Xcitium AEP Technical Review

Xcitium AEP is an advanced endpoint protection solution that aims to provide complete security for enterprise networks and endpoints against all kinds of cyber threats, including known malware, unknown files (zero-day malware), and advanced persistent attacks (APTs) with true default deny security with default allow usability. It combines multiple technologies into a single product, such as machine learning, behavioral analysis, containment, EDR, and MDR.

One of the key features of Xcitium AEP is its ZeroDwell technology, which uses kernel-level API virtualization to isolate unknown files and applications and prevent them from accessing critical systems that could cause damage. This allows users to continue working without interruption while the unknown files are analyzed in the cloud by Xcitium’s Verdict Cloud and Threat Intelligence. This feature also enables Xcitium AEP to prevent up to 450,000 unknown attacks daily, which gives it an edge over its competitors.

Another feature of Xcitium AEP is its cloud-native platform, which provides seamless aggregation and operationalization of intelligence from various sources, including telemetry from Xcitium’s own AEP platform. This platform also provides detection, prevention, visibility, and response capabilities that can successfully combat even the most persistent attackers4. Moreover, this platform’s single-agent architecture makes it simpler than other security solutions to deploy and manage.

Xcitium AEP also offers other features that enhance its endpoint security performance, such as a powerful real-world antivirus that can automatically detect, cleanse and quarantine suspicious files, a protection against fileless malware payloads that bypass traditional antivirus, a host firewall that blocks incoming and outgoing threats, a host intrusion prevention system that monitors operating system activities to detect intrusions, a file reputation lookup that cross-references any file’s threat reputation against one of the world’s largest whitelist and blacklist threat intelligence, and a protection against ransomware attacks and USB device malware or data loss.

How does Xcitium AEP compare to other endpoint protection solutions?

Xcitium AEP is one of the endpoint protection solutions that offers advanced security features for enterprise networks and endpoints. It has a unique feature of isolating unknown files and applications using kernel-level API virtualization, which prevents damage while allowing users to continue working. It also has a cloud-native platform that provides intelligence and response capabilities that can counter even the most advanced attacks. It also offers other features that enhance its detection and prevention performance.

Xcitium AEP has for sure some competitors such as Singularity XDR by SentinelOne1, Symantec Endpoint Security Complete by Broadcom, and Trellix Endpoint Security (ENS) by Trellix. These solutions also use machine learning, behavioral analysis, containment, EDR, and MDR technologies to protect endpoints against all kinds of cyber threats. They also have cloud-based platforms that provide visibility, detection, prevention, and response across the network. They also offer other features such as antivirus, firewall, host intrusion prevention, file reputation, ransomware protection, USB device protection, and more.

The main difference that Xcitium is proud is true default deny security with default allow usability – this ensures that every file receives a definitive verdict of good (benign), bad (malicious), or unknown (to-be-determined). The AEP always allows only the known good files to run unfettered on the enterprise network systems. Here are some other notable features from Xcitum:

• Auto Containment (Automated Containerization) Automatically isolates suspicious files and applications in a secure environment to prevent them from causing harm.
• Valkyrie Verdict: Uses machine learning algorithms to analyze files and determine whether they are malicious or benign .
• Certificate Management: Helps manage digital certificates and ensures that only trusted certificates are used .
• Web Filtering: Blocks access to malicious websites and content (Here is Gartner Peer Insights review: https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/endpoint-protection-platforms/vendor/xcitium/product/xcitium-enterprise-platform )

Xcitium AEP is a robust endpoint protection solution that integrates multiple technologies into a single product to provide comprehensive security for enterprise networks and endpoints. However, it is not the only solution that provides these features.

PS: As its clearly stated at my profile I am the CISO and Chief Cybersecurity Strategist at Xcitium. This blog post / review reflects my honest opinion.