The business world is changing, and so are the threats. The surge in remote work has led to an increase not only in consumer-level computing devices but also at corporate levels, where many companies will have more than one instance per employee using their own device for job purposes--which makes them prime targets if hackers want to access your network! A common solution people often turn to when faced with this problem? purchasing antivirus software intended just for home computers or laptops, which isn't geared toward protecting against modern cyberattacks.
What are Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR)? What sets them apart from one another?
The ability to automate security operations with threat intelligence and data analytics is aided by EDR and XDR security solutions, which provide comprehensive endpoint protection as well as an early warning of threats. While there are numerous choices for endpoint security solutions, those considering EDR should consider the benefits that XDR solutions may provide. Discover what sets XDR apart from EDR by reading on.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
The evolution of endpoint security from a purely reactive service toward a more proactive solution has been aided by endpoint detection and response (EDR). In order to effectively monitor endpoint security, EDR, or "endpoint detection and response," monitors your endpoints for security-related activity, collects endpoint data with a rules-based automated response, allows you to investigate any potential threats, and makes it easy to respond to them quickly.
Extended Detection and Response (XDR)
XDR systems aim to integrate disparate security products to enable protection, detection, and reaction across all data sources, in contrast to typical EDR tools that solely focus on endpoint data. An XDR platform employs user and entity behaviour analytics (UEBA) as well as artificial intelligence (AI) to overcome some of the acknowledged inadequacies of SIEM products in identifying zero-day threats. It also integrates endpoint, network, cloud, and third-party data to extend protection."EDR is a stepping stone to greater protection, detection, and response."
EDR vs XDR: A Comparison of Capabilities
XDR and EDR are not the same. By offering more powerful features than conventional EDR systems, it represents a new and more advanced security solution that elevates endpoint security to a new level. EDR offers necessary and efficient protection against endpoint threats, but the scope of that protection is only as broad as what can be deduced from endpoint data analysis. The features of separate SIEM, UEBA, NDR and EDR tools are combined in XDR, an advancement of EDR that extends security beyond the endpoint by examining several sources of data. To make inquiry and response simpler, XDR correlates, stitches together, and brings together this rich data and relevant warnings in a single unified user interface.
The insight you need to assess risks is hidden in plain sight. With an EDR solution, relying solely on endpoint data gives you little visibility into what's happening and can lead many organizations down the path of missing detections or false positives with extended investigations timeframes
The protection provided by XDR systems extends beyond endpoint data to include any data source, which helps to make security operations easier to manage. XDR helps to automate many of the operations that are required to be manually performed by EDR. In addition, XDR delivers out-of-the-ordinary capabilities for threat intelligence and analytics. This leads to a single solution, as opposed to siloed solutions, which quickly boosts visibility and productivity, hence lowering the amount of time it takes to discover, investigate, and respond to threats.
Is XDR superior to EDR?
EDR is a fantastic tool for endpoint protection, endpoint detection, and endpoint response. But XDR pushes the boundaries of endpoint defence to stop more complex attacks that can get beyond the endpoint.
For instance, an attacker may use malware to compromise an endpoint and enter a targeted network. This malware was eventually found and eliminated from the end-user device thanks to EDR. EDR systems are unable to detect the fact that the attacker was able to covertly move around the network after the endpoint was first hacked. If gone unreported, this stealthy sort of attack gives adversaries the opportunity to obtain access to systems, user passwords, and sensitive data.
These attack methods can be promptly and precisely identified using XDR. To create profiles of user and device behaviour, XDR systems absorb the largest amount of data, including network, endpoint, cloud, and identity data. A normal user's computer may be compromised if they engage in administrative conduct, such as controlling remote machines or accessing systems that are not typically used. This facilitates the quick detection of behavioural anomalies by SOC teams for follow-up investigation and action.
XDR: Go Beyond Traditional EDR
With XDR, organisations must integrate their threat detection and response capabilities. Don't spend money on outdated, previous-generation technologies. By further combining telemetry from non-endpoint sources to give improved threat detection and a clearer view of what's happening in your environment, XDR expands the advantages of conventional EDR products. With the integration of telemetry from endpoints, networks, and cloud environments, XDR must have visibility and detection capabilities throughout the whole ecosystem. Additionally, it must be able to correlate these data sources in order to comprehend the relationships between different events and the circumstances under which a particular behaviour is or is not suspicious. One of the key distinctions - and benefits - between XDR and segregated EDR technologies is the wider visibility and improved contextual understanding it offers.
