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Threat actors are always changing their ways, finding newer, stronger, and more sophisticated software to attack your network and endpoints.
So, security experts have to innovate too, and this is how endpoint detection and response solutions evolved into Extended Detection and Response (XDR) Solutions.
In this article, we will take a look at what XDR solutions mean, the benefits of XDR, and what this type of security product can bring to you and your company.
Key Points
- What Is Extended Detection and Response (XDR)?
- Key Benefits of Using XDR.
- How Can Heimdal® Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
What Is Extended Detection and Response (XDR)?
Extended Detection and Response (XDR) is a detection and response security solution that unifies different security tools and data sources into one platform.
The system gathers and correlates data across several security layers, including endpoints, emails, servers, clouds, and networks.
This approach enables a more holistic and coherent defense against all types of attacks, including standard cyberattacks, misuse of networks, unauthorized access, etc.
Furthermore, it allows your security team to detect, analyze, and react to threats across several layers of protection, rather than simply focusing on endpoints.
Using AI and machine learning, an XDR solution will always become better by learning more and more about the threats that are on the Internet.
It will also improve awareness, boost productivity and reduce costs with security solutions.
XDR is a relatively new approach to the concept of threat detection and response, the term itself dating from 2018.
And it can be seen as the next logical step from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Managed Detection and Response (MDR), both of which have long been critical security parts for enterprises that want to maintain their networks secure.
Key Benefits of Using XDR
Extended Detection and Response solutions are not just an improvement for your company’s cybersecurity posture, they change the way you approach cybersecurity altogether.
And because every business has its own unique challenges, the benefits of XDR that you will feel the most may vary.
Here are some common XDR benefits.
Detects more advanced threats
Cyberattacks can focus on your website, DNS, SQL, URL, etc.
That is why one key benefit of XDR solutions is traffic monitoring in the entire network, in this way it can detect anomalies, and block them.
It will identify and stop all known threats and also new and unknown threats.
Offers protection for multiple devices and sources
XDR has a holistic approach, which means that this technology is monitoring not only one location, like endpoints, but tracks threats across the traffic of your entire network.
And because nowadays most business use cloud-based environment too, this is not neglected, being monitored and effectively protected by your Extended Detection and Response platform.
Your entire attack surface is the focus of XDR.
Analyzes data from several sources
XDR collects data while monitoring the traffic and then analyzes it, correlating all telemetry.
This way, your security solution has better visibility into your company’s weak points and abnormal activities can be spotted faster.
This automated analytic feature will help security experts to triage, identify and prioritize threats.
Customizes alerts
The best XDR solutions can respond automatically to several threats without human intervention.
But you can choose to be alerted when certain incidents occur so they can be mitigated by your security team.
Reduces alert fatigue
The automated response means that no human intervention is needed to react to certain threats.
This way your IT team will have to deal with fewer alerts that they have to go through and triage.
This could help decrease the alert fatigue that they may experience, allowing your staff to be more productive in their responsibilities.
Boosts productivity
Because this cybersecurity solution is uniting multiple tools under one dashboard, they are easier to handle.
Finding them all in one place can be time-saving for your team, making the whole workflow so much smoother.
It gets better with time
Using AI technology and machine learning, XDR solutions can continuously learn and improve over time.
In this way, the protection that you will get from your XDR solution will only improve as time goes by, remaining efficient against newer threats that lurk on the Internet.
It’s lighter on your systems
Having one-unifying dashboard can actually prove lighter on your systems than making them work with all those separate software.
It can do the same amount of work but in a more efficient and environment-friendly way.
Improves visibility
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your cybersecurity system, instead of giving you crystal clear visibility over your attack surface, will become sinuous and will repeat itself.
This will end by giving you a lot of extra work and making it hard to identify the blind spots.
XDR platforms can overcome this challenge by unifying the data streams from multiple tools and sources in one easy-to-use platform.
Restores rapidly after an incident
If an incident occurs, you can rely on your XDR solution to isolate and mitigate it as fast as possible.
This way the downtime for your systems is reduced to a minimum as well as the risk of other areas getting compromised too after the initial infection.
Reduces overall costs with cybersecurity
Not only that this security solution is more advanced and saves your employees time, but it will also save you money.
Not having overlapping products could actually be a way for you to reduce costs related to cybersecurity and maximize your resources.
How Can Heimdal® Help?
XDR keeps the position of overseer, gathering data from throughout your environment to predict cyberattacks and plotting courses of action based on genuine, real-time data.
Heimdal’s® Extended Detection and Response team monitors your devices, alerts you on infection or attack, validates policy checking for maximum compliance, and employs rapid and decisive responses to attacks.
XDR will constantly monitor your communication infrastructure, servers, endpoints, and connected devices for indicators of a cyberattack.
- End-to-end consolidated cybersecurity;
- Complete visibility across your entire IT infrastructure;
- Faster and more accurate threat detection and response;
- Efficient one-click automated and assisted actioning
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does XDR enhance threat detection compared to traditional methods?
Benefit: Improved Threat Detection Accuracy
- Details: XDR correlates data across multiple security layers (endpoints, networks, cloud, and applications), providing a comprehensive view that traditional siloed approaches miss.
- Impact: Increases detection rates and reduces false positives by providing context-aware insights.
In what ways does XDR streamline incident response?
Benefit: Faster and Coordinated Response
- Details: XDR integrates automation and orchestration tools, enabling security teams to respond quickly and consistently to threats across different environments.
- Impact: Reduces mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR), minimizing potential damage.
How does XDR contribute to resource efficiency in security operations?
Enhanced Resource Utilization
- Details: By consolidating multiple security tools into a single platform, XDR reduces the complexity of managing disparate systems and decreases the need for manual intervention.
- Impact: Optimizes the use of security personnel and resources, leading to cost savings and improved operational efficiency.
What role does XDR play in threat hunting and investigation?
Benefit: Advanced Threat Hunting Capabilities
- Details: XDR provides deep visibility and analytics across the entire IT environment, facilitating proactive threat hunting and thorough investigations.
- Impact: Enables security teams to uncover hidden threats and understand attack vectors, improving overall security posture.
Wrapping Up…
Implementing an Extended Detection and Response (XDR) cybersecurity solution means taking a step forward in your cybersecurity strategy with a more proactive approach to threat detection and response.
Monitoring cyber threats is a real challenge these days, so you will need all the help you can get, without spending absurd sums of money or overflowing your IT team with work.
XDR can bring your multiple benefits, you just have to see how this security solution is a good fit for you.
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