Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is increasingly becoming an essential cybersecurity tool for enterprises. There are a few trends that are making EDR such a critical piece of the modern security posture. But what is endpoint detection and response, and why does it matter today?
What Is Endpoint Detection and Response?
The EDR market is growing at a furious pace—and for a reason. Estimates say that about 70 percent of successful data breaches begin at an endpoint. For those who aren’t totally clear on the definition of an endpoint, these are simply devices that connect to networks. They range from smartphones to connected devices and everything in between.
The overarching goal of EDR is to, as the name suggests, detect and respond to suspicious activity at endpoints before it’s able to become a network threat. Endpoint detection and response works to protect networks in a few ways, through a combination of technology and human intervention. Here are some of the top features you should look for when evaluating an E4DR solution:
- Continually improving scanning capabilities – A great EDR platform shouldn’t exist in a vacuum. This means that over time, as more information is gained about endpoint behavior, the EDR systems will adopt new approaches. Gaining deep behavioral analysis of endpoints will allow for much faster and clinical intervention when there’s an active threat.
- Total visibility and control of all endpoints – Regardless of whether you’re wanting a holistic or detailed view of your network endpoints, an EDR solution should be able to deliver on both fronts. Furthermore, logging endpoint activity further adds to behavioral analysis, while also allowing for a more detailed diagnostic review of any exploits.
- Real-time threat response – Time is a critical element when dealing with a cyberattack. The longer a threat is allowed to remain on enterprise networks, the greater its chances of laterally leaping to its target. When this happens, it can lead to catastrophic consequences for firms. The real-time response capabilities of EDR can cut off threats long before they’re able to do this kind of harm.
- Backed up by top-quality security operations – It’s important not to forget the human element of EDR. This is a big reason why many enterprises will decide working with a third-party EDR solution provider is a better move than attempting to build from the ground up in-house. You’ll want to find an EDR service that has some of the best engineers around, as these will be the people responsible for intervening to triage and kill threats.
It’s also important to not that EDR solutions often come in various larger as-a-service security offerings, such as managed detection and response (MDR) or extended detection and response (XDR). Combining these services can provide financial and operational improvements. Bundling services typically leads to cost savings versus buying each on its own. Additionally, cross-domain intelligence from the integration of multiple security protocols can create an even deeper layer of defense.
Why Does Endpoint Detection and Response Matter Today?
The ever-increasingly prevalence of data breaches—as well as their escalating costs—isn’t the only reason to look at EDR. In fact, there are some highly specific reasons why endpoint security is such a critical solution today.
The first thing to consider is how bring-your-own-device policies and remote work have shifted the reality in term of what kinds of devices are connecting to enterprise networks. In the past, it was much easier for IT to feel confident in the security of endpoints, as they had a lot of control over the. Now that so many are using personal devices, however, this has become a much more onerous task.
Furthermore, the rapid growth of the Internet-of-Things and connected devices poses another huge endpoint security issues. Firms should probably treat autonomous devices as their own class of unsecured tools, operating on their own network.
No matter the path you choose for securing endpoints, EDR should be an integral part of the solution. There are many clear benefits to adopting EDR for your network security stack.
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