The term MDR (Managed Detection and Response) has been around since the early 2000s, but it’s fair to say it’s one of the most misunderstood in the cyber security market. With vendors and providers using the term to describe various service offerings, it’s no surprise that buyers are often confused by the industry’s products.
In this blog, we’ll break down what MDR means, debunk some common myths, and explore the core benefits of implementing an MDR service in your cyber security portfolio.
What is Managed Detection & Response (MDR)?
MDR services provide customers with remotely delivered, human-led, turnkey SOC functions. These services ultimately deliver threat disruption and containment, allowing businesses to focus on objectives rather than navigating cyber security complexities.
Since its inception, MDR has evolved rapidly to counter increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Improvements include:
- Increased automation.
- Better integration with third-party solutions.
- More focus on cloud and hybrid environments.
- Greater emphasis on incident response to help mitigate breaches and minimise impact.
The MDR provider’s platform operates centrally, benefiting from the speed and scale of detection. By running the service across multiple tenants, regions, and verticals, early threat detection becomes more achievable.
Core Features of a Modern MDR Service
A modern MDR service typically includes:
- Centralised Incident Management: Ensuring a fast response to incidents and potential threats.
- Navigating Alerts: Advanced analytics and machine learning quickly identify threats, reducing false positives and allowing analysts to focus on high-priority issues.
- Threat Intelligence: Protect your digital business with intelligence that helps gain an advantage over adversaries.
- Automated Response: Playbooks and automated security actions, such as device quarantine, are coordinated under the SLA.
- Technology Integration: Seamlessly integrate with existing technology to optimise cyber security defence and response strategies.
- Attack Surface Coverage: Detect and mitigate threats early in the kill chain with visibility frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK.
- Flexible Offering: Work with a provider that can integrate their technology with your existing stack to enhance security investments.
MDR MythBusters
Technology thrives on terminology. With countless three-letter acronyms and abbreviations, it’s easy to become confused. As buzzwords multiply, so does confusion across offerings. MDR is no different, but choosing the wrong service provider can have significant consequences—it could mean the difference between a contained threat and a ransomware attack running wild.
Providers with Updated Existing Services
Some MSSPs and vendors have offered SOC capabilities for years and are now rebranding as MDR services. These services often stem from traditional SIEM and policy-based management technologies. Although highly customised with detailed reporting, they are more expensive to onboard and manage. Additionally, they are not turnkey and require constant adaptation to changes in the customer’s security posture.
Managed (Other) Detection and Response
MDR isn’t new, but offerings can be confusing. One such confusion arose with the introduction of MEDR (Managed Extended Detection and Response), which may seem more advanced but is essentially an extension of EDR, not MDR. The key difference lies in the depth of telemetry used. MEDR is broader than EDR, while MDR ingests data from a more comprehensive range of sources.
Managed Mesh Technology (MMT)
Some providers layer new options, like EDR, to modernise existing services. They may label this as MDR, adding value through their SIEM or other technology stacks. While functional and detailed, this service depends heavily on technology rather than SOC analysts or responders. As a result, it’s less flexible and harder to customise than a pure-play MDR service.
Core Benefits of an MDR Service
When evaluating MDR services, it’s crucial to understand what the solution delivers, not just how it functions. This section outlines the core benefits of moving to a managed MDR service and the integration and management options available.
Automated Attack Disruption
If a ransomware attack occurs on your network, it’s not just endpoint devices that are affected. Documents get encrypted, systems are forced offline, and email services may fail. Attack disruption technology monitors infrastructure to detect signals of a potential or in-progress attack. It helps the security team respond faster with automated actions and alerts, such as isolating devices, disabling identities, and enforcing hardening rules.
Breach Attack Simulation
Security policies and processes need constant review and updates. As threats evolve, so must your security measures. Continuous attack simulation validates the resilience of your security infrastructure. It provides recommendations to reduce attack surface and exposure risk. This process can highlight gaps or overlaps in security measures, which can then be addressed. Benchmarking your cyber security is crucial for staying secure and offers a competitive advantage to potential customers or supply chain opportunities.
Management of Existing Stack Investments
Every business is unique and has invested in security products that fit its requirements, budget, and availability. Moving to MDR involves reviewing this stack to decide whether to:
- Use a single technology stack from the service provider, which may require redeployment, relearning, and possibly compromising functionality.
- Amalgamate existing investments into the provider’s solution, creating a blended stack. This allows for custom onboarding, more signals for in-depth defence, a more robust security posture, and fewer limitations compared to a single vendor offering.
Most businesses will prefer to retain and build upon their existing security products, making the amalgamated approach the best option in most cases.
Looking to Buy or Renew an MDR Service?
If you’re considering adding an MDR service to your current cyber security setup or are frustrated with your current provider, e2e-assure has curated several documents to assist you in evaluating providers:
Our team is ready to discuss your current needs and help assess your requirements for a Threat Detection and Response or MDR service. Contact us to start your specialist managed cyber security service.