Traditional antivirus compares files against a list of known malware. EDR watches behavior instead: which programs start, what they change, and where they connect. When a pattern looks like an attack, such as a document launching a script that begins encrypting files, the tool raises an alert, can stop the process, and can cut the device off from the network while someone investigates.
Attackers often use legitimate tools already present on a computer, which leaves little for a signature-based scanner to find. EDR gives a small business a way to catch that activity early and a record of what happened, which matters when deciding whether data was taken and what needs to be rebuilt. Cyber insurance applications often ask whether it is in place.
EDR produces alerts that someone has to read and act on, at any hour. A tool nobody monitors offers little more than antivirus. Managed detection and response (MDR) is the same kind of technology with a staffed security team watching it. Check who responds to alerts, how quickly, and what they are allowed to do. We deploy and monitor endpoint protection as part of our security work.