Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solutions provide a unified platform to monitor and respond to a range of network threats. The tools can prevent, detect, analyze, and respond to threats that affect your network. This range of features is unified within a single tool, allowing you to streamline operations and improve management operations. This also results in an improved attack response. Information can be sent seamlessly to response tools, resulting in quick and effective remediation.
XDR solutions are integral components of a comprehensive cybersecurity stack. Not only do they give security teams greater insight into the network and events, but they coordinate responses too. As they are wide ranging and comprehensive tools, information and response is better connected across your entire estate, resulting in improved resolution times and effectiveness. They enable organizations to defend against a wide range of threats including:
In this article, we explore the top Extended Detection and Response solutions currently on the market. In each case, we’ll consider the solution’s top features and suggest the type of organization that would be best suited to using it.
ESET is a market-leading endpoint security provider, offering a suite of powerful antimalware and antivirus solutions for organizations of all sizes. ESET PROTECT Enterprise is ESET’s enterprise threat detection and response bundle, which includes endpoint protection, encryption, file server security, threat defense, and a powerful XDR component—ESET Inspect. ESET Inspect enables teams to identify suspicious activities and data breaches, provides comprehensive risk assessments, and automates threat investigation and remediation.
ESET Inspect quickly gives teams the information they need to analyze and respond to potential threats, such as ransomware, and prevent policy violations on user endpoint devices. The platform provides comprehensive data about malicious activity and highly complex threats with one click. ESET Inspect supports Windows, macOS, and Linux, and integrates with a wide range of other security tools, including SIEM and SOAR solutions. Deployment is flexible; the service can run on-premises or in the cloud, and admins can configure granular policies and reports to manage users and endpoints.
ESET is a leading brand, trusted in the industry for over 30 years. ESET PROTECT Enterprise is a comprehensive endpoint security solution with XDR capabilities, making it a strong choice for organizations looking for a single, multilayered endpoint security platform. Customers praise the service for its ease of use, management, and high-quality customer support. ESET also offers a managed detection and response service for teams that require advanced specialist support and threat hunting. Overall, we recommend ESET PROTECT Enterprise to teams of all sizes looking for all-in-one endpoint protection and an XDR solution, particularly those requiring XDR for cyber insurance purposes.
Founded in 2014, Heimdal is a provider of industry leading unified and AI-powered cybersecurity solutions that work to boost operational efficiency and security effectiveness for their more than 15k global customers. Heimdal XDR presents organizations with a robust solution to effectively detect, respond to, and mitigate advanced threats throughout their entire digital environment. This service brings together essential tools and security expertise for comprehensive protection, using precise monitoring and prompt response to secure data, networks, endpoints, emails, and identities against cyber threats.
Heimdal’s comprehensive XDR suite and managed services cater to a wide array of security concerns, from securing endpoints and networks, managing vulnerabilities, and safeguarding privileged access, to implementing cutting-edge Zero Trust principles, countering the threat of ransomware, and preventing Business Email Compromise (BEC). Heimdal XDR leverages advanced analytics, AI/ML, and behavioral analysis to identify and flag even the most evasive and sophisticated cyberthreats. By continuously monitoring the entire environment, Heimdal XDR provides real-time threat detection and alerts, enabling swift action to mitigate potential damage. Heimdal XDR also streamlines incident response processes with automated workflows, guided remediation, and orchestration capabilities.
In addition to the platform’s real-time threat hunting capabilities, Heimdal XDR provides users with live support and event mitigation 24/7—no matter the organization’s size, number of devices, or imposed compliance requirements. The platform also offers the opportunity for organizations to add on comprehensive management of the solution, including managed threat hunting and response, which is delivered via Heimdal’s MXDR SOC team. Overall, we recommend Heimdal XDR to both SMBs and larger enterprises across all verticals (including highly regulated industries) looking to mitigate cyberthreats, streamline security operations, and maintain compliance.
Cisco XDR is a security operations solution designed to streamline the incident response process. This includes facilitating the detection and remediation of high-priority threats. Cisco XDR unifies visibility across multiple control points, employs AI and machine learning to prioritize actions, as well as automating response processes.
The solution enables users to uncover complex threats and prioritize incidents based on risk score and asset value. It simplifies incident response, offering a range of actions from adding worknotes to implementing automated responses. Cisco XDR also provides comprehensive device inventory and contextual awareness, helping users identify gaps in security coverage and monitor device counts.
In addition, Cisco XDR integrates with popular endpoint detection and response tools, as well as cloud, network, and firewall security tools. It connects with leading email and application data solutions to ensure secure access. Cisco XDR is available in three packages: Essentials, which focuses on built-in integrations with the Cisco security portfolio; Advantage, which includes commercially supported integrations with third-party tools; and Premier, a managed service offering provided by Cisco security experts, including security validation features and select incident response services.
CrowdStrike specializes in advanced endpoint protection and threat intelligence, providing cloud-native security solutions worldwide. Falcon XDR is their powerful XDR solution designed to extend CrowdStrike’s recognized Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) capabilities. This solution collects telemetry across various tools, analyzes threats across several domains, and offers an orchestrated responses from a single, unified platform.
Falcon XDR correlates events and telemetry from endpoints, cloud, identity, and third-party tools, generating a prioritized stream of alerts. The platform automatically detects threats and provides advanced investigation via MITRE ATT&CK mapping and visualization, assisting teams in understanding and responding to threats effectively. Additionally, Falcon XDR offers powerful analytics, root cause analysis, containment of suspicious activities, and automated response workflows.
Built on extending CrowdStrike’s EDR capabilities, Falcon XDR is suitable for current EDR users seeking to broaden their solution and for those with a large number of endpoints to protect. This solution provides holistic threat protection and response that goes beyond the endpoint, making it a notable option for enterprises in need of a robust XDR system.
IBM Security QRadar XDR is a cloud-native solution designed to enhance threat detection and response capabilities beyond the endpoint. By integrating data from various sources and utilizing AI-powered alert triage and correlation, QRadar XDR delivers actionable recommendations rapidly. This solution can be adapted to suit a security team’s skills and requirements, catering to analysts seeking streamlined visibility and automated investigation, as well as experienced threat hunters searching for advanced threat detection. QRadar XDR enables analysts to investigate and respond to threats beyond the endpoints more efficiently and effectively.
IBM Security QRadar XDR provides an integrated view of security data by seamlessly incorporating telemetry from existing cloud, SaaS, email, identity, and other data security systems using open standards. This unified analyst experience creates a single point of management for extended detection and response beyond the endpoint. By automatically correlating alerts from different detection sources into a complete incident view, Qradar XDR quickly connects the dots for a more rapid response. It also prioritizes incidents with AI-powered alert triage, automatically calculating severity scores and reducing alert noise.
The platform offers contextualized detection at the endpoint and beyond, utilizing intelligent automation and AI for real-time remediation of cyber threats. Qradar XDR’s NanoOS technology ensures full visibility into your infrastructure and enables real-time endpoint querying. Additionally, the solution facilitates automated investigation and recommended response actions by consolidating alerts and findings from connected tools and data stores. This empowers analysts to take quick action with enriched threat intelligence. Qradar XDR also supports fast and user-friendly threat hunting, providing detailed and actionable intelligence for granular searches within an environment.
Microsoft Defender XDR is a comprehensive cloud-based security solution, developed by tech industry leader Microsoft. This service combines key features from its security portfolio for automated threat detection and response. Microsoft 365 Defender gathers data across an organization’s Microsoft 365 environment, utilizing artificial intelligence for alert correlation, analysis, and remediation processes.
Microsoft 365 Defender unifies endpoint, email, cloud, and identity protection within a single platform to offer an effective XDR service. It prevents attacks while allowing security teams to view, analyze, and comprehend threats across various domains. The platform also provides prioritized alerts, automated investigation, and robust response. It shares information between products, offering a unified, comprehensive view of the environment for efficient attack identification and prevention.
Included in many Microsoft licenses or available as an add-on, Microsoft 365 Defender is praised for its user-friendly dashboard, advanced alert correlation, and analysis capabilities. Microsoft 365 Defender is suitable for existing Microsoft customers or those looking to invest in an XDR solution as part of a broader tech stack.
Palo Alto Networks is a global leader in enterprise cybersecurity solutions and are known for their Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solution: Cortex XDR. The solution comes in two versions, Prevent and Pro.
Cortex XDR Pro offers a comprehensive suite of features including telemetry for endpoints, networks, cloud, and third-party sources. It integrates this telemetry to help security teams detect, investigate, and respond to sophisticated threats more effectively. The platform offers advanced endpoint protection, behavioral analysis, machine learning, and AI capabilities to block malware, exploits, and fileless attacks. Additionally, Cortex XDR Pro simplifies incident management and automated root cause analysis, while providing in-depth forensics and advanced response capabilities.
Customers appreciate Cortex XDR’s advanced investigation features, detailed insights, and seamless integration with other Palo Alto Networks products. Overall, Cortex XDR is a suitable solution for mid-sized and enterprise organizations seeking a well-established XDR platform, as well as existing Palo Alto Networks customers looking to enhance their current tooling.
SentinelOne, founded in 2013 and based in California, offers a cybersecurity solution called Singularity XDR. This platform focuses on providing comprehensive security across various environments, such as endpoints, cloud workloads, and networks. It is designed to give organizations increased visibility, threat detection, and automated response capabilities.
Singularity XDR operates by collecting and unifying real-time telemetry across multiple security layers and tools. Using patented Storyline technology, it automatically consolidates related events into a single narrative, detailing the entire attack timeline with full context. The platform also enhances threat detection through third-party threat intelligence feeds’ integration, adding further context to its data. With automated autonomous remediation, Singularity XDR simplifies response actions.
SentinelOne offers three packages for its Singularity XDR platform: Core, Control, and Complete. Core provides basic endpoint security features, while Control expands on this foundation with firewall control, device control, and additional features. The Complete package offers an extensive range of protection, detection, and response options. Users find the platform easy to use and praise its total visibility into threats and effective response capabilities. The Singularity XDR platform also integrates smoothly with SIEM and SOAR technologies through its Singularity marketplace, making it suitable for mid-sized and enterprise organizations looking to enhance their EDR capabilities.
Sophos, founded in 1985, is a well-respected cybersecurity software vendor that offers comprehensive solutions for various aspects of IT security, including endpoint, network, email, cloud, and web. Sophos XDR, a component of the Intercept X platform, gives IT administrators and security teams extensive synchronized data from sources including endpoints, servers, firewalls, email, cloud, and Microsoft 365. The platform focuses on delivering strong threat protection, in-depth analysis, and effective response capabilities.
Sophos XDR collects telemetry data across multiple tools and leverages both real-time and historical information from the Sophos Data Lake to provide context to threats. The platform combines artificial intelligence, machine learning, and threat intelligence to prioritize risk scores for detected threats, allowing for remote access to devices and remediation of identified issues. Users appreciate Sophos XDR’s high level of visibility and user-friendly interface.
Intercept X is a versatile, scalable platform that is compatible with major operating systems and most devices, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes seeking an advanced XDR solution that offers extensive data aggregation across different components. The platform’s prevention-first approach relies on a range of security techniques to protect against ransomware, exploitation, and other threats. It also offers easy deployment, management through the cloud-based Sophos Central platform, and additional protection layers such as web filtering, application and peripheral control, and synchronized security for seamless integration with other Sophos products.
WithSecure Elements is a comprehensive and modular XDR platform that provides advanced protection for midsize businesses through a variety of integrated applications. These include vulnerability management, endpoint protection, endpoint detection and response, cloud security posture management, and Microsoft 365 email and collaboration protection, which defends against sophisticated phishing attacks and malicious content. By combining these applications, Elements offers end-to-end coverage for midsize businesses operating in unpredictable environments.
The platform’s centralized, cloud-based and highly automated capabilities provide resource constrained businesses with a seamless and easily manageable security solution, offering a single pane of glass for full visibility and situational awareness. WithSecure Elements offers a range of specialized security features and services to protect against modern threats. Endpoint Protection works to prevent malware, ransomware, and zero-day vulnerability exploits across mobiles, desktops, laptops, and servers.
Endpoint Detection and Response focuses on detecting and combating advanced cyberattacks, providing actionable insights and guidance for maintaining a strong defense. Collaboration Protection enhances the native security of Microsoft 365 by defending against phishing attacks and malicious content in emails, calendars, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint. Vulnerability Management identifies an organization’s assets, pinpoints vulnerabilities, and helps users understand and minimize their attack surface across the network. Finally, Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) brings visibility into cloud environments, identifying misconfigurations and providing risk-based guidance for remediation. By integrating all these features into a unified XDR platform, WithSecure Elements aims to provide midsize businesses with a comprehensive, easy-to-manage security solution.
WithSecure Elements can be deployed as a fully managed service through WithSecure’s Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service or certified managed service providers. It can be also self-managed in-house with the optional support provided by WithSecure’s co-monitoring and on-demand expert services.
Extended Detection And Response (XDR) is a complete security tool that gathers data from across your network, then orchestrates and manages the automated response and remediation of threats. XDR is an evolution of Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools. Where EDR focuses on gathering information from (and resolving issues via) your endpoints, XDR solutions work across a wider range of areas. This includes networks, devices, servers, accounts, cloud workloads, and inboxes.
Simply put, XDR is a much more comprehensive version of EDR.
XDR tools have extensive visibility which allows them to detect a wider range of Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) than other technologies. When it comes to remediation, these tools are ideally placed to enact effective and targeted actions. They ensure that no information is missed or misconfigured during the transition from detection to remediation. This results in faster, more effective security and remediation.
XDR solutions work by combining three key areas: integration, analysis, and response.
Deep API integration is the first, and most unique, element of XDR. This enables XDR to build a holistic and detailed image of your security set up. The more integrations, the more data the XDR will have to effectively identify and combat threats.
XDR collates information from endpoints (smartphones, IoT devices, workstations, laptops, etc.), networks (public, private and cloud), applications (software and SaaS), and cloud services, tools, and databases. This comprehensive integration provides a complete picture of your network and how your users behave. However, this information, whilst being extensive, can only be truly useful once it is analyzed.
Once the data has been ingested by the XDR platform, sophisticated analysis can be run to identify trends and potential threats. XDR uses AI to find outliers in the breadcrumbs of data it collects. Over time, the AI will become more accurate as it builds a clearer picture of your behaviours and your system. This allows it to detect patterns of behavior, that would otherwise go unnoticed by human analysis.
XDR solutions provide a clear dashboard that allows administrators to understand the insights that have been compiled. This ensures admin can make an informed decision regarding the nature of a threat and ensure their security policies are effective.
It is through this analysis dashboard that you can understand current or remediated attacks. Node graphs and timelines clearly explain how an attack entered your system and trace its path through your network. With ongoing attacks, this allows you to protect areas that are not already affected, thereby maintaining network security. If an attack pattern has been replicated, the XDR will flag it and provide insights into how best to counter this attack.
Once a threat has been identified, XDR can make a precise intervention to remedy the issue. This might include blocking an IP, blocking a domain, or quarantining a suspicious asset. XDR can respond automatically, thereby ensuring attacks are stopped as quickly as possible. Automated responses will follow a predefined blueprint to ensure that business-critical infrastructure is not shut down without human oversight. This blueprint can be adapted by the admin but will also act dynamically – the XDR solution will respond to the issue it is facing and react to the behavior of that specific threat.
For example, if an endpoint is infected, it can be locked out of the network immediately, rather than needing a busy IT member to approve this simple step. This prevents the malware from spreading, whilst allowing staff to focus on the most complex and pressing issues.
For more complex attacks, IT staff might need to have more control of the XDR response. By only requiring human intervention when absolutely necessary, dashboard fatigue can be reduced, while ensuring that IT staff can focus on relevant issues. “Alert fatigue” is an issue that 83% of security staff are currently facing – this is where someone responsible for managing remediation is overwhelmed, and subsequently desensitized, to the number of alerts. If the majority of alerts are false alarms, the admin member is unlikely to appreciate the full significance of the threat.
XDR can prevent alert fatigue by automatically remediating many of the threats that your network faces. Admin users can be alerted to the most serious threats, and only when their input is needed. By remediating threats automatically and only alerting the admin in more complex cases, the number of alert notifications can be cut drastically, mitigating the risk of human error.
XDR solutions are valuable facets of an organization’s cybersecurity stack due to the robust and effective protection they can provide. Through a range of capabilities and features, they enable detection rates to increase and can deliver more targeted remediation. This, ultimately, results in improved security and more resilient operations. Some other benefits of an XDR solution include:
You might have seen the acronyms XDR, EDR, and MDR on cybersecurity providers’ websites or other blogs. It can seem like there are many overlapping features, making it hard to distinguish what is unique about each platform. In this section we’ll breakdown the similarities and differences between XDR, EDR, and MDR, giving you a better understanding of each technology’s capabilities.
Endpoint Detection And Response (EDR) – EDR gathers information at your endpoints, than analyses it to identify any malicious activities or events that occur at your endpoints. This technology will then manage and oversee targeted remediation to resolve the threat. EDR monitors your endpoints to identify threats, hunt attackers, carry out investigation, and deploy remediation actions to nullify threats.
Extended Detection And Response (XDR) – This is similar to EDR, except that its features and the areas that it gathers data from are expanded. Rather than focusing on endpoints alone, an XDR solution takes information from across your network – including cloud environments, servers, and accounts. As with EDR, XDR can deploy targeted remediation to eliminate the threat effectively.
Managed Detection And Response (MDR) – MDR uses the same technologies as XDR, but outsources its management to specialist IT teams. This is ideal for organizations who do not have the technical expertise in-house that would allow them to properly implement and manage the solution by themselves. By using MDR, organizations of all sizes and technical capabilities can have access to advanced cybersecurity protection.
An effective XDR solution should enable security teams to easily prevent, detect, investigate, and remediate threats from a single, unified platform. They should encompass a range of integrated tools that allow you greater visibility into your network and the threats that you face, whilst providing effective responses. This involves collecting telemetry from a range of sources (including endpoints, email, networks, servers, identity, and more), consolidating related information into more contextualized alerts, prioritizing these using AI and machine learning, and automating response workflows.
Beyond these features, when looking for an effective XDR solution, you should look for the following features and capabilities:
An XDR solution is used to enhance and improve your existing cybersecurity defenses, thereby strengthening your organization’s defenses. This is achieved through identifying vulnerabilities and threats earlier in their lifecycle, then deploying effective remediation to nullify the threat. By tackling the issue earlier in its lifecycle, you give it less opportunity to cause damage, meaning there is less actual work required to resolve the issue.
XDR solutions, then, are designed for organizations who need to gain insight into their complex network and ensure that threats can be mitigated however they arise.
XDR tools reduce workloads for IT teams and can add vital contextual information which helps to manage and respond to threats more efficiently.
XDR tools are a worthwhile investment for medium to large organizations and MSPs looking to enhance detection and remediation procedures through the unification of multiple security tools, streamlined responses, and automation. Some XDR solutions may be overly complex for smaller organizations with less resources, budget, and staff. In these instances, Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solutions may be a better option.
Alex is an experienced journalist and content editor. He researches, writes, factchecks and edits articles relating to B2B cyber security and technology solutions, working alongside software experts. Alex was awarded a First Class MA (Hons) in English and Scottish Literature by the University of Edinburgh.
Craig MacAlpine is CEO and founder of Expert Insights. Before founding Expert Insights in August 2018, Craig spent 10 years as CEO of EPA cloud, an email security provider acquired by Ziff Davies, formerly J2Global (NASQAQ: ZD) in 2013, which has now been rebranded as VIPRE Email Security. Craig has extensive experience in the email security industry, with 20+ years of experience helping organizations to stay secure with innovative information security and cyber security solutions.