XDR

What is XDR?

According to analyst firm Gartner, Extended Detection and Response (XDR) is “a SaaS-based, vendor-specific, security threat detection and incident response tool that natively integrates multiple security products into a cohesive security operations system that unifies all licensed components.”

XDR enables an enterprise to go beyond typical detective controls by providing a holistic and yet simpler view of threats across the entire technology landscape. XDR delivers real-time actionable threat information to security operations for better, faster outcomes.

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) primary advantages are:

1. Improved protection, detection, and response capabilities
2. Improved productivity of operational security personnel
3. The lower total cost of ownership for effective detection and response of security threats
4. Extended Detection and Response (XDR) holds the promise of consolidating multiple products into a cohesive, unified security incident detection and response platform. XDR is a logical evolution of endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions into a primary incident response tool.

Why do enterprises need XDR security?

SOCs need a platform that intelligently brings together all relevant security data and reveals advanced adversaries. As adversaries use more complex tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to circumvent and exploit traditional security controls, organizations are scrambling to secure increasing numbers of vulnerable digital assets inside and outside the traditional network perimeter. Security teams have been historically stretched for years, and with recent work-from-home requirements the strain on resources has been amplified – security professionals are being once again required to do more with the same or fewer resources and with strict budget constraints. Enterprises need unified and proactive security measures to defend the entire landscape of technology assets, spanning legacy endpoints, mobile, network, and cloud workloads without overburdening staff and in-house management resources.

With bad actors including “lone wolf” attackers, hacking groups, nation-states, and even potentially malicious insiders constantly circling, enterprise security and risk managers are left to overcome too many disconnected security tools and data sets from too many vendors. Security staff struggle with a sea of data that results in alert overload, with too many false positives and little integration of data with analysis tools or incident response, and all under historic levels of operational stress.

Enterprise security and risk management leaders should consider the security advantages and productivity value of an XDR solution.