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Antivirus that’s managed, not just installed.

Installing antivirus software is not the same as having antivirus protection.

Antivirus that’s managed, not just installed.

Installing antivirus software is not the same as having antivirus protection.

Software that is not monitored centrally can fall out of date. It can be disabled accidentally or deliberately. It can fail silently on one device while appearing active on all the others. Without central management and reporting, nobody knows it has happened until it is too late.

We deploy and manage antivirus across your entire estate as part of your managed support contract, so every device is protected, every update is applied, and any gap in coverage is flagged and fixed before it becomes a problem.

What we deploy and manage

Datto AV for Windows and macOS

We deploy Datto AV across every Windows and macOS device in your business, managed from a central console. This gives us real-time visibility of the protection status across your entire estate: which devices have antivirus running, which definitions were last updated, and which devices have flagged a threat.

Datto AV provides signature-based detection of known viruses, malware, ransomware, spyware, and other malicious code, with scheduled scans, real-time file scanning, and automatic definition updates managed by us rather than left to individual users to action.

Why central management matters

When antivirus is managed centrally, we can see at a glance whether every device in your business is protected. When a device drops off, we know. When a definition update fails, we know. When a threat is detected on a device, we are alerted immediately and can respond before the infection spreads.

When antivirus is left to individual users to manage, none of this visibility exists. A laptop running a version from six months ago sits next to a fully updated machine, and nobody can tell the difference until something goes wrong.

Threat detection and removal

If antivirus flags a threat on any device in your estate, we investigate, contain, and remove it. For managed support clients, this is handled as part of your contract, not as a separate chargeable incident.

Malware and virus cleaning

If a device has already been compromised before we start managing it, we carry out a full clean-up, removing viruses, malware, spyware, rootkits, and other malicious code before deploying ongoing managed protection.

Going beyond antivirus: EDR

Traditional antivirus catches threats it already recognises. It compares files and processes against a database of known malicious signatures. That approach has a fundamental limitation: it cannot catch threats it has never seen before.

Datto EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) runs alongside antivirus and takes a different approach. Rather than looking for known threats, it watches how every device is behaving. If a process starts acting in a way that looks suspicious, even if it does not match any known malware signature, EDR detects and contains it automatically.

For businesses that handle sensitive data, operate in regulated industries, or want a higher level of security assurance, we recommend running both Datto AV and Datto EDR together. EDR is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, covering the full range of platforms your business may run.

What this means in practice

You never need to think about antivirus. It is deployed, monitored, updated, and managed. If a threat is detected, we respond. If a device loses protection, we know before you do.

Your team does not need to remember to run scans, check for updates, or report problems. It is handled in the background as part of the service you are already paying for.

Antivirus and Cyber Essentials

Malware protection is one of the five technical controls assessed under Cyber Essentials, the UK government-backed security certification increasingly required by insurers and larger organisations in their supply chains. We manage antivirus in a way that directly supports Cyber Essentials compliance, and for managed support clients, Cyber Essentials readiness support is included in your contract at no extra charge.

Part of your managed support contract

Antivirus deployment and management is included for all Network Fish managed support clients. There is no separate software licence to buy, no separate management fee, and no per-incident charge for threat response. It is part of the service.

One monthly fee. One number to call.

The day-to-day risk of your devices being unprotected becomes our job, not yours.

Book your free site survey   or call +44 (0) 207 403 4031

FAQ

Common questions

Is antivirus enough to protect my business?

Antivirus is an essential layer of protection but it is not sufficient on its own. Traditional antivirus detects threats it already recognises by comparing files and processes against a database of known malicious signatures. It cannot detect threats it has never seen before, including new ransomware variants and zero-day attacks.

For complete protection, antivirus should be combined with endpoint detection and response (EDR), which monitors device behaviour rather than just known signatures, alongside multi-factor authentication, automatic patching, DNS filtering, and machine hardening. Network Fish deploys and manages all of these layers as part of a managed support contract.

What antivirus software does Network Fish use?

Network Fish deploys and manages Datto AV for Windows and macOS endpoints. Datto AV is part of the Kaseya 365 Endpoint platform and is managed centrally through our RMM toolstack, giving us real-time visibility of protection status across every device in your business.

For businesses that want a higher level of threat detection, we also deploy Datto EDR alongside Datto AV, covering Windows, macOS, and Linux.

What is the difference between antivirus and EDR?

Antivirus (AV) detects known threats by matching files and processes against a database of malicious signatures. If a threat is in the database, antivirus catches it. If it is a new or unknown threat, antivirus may miss it.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) works differently — it monitors how every device is behaving and detects suspicious activity regardless of whether the specific threat has been seen before. EDR can contain a threat automatically, isolating the affected device before the infection spreads. The two products work best together: antivirus handles known threats quickly and efficiently, EDR catches what antivirus misses.

What happens if antivirus detects a threat on one of our devices?

For Network Fish managed support clients, a detected threat triggers an immediate alert in our management console. We investigate, assess the severity, contain the threat if it is active, and remove it from the affected device. This is handled as part of your managed support contract with no additional charge. We will also advise on whether other devices need to be checked and whether any wider investigation is warranted.

Do you manage antivirus on Macs as well as Windows computers?

Yes. Datto AV covers both Windows and macOS devices. All managed devices, regardless of operating system, are monitored from the same central console. For Linux devices, we deploy Datto EDR, which provides equivalent threat detection and response coverage on Linux even though Datto AV itself does not currently support Linux.

What if our devices already have antivirus installed from a previous IT provider?

We assess the existing setup during the free site survey or at onboarding. If a previous antivirus product is in place, we review its configuration, coverage, and management status. In most cases we migrate devices to Datto AV as part of onboarding, removing the previous product and deploying our managed solution centrally. If a device has been compromised or is running outdated definitions, we carry out a full clean-up before deploying fresh protection.

Can antivirus protect against ransomware?

Yes, to a significant degree. Datto AV includes ransomware detection and provides a layer of protection against known ransomware variants. Datto EDR goes further: it detects ransomware-like behaviour, including mass file encryption activity, and can isolate the affected device automatically before the encryption spreads to other machines or shared drives.

For the strongest ransomware protection, antivirus and EDR should be combined with proper backup and disaster recovery, so that even in a worst-case scenario, your data can be restored from a clean point before the infection.

Does antivirus help with Cyber Essentials certification?

Yes. Malware protection is one of the five technical controls assessed under Cyber Essentials. To pass, you need to demonstrate that antivirus or equivalent malware protection is installed and actively managed on all devices in scope. We manage antivirus in a way that directly supports Cyber Essentials compliance, and for managed support clients, Cyber Essentials readiness support including the gap analysis and support through the certification process is included in your contract at no extra charge.

How often is antivirus updated?

Datto AV definition updates are applied automatically as soon as new definitions are available, typically multiple times per day. We monitor update status centrally and are alerted if any device fails to receive an update within the expected window. You do not need to manage this, and your staff do not need to take any action.

Is antivirus managed centrally or does each user manage it on their own device?

All antivirus management is handled centrally by Network Fish. Individual users do not need to run scans, check for updates, or take any action relating to antivirus on their devices. Everything is managed through our central console, which gives us full visibility of the protection status across your entire estate. This is one of the key differences between managed antivirus and simply installing antivirus software on each device individually.