What Is XDR Security and Why Should Your Business Care?

What is XDR security? The term XDR (extended detection and response) was first used in 2018 to describe a new technology that goes beyond traditional endpoint detection and response (EDR). 

While EDR’s capabilities allow security teams to detect advanced threats, investigate incidents, and respond in real-time, your business may need more telemetry than just the endpoint.

XDR takes this one step further. 

What is XDR security?

Your security team works hard to assimilate data coming in from multiple points, which can be time-consuming and has the potential for errors (like false positives). 

By combining endpoint detections with telemetry from security and with tools such as network analysis and visibility (NAV), XDR provides your team with the scalability, flexibility, and automation opportunities required to detect and respond to the myriad of cyber threats to your enterprise. 

An XDR security platform provides a single view of all potential threats and incidents. Ultimately, this means that your team works offensively – as opposed to defensively.

Interested in learning more? Request your XDR demo today.

How does extended detection and response protect your business?

Unlike EDR, which focuses solely on the endpoint, XDR is a cohesive security threat detection and response solution. 

XDR integrates multiple security products into a single operations system that unifies its licensed components. As a result, your team can quickly respond to and eliminate even the most advanced threats to your enterprise.

An XDR solution gives your security professionals the tools they need for efficient threat hunting, quick response actions upon detection, and better data to determine threat intelligence. Threat correlation allows your team to gain new cyber threat insights by associating events from multiple data sources.

Key benefits of XDR for your business may include:

• Component Integration: XDR provides a holistic, simplified view of threats across the entire technology landscape.

• Cost Savings: The total cost of ownership is less than what you’d pay for multiple products to achieve the same result.
• Increased Productivity: With this tool, your security team works smarter, enabling a faster, more accurate solution to incoming threats.
• Improved Threat Resolution: Gain better protection and faster detection and response times to help keep your business moving forward.

What is the difference between XDR and other platforms?

While XDR is an advanced and scalable solution for network security, other platforms provide competent threat detection, as well. However, what solution is right for your business and internal resources will vary. Let’s take a look at other common cyber security solutions.

• SOC: Security Operations Center. A security operations team continuously monitors, analyzes, and responds to incident threats. While effective, not all businesses can afford to have a dedicated team of highly trained people on staff. 
• MDR: Managed Detection and Response. This is an outsourcing of cybersecurity services that protects your data and assets even if a threat gets past your established security controls.
• SIEM: Security Information and Event Management. This is a centralized log management tool used for real-time security event analyses to help with investigation, early threat detection, and response. Additionally, modern SEIMs can correlate findings with multiple risk intelligence feeds to pinpoint new and evolving threats. Unlike XDR, traditional SEIMs can often require extra manual labor to remain effective.
• SOAR: Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response. This started as an effort to help SOC analysts become more efficient. Similar to SIEM, SOAR allows for automated prioritization and processing of security events and incidents. In fact, by offering many of the capabilities of SOAR and SIEM in one integrated solution, the differences between the two have become less distinct.

When is your business ready for XDR security?

How do you decide when you’re ready for the next level of threat detection and response? What exactly is the criteria?

When you’re ready will depend on a variety of factors. However, more security can never be a bad thing. 

What can be said, though, is that if your business has experienced attacks such as phishing, ransomware, or SQL injection, it’s likely time to consider upgrading. This is especially true if these attacks are happening more often (and becoming more successful over time). It’s also likely time to upgrade or update your current security platform if your internal team is falling behind or struggling to keep up with manual responsibilities. The more they slip, the more your security slips.

At the end of the day, the security solution you opt for will depend on resources, including time constraints, your internal security team, and overall budget. 

Want to learn more about upgrading your security?

Depending on the needs of your business, upgrading your current security platform might be the next best step. 

At UncommonX, we help businesses of all shapes and sizes realize better comprehensive network security protection. From XDR to MDR to security assessments, we cover all the bases. 

Reach out to our team today to schedule your free demo.