Bitdefender unveils standalone PHASR security for global use

Bitdefender has announced the global availability of GravityZone PHASR as a standalone endpoint security solution.

GravityZone PHASR, short for Proactive Hardening and Attack Surface Reduction, is now offered independently of Bitdefender's existing endpoint protection (EPP) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) platforms. The release enables organisations to deploy the company's preemptive security technology alongside any third-party EPP, EDR or extended detection and response (XDR) solution currently in use, without requiring modifications to their established security environments.

Security landscape

GravityZone PHASR is positioned as an endpoint security option combining dynamic, behaviour-based security hardening with real-time threat intelligence. The solution is designed to preemptively block ransomware as well as "living-off-the-land" (LOTL) attacks, which often use legitimate tools and system binaries as vectors for unauthorised activity. By dynamically restricting access to these tools based on user and system profiles, PHASR aims to tailor defences and hinder repeatable tactics across different environments.

Industry analysts have noted a shift towards preemptive approaches to cybersecurity in response to more sophisticated threats. According to Gartner, "traditional reactive cybersecurity is not effective against the sophisticated AI-driven threats that target today's expanding and interconnected global attack surface. Preemptive AI-powered approaches, such as dynamic attack surface reduction (DASR), self-healing security and adaptive trust, are essential to prevent these evolving threats."

Gartner further projects, "By 2030, 60% of large enterprises will use dynamic attack surface reduction technologies-up from less than 10% in 2025-to preemptively reduce their attack surface and mitigate cyberthreat exposures."

Operational integration

Bitdefender states that PHASR creates real-time behavioural baselines across users, devices, and applications, identifying anomalies in application usage, privilege levels and data access. The tool then automatically restricts only those applications and actions that deviate from known safe behaviour, aiming to give security teams the ability to neutralise attacks in their early stages and prevent the circumvention or disabling of EDR tools.

Key benefits of the standalone PHASR solution include seamless integration with existing security environments, proactive blocking of ransomware and LOTL attacks, and a reduction in the frequency of security alerts. The company describes PHASR as a companion add-on for any third-party EPP, EDR or XDR solution, helping to address threats without disruption.

The ability to prevent attackers from using the same techniques across different environments is central to its approach. By tailoring defences on a per-system basis, the solution seeks to neutralise popular attack methods that rely on predictability and repetition.

Channel opportunity

The standalone release also creates new possibilities for channel partners, allowing them to offer supplementary preemptive security solutions to their customers alongside existing products. Bitdefender suggests this provides partners with options to expand revenue and margins while presenting differentiated services in the marketplace.

Company perspective

"Businesses are facing a new generation of stealthy attacks that bypass traditional defenses by exploiting trusted tools and applications already present in their environments," said Andrei Florescu, president and general manager at Bitdefender Business Solutions Group. "With PHASR now available as a standalone solution, we're making our pioneering technology accessible to all organizations, giving security teams a preemptive, behavior-driven defense that dramatically reduces risk without requiring changes to their existing security operations."

Live threat intelligence

GravityZone PHASR combines live threat intelligence with analysis of known attack vectors to define optimal security configurations for individual users and systems. According to the company, this approach is intended to shrink an organisation's attack surface with minimal effect on performance. It also seeks to minimise alert fatigue among security teams by reducing superfluous notifications and focusing attention on high-impact threats.

Bitdefender's GravityZone PHASR standalone solution is now available for purchase by businesses and channel partners globally.