Cyber threats are evolving at an alarming rate. AI-powered malware, advanced phishing techniques, and adaptive attacks can by-pass traditional security measures, leaving today’s defences inadequate in isolation. Businesses need a new, invisible shield for comprehensive protection.
This year’s (2024) Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, for example, reveals credentials and passwords are key vulnerabilities. Exploitation of such weaknesses surged by 180%, with web applications often the primary entry-point for attackers. As security professionals seek to combat these threats, managed detection and response (MDR) has emerged as a critical approach, providing the necessary tools and strategies to stay ahead.
MDR systems combine best-in-class technologies like EDR (endpoint detection and response), NDR (network detection and response), and SIEM systems (security information and event management). Advanced MDR, offered by experienced partners on the front lines of cyber defence, offers unparalleled visibility into threat detection processes. The integration of AI and automation is further boosting efficiency, enabling faster, proactive threat-hunting to outmanoeuvre sophisticated adversaries, including any employing “living off the land” techniques that exploit legitimate software already installed in the system.
Instead of fragmented, multi-pane systems, businesses need a unified view of their IT infrastructure. This is exactly what MDR enables, ensuring seamless detection of, and response to, anomalous activities. Data is continuously collected through EDR and NDR tools, fine-tuned to match the organisation’s specific security policies. Logs and event data, including intrusion alerts, are fed into a SIEM for comprehensive analysis and correlation, enabling early identification of potential threats.
The SIEM plays a central role by combining security information management with event management, simplifying the task of analysing incoming data. While the automation of many of these processes streamlines efficiency significantly, the latest SIEM systems are set to elevate their capabilities further through the integration of AI.
When a threat is detected, the SIEM alerts the Security Operations Centre (SOC), which coordinates an appropriate and immediate response. This is the essence of MDR: a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts providing continuous, proactive defence that constitutes the all-round protective shield. With full optimisation, it offers actionable steps to address threats and prevent their recurrence.
Taking MDR up to the next level
Deploying MDR effectively requires a unified strategy, best achieved by partnering with an MSSP (managed security service provider). This addresses the difficulties organisations have after a period of accumulating disparate security tools in reaction to different threats. They end up with complex, fragmented systems that are hard to manage. Each tool has its own pricing and management complexities, making for distinctly sub-optimal coordination.
An MSSP, by contrast, brings disparate systems together through skill and technology. It integrates EDR, NDR, and SIEM into a cohesive system, built in line with the business’s risk appetite and security policies. By centralising data collection and analysis in this way, organisations can swiftly detect and address significant threats. Meanwhile, the MSSP’s SOC coordinates responses, relieving in-house security teams from the strain of 24/7 monitoring, allowing them to focus on core business functions.
Business benefits of MDR
An optimised MDR strategy offers more than just enhanced security – it provides measurable business benefits. One of the most notable is the reduction of operational costs associated with cyber incidents. Rapid detection and response capabilities minimise downtime, protecting business continuity and revenue. According to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024, the average time to identify and contain a breach is 258 days, with breaches lasting over 200 days incurring the highest costs.
Additionally, effective MDR showcases a proactive approach to security, reinforcing the business’s reputation as a reliable partner within its supply chain. This maturity can be a valuable differentiator, positioning the company as a lower risk than competitors who lack robust detection and response measures. Through automation, MDR also frees up the internal IT team to focus on strategic business initiatives that are more likely to deliver higher value.
Providing continuous insights into potential weaknesses in security protocols, MDR enables businesses to make necessary adjustments and strengthen defences on a rolling basis. The reduction of false positives prevents unnecessary disruptions and alleviates “security fatigue” among employees.
This approach also has the major advantage of being both scalable and adaptable. Businesses can adjust their security measures as they expand, explore new markets, or in response to new threats. This level of flexibility ensures long-term protection, aligning security investments with business goals.
Safety into the future
In an age of increasingly sophisticated and evolving cyber threats, adopting a fully integrated MDR strategy is no longer optional – it is essential. Utilising best-of-breed solutions that avoid dependence on a single vendor, organisations can build an “invisible shield” that provides 24/7 defence against a constantly shifting array of risks.
MDR’s cost-effectiveness, streamlined security, and proactive protection offer the best way forward, allowing IT departments to focus on core responsibilities while keeping businesses safe well into the AI-driven future.
