Sophos Intercept X and MDR: Endpoint Protection That Fights Back

Traditional antivirus stops threats it already recognises, but modern attacks, ransomware especially, are built to slip past signatures. Sophos Intercept X is endpoint protection made for that world. It uses behaviour and deep learning to stop ransomware and exploits, and it can roll back the damage if something does get through. Pair it with Sophos MDR, a team watching and responding around the clock, and you have protection that acts, not just alerts.

What is Sophos Intercept X?

Intercept X is next-generation endpoint protection. Instead of relying only on a list of known threats, it watches how software behaves and uses deep learning to spot attacks it has never seen before. It blocks the exploit techniques attackers use to break in, stops ransomware, and records what happened on the device so an incident can be investigated. It is antivirus rebuilt for the way attacks work now.

How does it stop ransomware?

Ransomware gives itself away by one behaviour: rapidly encrypting large numbers of files. Sophos CryptoGuard watches for exactly that. When it sees files being encrypted, it stops the process and rolls the affected files back to their previous state. So even an attack that gets started can be reversed before it does real harm, which is the difference between a scare and a shutdown.

What is Sophos MDR?

Sophos MDR, managed detection and response, is the team behind the technology. A round-the-clock security operations centre watches the alerts your protection produces, hunts for threats that quietly slip through, and responds on your behalf when something is wrong. Tools catch a great deal on their own, but a determined attacker needs a human to shut them down. MDR is that human, on call every hour of the day.

Do you need MDR as well as Intercept X?

Intercept X stops most attacks by itself. MDR is for the ones that need a response: a threat that gets a foothold at 2am on a weekend, where waiting until Monday is not an option. It also matches what cyber insurers increasingly expect, a monitored environment with someone accountable for responding. For many businesses, the two together are the sensible line, and both sit within a wider cyber security strategy.

How 4iT manages it

We deploy Intercept X across your laptops and servers, tune it to your environment so it protects without getting in the way, monitor it, and, with MDR, respond when a real threat appears. It runs as part of your managed security, so you are not the one watching the alerts.

Frequently asked questions

Isn't antivirus enough?

Traditional antivirus relies on recognising known threats, and modern ransomware is built to evade that. Intercept X uses behaviour and deep learning, plus rollback, so it stops attacks it has never seen before.

What is the difference between Intercept X and MDR?

Intercept X is the protection running on the device. MDR is the team watching your environment and responding to threats. They work together: the tool catches, the team responds.

Can it undo a ransomware attack?

Yes. CryptoGuard rolls back files that ransomware has started encrypting, so an attack that gets going can be reversed.

Do you manage this for us?

Yes. 4iT deploys, tunes, and monitors Intercept X, and with MDR responds to threats on your behalf, as part of your managed security.

Want endpoint protection that responds, not just alerts? See our Sophos security approach, or call 4iT on 1800 367 448.