“We don't always run antivirus, but when we do, it's free.”
Free consumer antivirus wasn't built for a business network, updates when it feels like it, and alerts a inbox nobody reads. Modern attacks walk right past it.
The free tier protects against 2015. Modern attacks are behavioral — they need detection that watches what programs do, and a person who answers when it alarms.
What replaces the free stuff
EDR that spots behavior, not just known virus signatures
Every workstation and server covered — no exceptions