EDR vs MDR vs XDR

July 22, 2023 2801

EDR vs MDR vs XDR

Cyberattacks are increasing day-by-day. They are becoming more and more advanced and common by enterprises to crush down their competitors. This requires comprehensive cybersecurity strategies to make and then deal with cyber crimes. It includes detection and response to threats during the hunting process. Here we have explored the three key detection and response tools:

1. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
2. Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
3. Extended Detection and Response (XDR)

What is Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)?

Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is a security method that focuses on securing endpoint activity and shows advanced analytics to provide real-time information of all: endpoints, detected anomalous activity, alert the IT team to events, and responding in such a way to stop an attack that is in progress or limit its spread.

(An endpoint device is any device having connections to and from a network. It includes smartphones, laptops, tablets, and desktop computers, servers, Internet-of-Things devices, and more.)  EDR uses Software-based methods, tools, and technologies. 

Endpoint detection and response cybersecurity methods have the following capabilities:

• Endpoint monitoring and event recording
• Data search, investigation and threat hunting
• Alert triage 
• Suspicious activity detection and validation
• Data analysis
• Actionable intelligence to support response
• Threat remediation

What is managed detection and response (MDR)?

Managed detection and response (MDR) is a service that manages endpoint security technologies for enterprises which includes EDR and/or XDR. The managed service capabilities typically include: 

• Continuous monitoring
• Threat hunting
• Prioritization of threats and alerts
• Managed investigation services
• Guided response
• Remediation

MDR helps in identifying and limiting the impact of security threats without any additional staff. This becomes critical when the related skills gap doesn’t meet the industry requirements of cybersecurity professionals, particularly when related to protection of cloud-based assets. MDR uses Endpoint protection platform (EPP) as the key tool, method, and technology. 

How MDR Works

MDR doesn’t work as a tool, instead, it is a software. its work is different from EDR and XDR. The service starts with an investigation about future threats and attacks. These are installed and managed by cybersecurity experts.

MDR uses a variety of tools and technologies which are:

• SIEM: For complete network visibility with real-time threat alerts and reporting of incidents.
• SOAR: For instantly responsing to present and future threats automatically.
• UEBA: For protection from potential future threats.
• Remote SOC: For providing organizations with an off-website Security Operation Centre.
• CTI: Central threat intelligence uses from all clients on the platforms.
• Compliance reporting: Log retention, analysis, and reporting tools for various compliances incorporatation.

MDR service not only have the feature of technology to detect, and mitigate threats. They also scale respective solutions  and deploy the best ever technology to according to your business. MDR we could say accurately described as a managed XDR solution.

What is Extended Detection and Response (XDR)

Extended detection and response (XDR) streamlines detection and response capabilities for networks, endpoints, and cloud services. It is a software-as-a-service that manages security data ingestion, analysis and workflows across an enterprise’s environment.  This enhances the visibility around advanced cybersecurity threats and unifies the response.

An XDR software aggregates and correlates data from across the complete IT environment to improve threat visibility, accelerate security operations and reduce risk. XDR analyzes and streamlines this data, to transfer it to the IT team in a normalized format through a single console.

XDR software typically offer the following capabilities:

• Diverse, multi-domain security telemetry
• Threat-focused event analysis
• Threat detection and prioritization of data fidelity
• Data search, threat hunting, and investigation across multi-domain telemetry
• Response to mitigate the threat

XDR uses the following tools, methods, and tehnologies: Network analysis and visibility (NAV), Cloud access security broker (CASB), Next-gen firewall, Email security, Cloud workload protection platform (CWPP), Identity and access management (IAM), Data loss prevention (DLP), EDR, Cloud access security brokers.

EDR vs MDR vs XDR  

EDR is the foundation of every strategy of cyber security. It is a threat detection and monitoring tool for endpoints. EDR relies on sensors installed on endpoints to get data, furthermore it then sends for analysis.

MDR can be thought of as EDR purchased as a service. MDR service manages endpoint security, also focuses on eliminating and remediating threats with an experienced security team.

XDR extends the capabilities of EDR to protect more than endpoints. The XDR solution streamlines the security analysis, data ingestion, and workflows across an enterprise’s entire security environment to improve visibility of advanced threats, and to unify the response. Managed XDR will also provide access to experienced experts in threat intelligence, threat hunting, and analytics.

Which solution is ideal for my business?

Every business needs are different. However, it is critical to select a security tool that provides the correct level of security coverage of the business.

Choose EDR if your business:

• Wants to enhance its endpoint security capabilities beyond NGAV.
• Has an IT security team that acts on alerts and recommendations released by the EDR solution.
• If it is at the stage of building a cybersecurity strategy to establish the foundation for a security architecture.

Choose MDR if your business:

• Do not have a detection and response tool that can mitigate advanced threats through existing resources.
• Wants to introduce new skills and build maturity without hiring additional staff
• Is struggling to fill the highly skilled professionals’ place within the IT team.
• Wants protection to stay current on the latest threats targeting organizations

Choose XDR if your business:

• Wants to improve its advanced threat detection.
• Accelerate multi-domain  investigation, threat analysis, and hunting from a single console.
• If it is suffering from alert fatigue on a disconnected security architecture
• wants to improve response time.
• If you ants to improve ROI over all security tools.

Must read about Azure Sentinel Architecture in detail………….