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The most visible endpoint security tools in Germany, October 2026

October 2026 · 15 questions asked from Germany in German and English · ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode · 60 answers read

AI: how the engines answer the board's questions; Search: Google's top 10 for the questions' demand keywords; All: both combined. How the Heralded Score works.

Most cited source

bund.de

33citations

From Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT

Where engines disagree most

Sophos

1/4engines put it in their top three

Top three on Google AI Overviews, not on Google AI Mode, Gemini and ChatGPT

Brands

Rank Brand Rank change Heralded Score Score trend Mentioned Recommended By engine Mentioned by Change
1 Microsoft Defender US New entry 53 , range 30–74
53
  • : score 53 · #1
 38% 27% First reading
2 Bitdefender RO New entry 41 , range 19–58
41
  • : score 41 · #2
 22% 11% First reading
3 VMware US New entry 38 , range 0–75
38
  • : score 38 · #3
 4% 0% First reading
4 Trend Micro JP New entry 33 , range 0–74
33
  • : score 33 · #4
 3% 0% First reading
5 McAfee US New entry 31 , range 0–75
31
  • : score 31 · #5
 2% 1% None First reading
6 Malwarebytes US New entry 31 , range 0–75
31
  • : score 31 · #6
 3% 1% First reading
7 Microsoft 365 Business Premium US New entry 29 , range 20–57
29
  • : score 29 · #7
 20% 12% First reading
8 Sophos GB New entry 28 , range 16–56
28
  • : score 28 · #8
 18% 9% First reading
9 G DATA DE New entry 26 , range 0–74
26
  • : score 26 · #9
 2% 0% None First reading
10 ESET SK New entry 25 , range 6–52
25
  • : score 25 · #10
 12% 7% First reading

“=” marks brands whose score ranges overlap, so the test cannot separate them. Every brand named in at least three answers is ranked. By engine has one dot per engine (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode), darker the more often it names the brand.

This month's moves

First reading. No comparable previous month yet.

Biggest risers

No clear rise.

Biggest fallers

No clear fall.

Drop-outs

No drop-outs.

Most cited sources

Rank Source Type Cited in Engines Pages cited Brands its pages mention
1 bund.de Regulator 21.7% 3 of 4 15 1
2 microsoft.com Brand site 25.0% 3 of 4 23 2
3Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
4Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
5Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
6 eset.com Brand site 10.0% 2 of 4 4 1
7Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
8Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
9Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
10 reddit.com Community 6.7% 2 of 4 5 Not read

The questions, and who wins each

QuestionLanguageWins it
best endpoint security tools for small businesses English Microsoft Defender
protect company laptops from malware for small businesses English Bitdefender
how can a small business protect employee computers from cyberattacks English No brand recommended
how to stop malware from infecting company laptops English Avast Essential Business Security and Microsoft Defender, tied
managed endpoint protection vs in-house security for it teams English No brand recommended

Each engine's top three

Method

For the AI side, each month Heralded asks every engine the same buyer questions, twice each, and reads every answer. An answer counts 0 for a brand it leaves out, 50 for a brand it names and 100 for a brand it recommends, and the Heralded Score is built from those. A brand named in at least three answers gets a score and a place.

How the leaderboards are measured