Problem
EDR is only as good as the team watching its alerts. An unmanaged EDR deployment generates more noise than an unmanned antivirus. If no one is reviewing detections, tuning policies, and responding to alerts, the investment is partially wasted.
Managed EDR, where a security operations team monitors the alerts, is the correct deployment model for most SMBs. North Star includes managed EDR monitoring as part of our cybersecurity plans. You get the detection capability without needing a dedicated in-house security analyst.
Cost Comparison
Legacy antivirus for an SMB might cost $3 to $6 per endpoint per month. Managed EDR typically runs $10 to $20 per endpoint per month. The price difference is real but the risk reduction is also real. Ransomware recovery costs typically run $50,000 to $200,000 for an SMB once you count downtime, data recovery, and reputational damage.
Many cyber insurance providers now require or strongly incentivise EDR. Having EDR deployed can be the difference between getting a policy at a reasonable premium and being declined or rated at a surcharge.
Which Should You Have?
Every BC SMB with more than five endpoints should have EDR rather than legacy antivirus. The exceptions are limited-use kiosk-style devices where EDR cannot be installed, which should be segregated on a separate network segment.
If you currently have traditional antivirus, ask your IT provider when they plan to migrate you to EDR. If the answer is 'we are not,' find a provider that will. The threat landscape in 2026 has moved well beyond what signature-based tools can reliably stop.