CrowdStrike this week launched a standalone product that enables small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) to leverage machine learning algorithms to secure their IT environments.

Daniel Bernard, chief business officer for CrowdStrike, said CrowdStrike Falcon Go provides a more effective alternative to antiquated antivirus software (AV) software that relies on signatures that, in terms of their ability to identify new threats, have proven to be ineffective.

And at $4.99 per month, CrowdStrike Falcon Go is also priced at a level any SMB can afford, he added.

CrowdStrike Falcon Go is the first offering from the company that does not include any additional managed cybersecurity services. However, SMBs can upgrade their subscription to take advantage of the cybersecurity teams that CrowdStrike has assembled to provide cybersecurity services, noted Bernard.

Additionally, CrowdStrike is working with third-party partners to enable them to provide managed cybersecurity services as an extension to CrowdStrike Falcon Go platform, said Bernard.

Most SMBs still rely on legacy AV software that is unable to adapt to the pace at which cybercriminals are now able to evade detection by updating malware in a way that evades detection. CrowdStrike Falcon Go leverages the same machine learning algorithms that the company employs across its offerings for larger enterprises to detect threats based on anomalous behavior.

SMBs are, of course, as much of a target these days as large enterprises. Cybercriminals now routinely leverage automation to launch cyberattacks at scale to target SMBs and large enterprises alike. The only real difference is the attacks against enterprises are usually more targeted, given the larger potential payoff.

The issue that SMBs will soon be encountering more often is that cybercriminals have started to leverage AI to launch, for example, phishing attacks that are more difficult to detect. In effect, SMBs are caught up in the same AI arms race that is transforming both the way cyberattacks are launched and, hopefully, thwarted.

Each organization will naturally need to decide what level of AI investment to make, but with offerings such as CrowdStrike Falcon Go priced at roughly $60 a year, it doesn’t make much sense for an SMB to continue relying on antiquated cybersecurity tools, said Bernard.

Of course, other suppliers of cybersecurity tools are also moving to embed AI capabilities into their offerings that, in many cases, are being delivered as part of a series of ongoing upgrades. One way or another, SMBs will need to upgrade their cybersecurity defenses sooner than later. In fact, many organizations will not do business with an SMB that is not able to demonstrate a meaningful ability to secure their IT environments.

SMBs should also reassess to what degree advances in cybersecurity are obviating capabilities that may be invoked across multiple tools. As cybersecurity platforms continue to evolve, capabilities that were once uniquely provided by one tool are becoming a feature of a larger platform that can either be installed locally or in the cloud.

Regardless of the approach favored, the one thing that is becoming apparent is that the cost of cybersecurity is no longer as much a factor for SMBs as it once was.