Enterprises have long relied on conventional antivirus (AV) products, but the weaknesses of these products are as well documented as their strengths. It is not surprising then that the attention of many in the security industry has been captured by a new category of endpoint security products known as advanced endpoint protection (AEP). These products are promising a new standard in endpoint security, but when should organizations seriously consider deploying these products, and in what capacity—as replacements, or as augmentations?

These are not simple decisions, particularly in light of the fact that many AEP products are still relatively immature. In terms of security effectiveness, high threat catch rates—even when endpoints are offline—certainly make headlines. However, other selection criteria for AEP products are also relevant, including: performance impact, forensic detail, environment visibility, time to detect threats, interoperability, administration efficiency, cost, scalability, deployment workflow, and central management capabilities.