ROUND ROCK, TX: Dell announces its cutting-edge security solution, Dell Data Protection Threat Defense. This platform prevents advanced persistent threats and malware including zero day and targeted attacks such as spear phishing or ransomware.

The new advanced-threat prevention solution specifically designed for the needs of growing businesses uses artificial intelligence and machine learning for defence strategies. The solution offers a significantly higher level of protection, stopping 99 percent of malware execution, far above the average 50 percent efficacy rating of many traditional anti-virus solutions.

Dell’s 2015 Security Annual Threat Report, which analyzes security trends based on data collected from more than one million sensors in 200 countries, highlighted three major areas of security threats and vulnerabilities. First, point-of-sale (POS) attacks, second, attackers are leveraging a technique that many organizations actually put in place to safeguard their data against theft: the secure HTTPS protocol, third, the report identified Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) as a major target.

The report predicts 69% of small and mid-market businesses say that datasecurity is a burden on their company’s time and budget. In addition, 65% are holding back plans to make their workforce more mobile due to security concerns. SMBs need to prioritize data security to protect their assets, but they also need to be productive in order to grow their business.

Threat Defense reflects the multi-platform reality of the modern workplace with compatibility on a range of Dell and non-Dell devices. Additional features include:

Lightweight Footprint 

Threat Defense consumes only one to three percent of CPU resources, a much lower footprint than traditional anti-virus solutions, which means better performance for end users. In addition, as the solution does not rely on signature updates, it does not require a continual network connection to the internet to detect threats.

Safe-List Flexibility

To allow for direct control over known secure files and apps, Threat Defense enables administrators to safe-list files at the policy level or via a signed certificate where no threat action will be taken against the file or application.

Advanced Script Control and Malware Analysis

Threat Defense offers additional script control that prevents malicious ActiveScripts and PowerShell from running. IT administrators can also upload a suspicious file to the cloud for analysis, enabling them to analyze threat vectors they are facing and take better preventative measures.

“Today’s malware attacks are non-discriminant and can impact organizations of all sizes. Smaller businesses are often at risk as traditional anti-virus and threat protection solutions can be resource intensive or beyond the means of growing businesses. With Dell Data Protection Threat Defense, Dell is addressing the needs of this under-served segment with an effective advanced threat prevention solution that is easy to manage and reflects the multi-platform reality of modern businesses,” says Brett Hansen, Executive Director, Data Security Solutions, Dell.