Managed Detection and Response (MDR) has emerged as a crucial solution for organizations looking to bolster their security measures. MDR allows businesses to outsource the management of Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) products deployed across their network domain. With real-time threat-hunting capabilities, MDR services detect and mitigate malicious activities on individual endpoints while promptly alerting the service provider’s Security Operations Center (SOC) for further investigation. By leveraging the expertise of security specialists, MDR services relieve organizations of the complexities and criticality associated with security operations.
Types of MDR Solutions:
MDR services come in various forms, tailored to an organization’s technology environment and risk requirements.
These include:
- Bring-Your-Own Security Stack / Hybrid Solution: MDR solutions that integrate with existing security products deployed within an environment.
- Full Vendor-Supplied MDR Stack: Standalone MDR platforms that operate independently.
- Cloud MDR Solution: MDR services delivered through a centrally managed, multi-tenant Cloud platform, providing log management, orchestration, real-time analytics, and a user interface (UI) dashboard.
- Managed Extended Detection and Response (Managed XDR): MDR solutions that extend beyond endpoint detection to include protection for email, Cloud services, DNS, IoT and medical devices, and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and SCADA networks.
- Custom MDR Solutions: Tailored MDR offerings designed to meet the unique requirements of an organization.
Components of an MDR Solution:
EDR Agents:
- Workstation Agents
- Server Agents
- Network Security Monitoring (NSM) Agents
- Email Server Agents
- DNS Server Agents
- IoT / Medical Device Agents
- ICS / SCADA Security Agents
Key Considerations for an Effective MDR Solution:
To assess the quality of an MDR solution, it is essential to evaluate associated EDR products and cybersecurity services separately.
Consider the following factors:
- Malware Detection and Response: An effective MDR solution should swiftly detect and respond to a wide range of threats, minimizing the dwell time of malware and preventing it from impacting the affected system.
- Threat Detection Capabilities: The ability to detect both known and unknown threats, coupled with the utilization of the latest threat intelligence, is crucial for an MDR solution’s efficacy. Managed XDR solutions that offer extended capabilities should efficiently correlate security telemetry and orchestrate a comprehensive real-time response across the network.
- Service Commitment: Assess the MDR provider’s commitment to delivering services, including round-the-clock support availability and the comprehensiveness of their service-level agreement (SLA). Additionally, consider the provider’s reputation, scalability, and ability to leverage global cyber threat intelligence (CTI).
- Customization and Remediation: Evaluate whether the MDR provider offers tailored products and comprehensive threat remediation and mitigation services to address an organization’s unique environment.
For more comprehensive insights into the cost of building versus buying an MDR solution and more, BlackBerry’s MDR buyers guide provides a useful tool to help you through this journey.
Selecting the Right MDR Provider
Choosing the appropriate MDR provider requires a comprehensive analysis of an organization’s risk requirements and operational technologies. Decision-makers should have a clear understanding of their network’s critical assets, sensitive data, employed technologies, and the relevant threat landscape. This knowledge enables organizations to evaluate each MDR provider based on their product and service offerings.
To gain further insights into the performance of various Endpoint Security solutions, independent research reports like the MITRE Enginuity ATT&CK Evaluations publish performance benchmarks. These evaluations offer valuable information on how vendors’ products perform against simulated attacks, aiding in the comparison of different solutions.
MDR has become an indispensable security solution, empowering organizations to proactively detect, respond, and mitigate threats across their network infrastructure. By carefully selecting the right MDR provider and solution, organizations can fortify their security posture and safeguard their critical assets from ever-evolving cyber threats.
Companies of all sizes must now contend with a growing number of devices, each one representing a new addition to their attack surfaces. And they must do so while balancing skill gaps and resource shortages, all while hoping they don’t end up in an adversary’s crosshairs. This is challenging enough for larger organizations, but for small and mid-sized businesses, it verges on impossible.
As a human-centric subscription-based 24x7x365 MDR service, CylanceGUARD® provides the expertise and support businesses need. Combining the comprehensive expertise embodied by BlackBerry Cybersecurity Services with AI-based Endpoint Protection (EPP). In short, it provides businesses with everything they need to contend with a modern threat landscape—no matter what that landscape throws at them.
