Microsoft Forefront (Discontinued Product) vs. Microsoft System Center Endpoint Protection

In large deployments, I have found Microsoft Forefront to be very effective at combating the majority of threats faced by our users. It provides the base platform for catching threats that would otherwise threaten our users and their data. If you have an environment that is under constant malware threat, then a secondary program may be needed as required.

Incentivized

If an organization is all Windows-based Active Directory systems, then System Center Endpoint Protection is worth deploying and using. If it's a hybrid of operating systems, then an alternative solution is best.

Incentivized

• SCEP is a light weight client which is minimally impactful on the user end.
• Forefront's management console provides excellent monitoring and reporting.
• Setup and configuration is very easy.

Incentivized

• It is easy to use and configure. This is a benefit, not just for the IT/Admin team, but also for the end-user, as they can easily set how and when to run scans.
• It is good a identifying threats and removing these threats. When looking for a product such as this, it is important to really look at these two areas to really see how the software will work in a real-world environment. SCEP is one such product that does really well at both of these things.

Incentivized

• Malware detection is not quite 100%. We have to use a secondary program occasionally.
• On low ram and weak CPU systems scanning can freeze the machine.
• The same reporting tools that are on the console version, aren't on the client.

Incentivized

• Not so much a limitation on the software itself, but the fact that is primarily only "signature" based, it cannot detect threats that have mutated.
• This software provides virtually no protection against zero-day threats.
• The System Center Endpoint Protection does not offer protections based on behavioral analysis.

Incentivized

It is integrated with Windows and SCCM, making it easy to use, license, manage, and update. Additionally, it is straightforward to diagnose when virus and ransomware alerts are detected on endpoints. IT Service Desk management is also easy.

Incentivized

Support is pretty good overall. Since it's a Microsoft product, there are a number of different options for either end-users or IT Admins to get help with this product. This includes phone support, email, web KB articles, community forums, etc. This support is also available 24/7, which can't be said the same for every AV product out there. Also, organizations can opt to buy into Enterprise support, which gives the added benefit of faster response times, training by the vendor, etc.

Incentivized

The biggest advantage that MSF and SCEP provide over Norton is: One: Far less client overhead required. Both Norton and McAfee are highly intensive client side when in use. Two: We've had far better luck using the Microsoft system with its detection capabilities, versus the others. Three: It is tied right into the Microsoft updating system, which provides central updating capabilities of av/mal/windows updates.

Incentivized

Microsoft System Center Endpoint Protection was the logical choice for our organization since we were utilizing so many other Microsoft solutions. We have since realized the need for more advanced threat protections and primarily use SCEP as an additional level of protection. Our primary protection is being provided by Carbon Black because of it's advanced heuristics and behavioral analysis capabilities

Incentivized

• Less turnaround on virus based issues.
• Helps reduce malware issues over time.
• Can breed overconfidence in the system, so people don't always try a second tool.

Incentivized

• The Windows 11 version of SCEP is significantly better than the Windows 10 and older iterations, and it has saved us from virus issues in the past.
• This is faster and less work to deploy to a pc when we build and deploy them.
• No extra admin and costs for AV licensing in our case, which makes renewal times easier on IT Management.

Incentivized