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The most visible endpoint security tools in United Kingdom, October 2026

October 2026 · 15 questions asked from United Kingdom in 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

pcmag.com

3citations

From Google AI Overviews

Where engines disagree most

SentinelOne

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 71 , range 47–78
71
  • : score 71 · #1
 50% 31% First reading
2 Check Point IL New entry 47 , range 0–75
47
  • : score 47 · #2
 5% 2% None First reading
3 SentinelOne US New entry 39 , range 12–55
39
  • : score 39 · #3
 20% 7% None First reading
4 CrowdStrike US New entry 37 , range 16–56
37
  • : score 37 · #4
 20% 10% None First reading
5 Bitdefender RO New entry 37 , range 19–57
37
  • : score 37 · #5
 20% 12% None First reading
6 Palo Alto Cortex US New entry 36 , range 0–74
36
  • : score 36 · #6
 2% 2% First reading
7 Trellix US New entry 32 , range 0–73
32
  • : score 32 · #7
 2% 2% None First reading
8 Fortinet US New entry 31 , range 0–73
31
  • : score 31 · #8
 3% 1% None First reading
9 Sophos GB New entry 29 , range 6–52
29
  • : score 29 · #9
 12% 7% None First reading
10 Symantec US New entry 28 , range 0–73
28
  • : score 28 · #10
 2% 1% None 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 pcmag.com Media 5.0% 1 of 4 3 Not read
2Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
3Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
4 softwareworld.co Media 3.3% 1 of 4 1 4
5Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
6Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
7Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
8Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
9 living360.uk Media 1.7% 1 of 4 1 Not read
10Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.

The questions, and who wins each

QuestionLanguageWins it
What are the best endpoint security solutions for small businesses? English Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Microsoft Defender, tied
How can mid-sized companies protect work laptops for their IT teams? English Microsoft Defender
How can a small business protect employees’ computers from viruses? English ESET and Microsoft Defender, tied
How can I stop ransomware on work laptops? English Microsoft Defender
Traditional antivirus vs. behavioural detection for small businesses English Bitdefender and Microsoft Defender, tied
On-premises protection vs. managed endpoint security for small businesses English No brand recommended
Alternatives to installing antivirus on every computer for small businesses English Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Microsoft Defender, tied
Alternatives to manually reviewing security alerts for small IT teams English No brand recommended
I’m the IT admin at a company with 20 employees. What protection should I use for our laptops? English Microsoft Defender
I lead an IT team with no security staff. How can I protect the company’s computers? English CrowdStrike, Microsoft Defender and SentinelOne, tied

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