The Top 11 Endpoint Detection And Response Solutions

Huntress is a leading managed Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) provider. Their flagship platform gives IT managers comprehensive insight into the security of their endpoints through a combination of persistent foothold identification, managed antivirus, ransomware canaries, and external recon. With these technologies, Huntress continuously monitors for malicious processes, offering organizations a detailed view of attacks in real-time. When a threat is detected, Huntress’ 24/7 SOC creates a unique incident report, enabling swift response.

Huntress’ persistent foothold technology automatically analyzes data collected from Windows and Mac devices to identify known and potential threats. Human SOC team members review potential footholds and, if verified, generate a custom incident report containing a detailed overview of the investigation, along with step-by-step instructions and one-click remediation actions. The platform’s managed antivirus feature builds on the native capabilities of Microsoft Defender Antivirus, providing customizable configurations, exclusions, and simple reporting. Huntress’ ransomware canaries provide early detection of ransomware; the benign canary files take up minimal space and don’t disrupt end users while monitoring for potential threats.

Finally, the platform’s external recon scans for open ports and other potential entry points, offering insight into each protected environment and ensuring appropriate security protocols are in place. These tools are managed via the platform’s central dashboard, where IT and security teams can access a complete view of their organization’s security posture, including security alerts, active incidents, investigations, remediation tools, and real-time reporting. Admins can also compare their security measures against industry averages, offering context for their cybersecurity strategy.

Huntress is straightforward to deploy and has minimal impact on system performance. Customers praise the platform for its ease of use and the speed and accuracy of threat detection and response—with particular praise for the 24/7 SOC service. Overall, we recommend Huntress as a strong solution for SMBs and the MSPs that support them, that are looking for comprehensive endpoint security with excellent support services.

Heimdal™ is a cybersecurity provider that offers solutions that defend against email, endpoint, web, application, and identity threats. Heimdal™ Endpoint Detection and Response is their EDR solution designed to help organizations not only detect and remediate sophisticated malware threats, but also prevent these threats from taking root in the first place. To achieve this, Heimdal™ EDR includes next-gen antivirus, PAM, application control, patch management, DNS filtering and encryption capabilities. Each of these features is available as a module that can be accessed via Heimdal™’s holistic, unified dashboard, enabling customers to gain a comprehensive view of their security posture across all layers via one single source of truth.

Heimdal™ EDR uses machine learning-driven intelligence to monitor your environment for known and zero-day threats such as malware, vulnerability exploits, brute force attacks and social engineering. Each of the modules included in Heimdal™’s EDR solution leverage intelligence from one another to secure the entire environment. This enables the solution to detect and remediate exploits without having to integrate other threat intelligence tools or rely on security teams to aggregate data across multiple systems, providing a comprehensive, layered approach to threat detection. From the management console, admins can access threat intelligence data to help inform their remediation actions. They can also set up automated remediation workflows for certain threat types, such as patching third party applications.

Heimdal™ Endpoint Detection and Response deploys in the cloud, making it highly scalable and enabling businesses to easily add further module to their subscription, should they wish to. Users praise the platform for its intuitive interface and user-friendly dashboard, as well as the high-quality, reliable support offered by Heimdal™’s product team. We recommend Heimdal™ Endpoint Detection and Response as a strong solution for any-sized organization looking for a holistic threat prevention, detection and response platform that offers insights into threats across multiple vectors, automated remediation and – above all – ease of use.

ESET is a market-leading provider of lightweight, highly effective cybersecurity solutions designed to protect both consumers and enterprises against today’s most prevalent known and zero-day threats.

ESET PROTECT Enterprise is their extended detection and response (XDR) platform, which combines endpoint security, full disk encryption, file server security, proactive threat detection, and facilitated response to enable businesses of all sizes to efficiently prevent, identify, and remediate threats in their digital environments.

ESET PROTECT Enterprise leverages machine learning algorithms, adaptive scanning, and behavioral analysis, alongside cloud-based behavioral analysis to identify and remediate zero-day threats in real time. Admins can then leverage root-cause analysis and system visibility insights from ESET Inspect to respond immediately to threats. Live response options include one-click isolations, as well as a full suite of Powershell remediation options, with risk scoring to help prioritize threats.

As well as identifying and remediating threats, ESET PROTECT Enterprise features robust endpoint security tools, such as mobile device management, brute force protection, ransomware shield, and cloud-based sandboxing technologies to help block sophisticated endpoint attacks. The platform also offers full disk encryption capabilities for Windows and Mac OS devices to help protect corporate data in the event of an attack and ensure compliance with data protection regulations.

ESET PROTECT Enterprise offers on-prem and cloud deployments and integrates easily with other security tools such as SIEM, SOAR, and ticketing tools via a public API, making it relatively quick to deploy and easy to manage. Existing users praise the solution for its friendly interface and powerful forensic analysis capabilities, as well as its ability to adjust alert sensitivity automatically to reduce false positives.

We recommend ESET PROTECT Enterprise as a strong solution for mid-sized to larger organizations looking to protect their endpoints and extended network against known and zero-day threats.

ThreatLocker® Detect is an EDR solution that provides automated policy-based monitoring, alerting, and remediation when unusual endpoint activity is identified. ThreatLocker® Detect is powered by telemetry data gathered from ThreatLocker® agents on the endpoint and Windows event logs. These are used to identify and address malicious activities detected on endpoint devices.

ThreatLocker® can identify a wide range of potential risks, including unusual traffic, or multiple failed login events. ThreatLocker® provides automated alerting when unusual behavior is detected, including detailed threat information. The platform can automatically respond to issues, including enforcing rules, disconnecting endpoints from the network, or enforcing ‘lockdown mode’ which prevents all endpoint activities. All responses are controlled via incident response policies, configured via the admin console. To reduce alert fatigue, policies can mark a severity threshold before an alert is generated.

The admin console provides a detailed breakdown of all users and computers, with information on users and  integrations. The ThreatLocker® Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform provides comprehensive application, network, and storage control tools. These allow you to control which apps users can install, as well as grant you the ability to lockdown installed applications to prevent the spread of ransomware. ThreatLocker® also enables dynamic Zero Trust network controls, so you can allow and block devices from connecting to your servers.

ThreatLocker® is highly regarded by users who praise the solution for how easy it is to configure policies and control applications for end users. The admin console is intuitive and well designed. Overall, the platform is packed with enterprise grade features to reduce malware and ransomware attacks. ThreatLocker® also offers a managed detection and response (MDR) add-on for this solution.

Cisco is a global technology provider that offers a wide range of hardware, software, and telecoms technology, as well as security solutions designed to protect digital networks and infrastructures against cyberthreats. Cisco Secure Endpoint (formerly AMP for Endpoints) is their cloud-native endpoint detection and response solution that enables organizations to prevent breaches, block malware at the point of entry, and continuously monitor process activity. Cisco Secure Endpoint is available via three plans: Essentials, Advantage, and Premier.

Cisco Secure Endpoint uses ML-based behavioral monitoring to continuously monitor the behavior of each protected device for malicious activities, ensuring that even fileless malware and ransomware threats are identified quickly. When a threat is found, Secure Endpoint isolates the infected endpoint in a secure sandbox environment for more detailed analysis. It also offers one-click endpoint isolation, which enables security teams to mitigate the issue before it can spread to other machines. The platform also offers an advanced search feature that accelerates threat investigations with over 200 pre-defined vulnerability, IT ops, and threat hunting queries. The solution’s Premier tier also offers proactive threat hunting via Cisco Talos, helping security teams to find and remediate threats more quickly with the help of Cisco’s security experts.

Cisco Secure Endpoint deploys in the cloud and integrates seamlessly with other Cisco products, making initial configuration simple. Users praise the platform for its fast remediation and the high levels of visibility Cisco provides into the security of each endpoint. We recommend Cisco Secure Endpoint to mid- to large-size enterprises looking for a robust EDR solution—particularly those already leveraging Cisco’s other security products. For smaller organizations that don’t have the in-house resources to manage this tool, Cisco also offers a managed version called Cisco Secure MDR for Endpoint, with which Cisco’s SOC team monitors and responds to events for your organization.

Crowdstrike is a cybersecurity provider that offers cloud, endpoint security and threat intelligence solutions via a single agent, as well as breach response services. Falcon Insight XDR is their extended detection and response solution, which also offers optional antivirus, threat intelligence, and threat hunting modules. The Falcon platform is licensed on a subscription basis per endpoint, and the Insight XDR module is available via the Enterprise and Premium packages, which are priced at $15.00/endpoint/month and $18.99/endpoint/month respectively.

Falcon Insight XDR applies behavioral analytics to continuously monitor each endpoint for threats and vulnerabilities, providing full real-time and historical visibility into the security status of each endpoint. This enables security teams to track the threat level of their organization over time. The platform’s streamlined notifications and incident triaging capabilities enable security teams to easily prioritize which issues to respond to first, ensuring faster remediation of serious threats. It provides a “big picture” overview of attacks via the CrowdScore feature, but also enables users to drill down into the complete context of an attack, including attribution. It also uses AI to create actionable data, identify shifts in adversarial tactics, and map tradecraft to prevent threats. The platform maps security alerts according to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, which Crowdstrike reports helps reduce alert fatigue by 90%.  When it comes to remediation, the platform offers powerful response actions that allow users to investigate and contain compromised endpoints in real time. Endpoints that are being attacked are isolated from the rest of the network, while built-in remote execution commands enable security teams to remediate threats from anywhere.

Crowdstrike’s solution supports Windows, Windows Server, macOS, ChromeOS, and Linux endpoints. Its lightweight, unified agent deploys and secures in minutes without the need for reboots, manual updates, or complex tuning. It also offers a range of API-based integrations with other security tools, enabling greater cross-platform visibility into threats without having to manually sync threat data between management tools.  While the solution offers protection for SMBs, it can be a little pricey depending on required additional modules. As such, we recommend Falcon Insight XDR as a strong solution for mid- to large-size organizations looking for powerful protection that’s easy to deploy and manage, and won’t impact end-user productivity.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is Microsoft’s endpoint detection and response solution. Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and IoT devices, the solution is available via two plans: P1 and P2. P1 focuses on threat prevention, with antimalware, device controls, and an endpoint firewall. P2 offers all the above, plus features for threat detection and remediation. For the purposes of this article, this listing will focus on the P2 plan.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint discovers all managed and unmanaged endpoints connected to the user’s network, giving them a single, comprehensive view of their attack surface. It leverages Microsoft’s global threat intelligence network—with over 78 trillion daily signals from multiple sources—to give users an up-to-date view of potential adversaries. From the dashboard, users can configure granular controls for settings, policies, web and network access, and cyberthreat detection, and automate their threat detection and response workflows.  

In terms of threat detection, the platform automatically deploys deception techniques that help expose cyberthreats with early-stage, high-fidelity signals. It also identifies misconfigurations and potential security gaps, as well as disrupting malware by blocking lateral movement and deploying encryption in a decentralized way across all devices connected to the network. By integrating with Microsoft’s generative AI tool, Copilot for Security, the platform prioritizes alerts and enables users to use natural language queries to investigate incidents. Finally, the platform’s Microsoft Secure Score feature provides users with prioritized recommendations on how to improve their security configurations.

Overall, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a complete endpoint security solution that unifies threat prevention, detection, and response. Users praise the solution’s quick, automated response capabilities and remediation recommendations. We recommend Microsoft Defender for Endpoint as a strong solution for any sized organization looking to mitigate advanced threats against their users’ endpoints.

Palo Alto Networks is a global leader in enterprise cybersecurity solutions that leverage powerful machine learning engines, analytics, and automation to protect against threats at every level. Cortex XDR is their extended detection and response solution that monitors threats across all endpoints (Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android), networks, and clouds. The platform is available via two packages: Prevent offers next-gen antivirus and endpoint protection across all endpoints; Pro offers full EDR capabilities with optional managed threat hunting and threat intelligence modules, across all endpoints, networks, clouds and third-party data sources.

Cortex XDR offers complete endpoint security, including next-gen antivirus, a host firewall, disk encryption, and USB device control. Plus, with its powerful machine learning engine, Cortex XDR continuously monitors endpoint, network, and user behavior for malicious activities, aggregating data from multiple sources to eliminate blind spots. If a threat is identified, the platform alerts admins immediately, with a risk score that indicates the severity of the threat. Cortex XDR also isolated the endpoint and runs the relevant response options as per configurations, to help contain the threat. The platform also offers root cause analysis, which helps security teams to identify how a threat entered the network and spread, and deep forensics, which enables users to conduct internal and regulatory investigations, even for endpoints not connected to the network.

Palo Alto Cortex XDR offers cloud and on-premises deployment options; its lightweight agent can be installed quickly from the cloud without making changes to on-prem infrastructure or disrupting end users. The solution integrates seamlessly with Palo Alto’s other security technologies, including their firewall—however, it offers limited integrations with security products from other vendors. Customers praise the solution for its intuitive interface, as well as its incident triaging and endpoint isolation capabilities. We recommend Cortex XDR Pro as a powerful solution for larger enterprises—particularly existing Palo Alto Networks customers—looking for EDR that extends beyond the endpoint to also offer network and cloud monitoring.

SentinelOne is a cybersecurity provider that specializes in endpoint and network security, offering solutions with a focus on automation and continuous, real-time intelligence. Singularity XDR is their extended detection and response solution, designed to monitor endpoints for threats such as malware and proactively remediate those threats. The Singularity XDR platform is available via three packages: Core, Control, and Complete. Of these, the Complete package is the only one to offer full EDR capabilities, and is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, and virtualization /container OSes, clouds, and IoT devices. Note: it doesn’t currently support mobile devices.

Singularity XDR leverages behavioral AI and next-gen antivirus tools to detect known and zero-day threats across an organization’s endpoints, with integrated threat intelligence and MITRE ATT&CK threat indicators. Admins can configure automated remediation workflows, which the platform implements when certain security alerts are triggered, reducing the time it takes to mitigate threats and mitigating the need for any scripting. The platform’s Storyline technology offers deep real-time insights into the state of security of each connected endpoint and the timeline of any security incidents, including root cause analysis, all via a single, intuitive dashboard. From the same dashbaord, admins can also access up to three years of threat incident history. The platform also supports MFA, SSO, and RBAC for flexible authentication and authorization, and the Complete package offers network control, USB device control, Bluetooth device control, and Ranger protection for IoT devices.

Singularity XDR is a cloud-based SaaS platform, making it easy to deploy and highly scalable. It also offers data residency choice of US, EU, or APAC. Customers praise SentinelOne’s solution for its user-friendly interface and management, and the powerful automation of its response features. As such, we recommend Singularity XDR as a strong solution for all organizations—including those with smaller security teams or less dedicated security resource—looking to secure traditional workstations or virtual machines/containers.

Sophos is a cybersecurity provider that offers an expansive suite of endpoint, email, network, cloud, and web security solutions, each of which utilize AI to protect against known and evolving threats in real time. Intercept X Endpoint is their EDR solution that combines traditional threat detection and response with additional anti-ransomware capabilities, including automated file recovery and incident analysis. Sophos also offers an Advanced package of the Intercept X Endpoint platform, which extends its threat detection capabilities to aggregate network, email, cloud, and mobile data sources.

Intercept X Endpoint offers a range of tools to help reduce the attack surface, including application controls that block vulnerable or unsecure apps, peripheral dvice control, and web traffic controls. In terms of prevention and detection, Intercept X Endpoint uses powerful deep learning technology to detect known and zero-day malware based on file attributes and predictive reasoning. It also offers behavior analysis, anti-malware scanning, malicious traffic detection, file integrity monitoring, and universal anti-ransomware. Admins can also enable more aggressive protection for devices when a “hands-on-keyboard” attack is detected. When a threat is detected, Intercept X Endpoint synchronizes protection across all devices and isolates infected endpoints from the network, preventing the threat from spreading across multiple endpoints. Live response features enable admins to monitor endpoint status and remediate issues in real time, and the platform also creates forensic snapshots that can be used for analysis.

Sophos has previously targeted a primarily SMB market, but the powerful combination of a cloud-native platform and intelligent deep learning technology makes Intercept X Endpoint highly scalable. In addition to this, the single, lightweight agent works on-prem and in the cloud to support Windows, MacOS, and Linux operating systems. Because of this, we recommend Intercept X Endpoint as a strong solution for organizations with experienced IT admins or threat analysts. For organizations with less dedicated security resource, Sophos also offers EDR as a managed service, which enables customers to hand over the threat remediation process to Sophos’ 24/7 threat analyst team.

VMWare is a provider of cloud computing and virtualization technologies designed to help build, streamline, and secure digital workplaces. Carbon Black EDR leverages robust threat intelligence and granular customization options to help SOC teams secure online, offline, air-gapped, and disconnected environments against sophisticated endpoint threats. The platform is available on a per-endpoint subscription basis, with the option to add further modules for an extra cost, including advanced threat hunting, vulnerability monitoring, and patch management.

Carbon Black EDR offers out-of-the-box and customizable anomaly-based threat detection that discovers known and unknown threats on each endpoint by identifying unusual or suspicious activity. The solution continuously records and stores endpoint activity data, giving security teams real-time visibility into the security status of each machine, which enables them to remediate threats more quickly and efficiently. This also allows attack timeline visualization for in-depth investigations post-remediation, to help identify root causes and prevent similar attacks in the future. When a threat is detected, security teams can respond remotely via a secure connection to infected hosts. Finally, the platform’s automated watchlist functionality ensures that security teams don’t have to respond to multiple instances of the same threat; once blocked, a threat cannot enter the network again.

Carbon Black EDR provides on-prem threat hunting and incident response, but can also be deployed via virtual private cloud or SaaS. This makes it suitable for organizations with offline environments or on-prem requirements. It offers open APIs and 120+ out-of-the-box integrations, making it easier to deploy and build into an existing security stack. Customers praise the platform for its powerful protection against emerging threats and its user-friendly interface and management. However, many also report a large number of false positives on initial deployment. Because of this, the solution is best suited for larger enterprises with a security resource that can dedicate time to properly configuring it, and monitoring and managing alerts, or those who are able to outsource management to an MSP.