EDR, MDR, or XDR: Which Endpoint Security Solution is Right for You?

Cyber threats are on the rise. According to the University of Maryland, there’s a cyberattack every 39 seconds.

Naturally, businesses worldwide seek to strengthen their security systems through new-age solutions. EDR, MDR, and XDR help businesses identify, detect, and prevent cyber threats while reducing operational costs and automating security management.

While all these solutions are effective, businesses must choose the best solution according to their industry type, business size, business requirements, and cost considerations.

Let’s check out the details of each threat selection and response solution so you can differentiate between them and select the right one for your business.

EDR

EDR, or Endpoint Detection and Response, is a tool that ensures the security of end-point devices such as desktops, laptops, IoT devices, PCs, or smartphones. It detects ransomware, malware, or phishing threats and responds appropriately based on the defined parameters.

EDR gives your security team real-time visibility of all end-points so they can take appropriate actions. It also gives them the leverage to isolate malicious endpoints so that the entire network is not affected.

How EDR Works

EDR continuously collects data from each endpoint—activity logs, file processes, user actions, and other events. It also faces the scrutiny of AI algorithms, which analyze data to identify potential aberrational or malicious behavior. EDR tools ensure the security team is alerted whenever a potential threat is detected, allowing them to investigate the alert and respond accordingly.

Key Features of EDR

1. Continuous Monitoring: EDR can continually monitor endpoints for suspicious behavior and have real-time or near-real-time visibility.
2. Data Analysis: EDR analyzes large amounts of data on previous threats and patterns to improve its functionality.
3. Threat Detection: EDR tools identify known and unknown threats through behavior and signature analysis.
4. Response Capabilities: EDR allows security teams to quarantine or remediate threats at the endpoint. Certain EDR tools can even isolate compromised endpoints.

Pros and Cons of EDR

Pros:

• Cost-effective: EDR can be quite cost-effective for organizations that want only end-point threat detection and do not have an extensive network.
• Real-time Visibility: You get the status of all your endpoints with real-time notifications of a threat event.
• Easy Integration: The EDR tools can be easily integrated with your existing security system.
• Ensures Compliance: EDR ensures compliance with the stringent data security regulations by preventing threats.

Cons:

• Limited to End-points: EDR only detects the threats at endpoints but does not cover the entire network.
• Requirement of internal team: EDR needs well-trained, in-house, secured teams for management and incident reaction.

XDR

Extended Detection and Response, or XDR, manages security data from various sources within a company. The mechanism of XDR inherits from EDR but expands detection and response capabilities across various security layers. XDR combines data from endpoints, network traffic, cloud workloads, and email systems for a broader security model.

How XDR Works

XDR collects data from various sources, normalizes it, and allows unified detection and response. By aggregating data from different areas of the infrastructure, XDR provides a wider view, which helps quicken the detection of and response to threats.

Key Features of XDR

1. Cross-Layered Detection and Response: While EDR focuses on one layer (endpoints), XDR covers endpoints, applications, and the cloud, giving businesses a complete security solution.
2. Correlation and Data Analysis: XDR solutions correlate data across multiple layers, allowing detection of threats that would not otherwise be spotted.
3. Automating Threat Detection and Response: XDR integrates automation that helps to automate threat alerts, thus reducing the work on security teams and speeding up detection and response.
4. Visibility Across the Entire Attack Surface: With XDR, changes across different data sources can provide greater visibility into the attack surface, providing more accurate threat detection and faster responses.

Pros and Cons of XDR

Pros:

1. Holistic Security: XDR offers enterprises holistic security across different security layers and domains. Therefore, you get a complete bird’s eye view of your security environment.
2. Threat Analysis: MDR accelerates multi-domain threat analysis and can help secure firewalls, cloud security posture, sensors, networks, and other elements of the company’s IT Infrastructure.

Cons:

1. Complexities: As XDR includes multiple entry points, be they cloud, end-points, network, or services, it can be challenging to integrate without expertise.
2. Costly: XDR can be expensive for small businesses or startups with limited resources and infrastructure. A better option for them would be MDR or EDR.

MDR

Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is a third-party service that provides outsourced detection, response, and remediation capabilities. It is part of the Managed Security Services offered by the service provider.

MDR enables organizations that do not have the resources to set up and run an in-house security operations center (SOC) to ensure complete security for their business data.

How MDR Works

MDR providers leverage various tools, such as EDR solutions, SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) platforms, and threat intelligence, to monitor the network. The provider’s expert security professionals monitor traffic, analyze threats, and take action when necessary. In addition, the MDR services have continuous availability, so your systems are protected and secured 24/7.

Key Features of MDR

• 24/7 Monitoring: MDR delivers round-the-clock threat monitoring by a team of experts.
• Threat Hunting: MDR providers proactively search for threats and abnormal activity. They then work to respond to and remediate malicious activities so MDR teams can often contain incidents before they develop.
• Mature Security Expertise: MDR is run by a security team experienced in diverse threats and incidents.

Pros and Cons of MDR

Pros:

• Round-the-clock Support: The provider’s support team offers 24/7 technical support with full-time threat surveillance, detection, and mitigation.
• Cost-effective: Choosing Managed Detection and Response services eliminates all the in-house expenses of deploying, managing, and updating the security infrastructure. Moreover, the providers offer flexible pricing plans, where you can choose the security features per your business requirements.

Cons:

Customization: As the MDR service provider handles the infrastructure, customizing the security setup per your requirements can be challenging. However, some competent MDR providers in the market offer customization options.

Costlier for basic requirements: If your requirement is limited to EDR, MDR services can be expensive. However, they offer a better ROI than EDR.

EDR vs MDR vs XDR

Here is a quick comparison of EDR, MDR, and XDR based on vital parameters.

EDR, MDR, or XDR: What to Choose for Your Business?

Choosing between the three solutions is specific to each organization’s needs and budget constraints. For instance, if you belong to a small business or startup, EDR or MDR would be the right solution.

Further, if a business just wants to monitor their end-point devices for threats, it can prefer the EDR solution. On the other hand, small businesses that require a comprehensive solution can go for MDR. XDR can be too budget-heavy for a small business. However, enterprises with an extensive network would find XDR an ideal solution.
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