Endpoint detection and response (EDR)

Every business has endpoints. That's your computers, mobile devices, servers and IoT devices. In 2022, you can't get around using these things — so you can't get around endpoint detection and response, either.

In this post, we're going to cover everything you need to know about endpoint detection and response (EDR), starting with what it is and ending with why it's an essential component of your business.

What is endpoint detection and response?

As promised, let's start things off by exploring what endpoint detection and response is.

Abbreviated as EDR, endpoint detection and response is a security toolset you have in place to protect your endpoints. An endpoint is any point of your tech/network systems that acts as a doorway into the rest of your tech/network.

Put another way, it's a vulnerability. That's not a bad thing in and of itself — every system has vulnerabilities. But it does mean that you need to take measures to protect them.

That's where EDR comes in. Typically bundled as a platform, EDR solutions are packed with the features and tools you need to detect and respond to cyber threats. When they do happen, then an EDR system will help you put a stop to them fast.

How does EDR technology work?

EDR works by monitoring events at your endpoints. "Events" are anything that happens with the potential for risky consequences. Let’s take, for example, the process of an employee logging in to a computer. Most of the time, it'll be an innocent event. But it has the potential to be risky, and so endpoint detection and response systems monitor logins.

EDR is watching these events for any red flags. And best of all, it's doing so automatically. This allows your business to instantly respond to a threat rather than waiting until one of your IT team members notices something odd.

The goal of EDR is to shorten response times to events and stop threats before they have a chance to do any serious damage. It's the automatic fire sprinkler system for your network.

Key features of endpoint detection and response

While every endpoint detection and response system is unique, there are a few key features that you'll find in nearly all of them. Below is a quick breakdown of the features you can expect from an EDR platform.

Visibility of current and past threats

EDR systems give you an instant overview of all of your events — past and present — so that you can quickly assess the state of your network/tech whenever you need to.

An important aspect of visibility is real-time insights. A reliable EDR platform will be able to provide you with visibility over your endpoints in real-time so that you never miss a thing.

Automatically protects your assets

Endpoint detection and response platforms should also automatically protect your assets. This is one of the features that make EDR so powerful. They continuously monitor your endpoint events 24/7, so there's never a chance for something to catch you off guard and slip past your system.

And since the response to these threats is automated, you can be sure that the response times are going to be as minimal as possible. This can go a long way towards preventing threats and stopping them before they wreak havoc on your tech and data.

Integrated threat hunting

An effective endpoint detection and response platform should also offer integrated threat hunting. Your business likely already uses a handful of security systems at this time — and there’s very little value in purchasing a new security system that doesn't play nice with your existing solutions.

A proper EDR platform will perform threat hunting, provide real-time insights, and automatically protect your assets — and it'll do it while integrating with the tools you already know and love.

Why is EDR needed in 2022?

If you're still not sold on the importance of endpoint detection and response, this next section will do the trick. Here are three reasons why EDR is an essential investment for 2022.

Backing up prevention with protection

Traditionally cybersecurity measures are there to prevent problems from occurring. This is great because no one wants to have a cybersecurity issue on their plate. Threats are however evolving faster than ever, meaning that purely focusing on prevention is not enough. What is worse is that many newer threats target users and their behavior, making it harder and harder to completely prevent them.

That's where EDR and solutions like it come in. When an attack does happen, you need the tools to detect the attack quickly and then respond effectively.

View the status of your endpoints in real-time

Next, endpoint detection and response systems allow you to view the status of your endpoints in real-time. Visibility is something we've been emphasizing throughout this post, and that's because it's a vital feature to have at your disposal.

Visibility means knowing what's happening all across your network at all times. It means an effective IT team that can quickly respond to events at a moment's notice. And it means that when you have a serious situation on your hands, you'll have the insight required to handle it.

Activate your data for a secure network

Lastly, an endpoint detection and response system activates your data, creating a secure network. Like most businesses these days, you likely have much of the data you need to keep your network secure at this moment.

The problem is that this data isn't being utilized. It's stagnant, inaccessible, and unusable. EDR opens up the possibilities of the data and insights you already have and activates them to create a secure network.

Samurai XDR endpoint support

While EDR is an important tool, you need to also consider the need for a more holistic view across all of your IT assets. Extended Detection and Response (XDR) provides the ability to extend detection and response across your entire IT estate, including areas like network and cloud in addition to endpoints. XDR represents an important step beyond EDR to make sure you are able to respond to threats across your entire IT estate.

Samurai XDR supports major EDR vendors in addition integration to wide number of network and cloud vendors.

Today, Samurai XDR supports the following EDR vendors: Microsoft Defender, Crowdstrike, Carbon Black, Cisco, FireEye, and Palo Alto Networks. It's a more comprehensive way to keep your network, tech, and assets safe. You can reach out to the Samurai team today and learn more about our offering.