Understanding Extended Detection and Response (EDR & XDR)

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) is a technology strategy designed to offer comprehensive protection for endpoints. XDR solutions can

• Enhance the precision of endpoint threat detection.

• Identify risks that extend beyond the endpoint.

• Orchestrate a range of response measures.

In this detailed article, we’ll explore how XDR systems operate and what they are capable of addressing. Additionally, we’ll examine the limitations of XDR and compare it with other security technologies, such as SIEM and SOAR.

EDR Overview

To understand the background, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) evolved from traditional antivirus systems and endpoint protection platforms (EPPs). These older technologies struggled to manage advanced endpoint threats that could evade standard file-based and heuristic malware detection. EDR addressed these gaps by providing more accurate threat detection, along with advanced threat-hunting and forensic analysis capabilities.

As cybersecurity perspectives shifted from "everything is secure" to "breaches are inevitable," the demand for EDR surged. EDR empowered security teams to:

• Gain enhanced visibility and detection capabilities for endpoints.

• Perform real-time forensic investigations.

• Respond more rapidly and efficiently to endpoint threats.

For a while, EDR was highly effective in dealing with endpoint-related threats. However, two major challenges soon became apparent: the rise of new endpoint types like IoT devices, operational technology (OT), and serverless applications, which EDR couldn't adequately support. More critically, there was a growing need to expand the scope of security data to include telemetry from sources such as the network, cloud environments, and email systems.

With the increasing sophistication of threats, EDR's endpoint-centric approach revealed its limitations. Additional context from network detection, threat intelligence, and other security tools became essential to enhance detection accuracy and response speed.

This paved the way for Extended Detection and Response (XDR).

How Extended Detection and Response (XDR) Works

XDR solutions are designed to streamline the process of threat detection, investigation, and response (TDIR) by offering a unified platform where security analysts can manage these tasks across various security control points. With XDR, the focus extends beyond just endpoints to include endpoint-related and adjacent areas. An XDR system can:

• Collect data from security tools that are integrated successfully.

• Utilize pre-configured detection methods.

• Perform thorough threat analysis.

• Initiate threat response actions through the connected security tools.

By drawing data from multiple sources — such as endpoints, networks, cloud environments, emails, threat intelligence feeds, and identity systems — an XDR platform can find related evidence and consolidate it into a single incident to generate high-accuracy alerts. This helps analysts respond faster, eliminating the need to jump between different consoles and tools to triage an alert before deciding on the next steps.

XDR also relies on integrations to support its response capabilities. Predefined responses to verified threats allow data to be correlated and trigger coordinated actions across the tools within the XDR ecosystem. This enables security teams to carry out comprehensive triage, validation, and responses efficiently from start to finish.

Key functions of XDRs

XDR and EDR share several key functions, including:

• Advanced threat detection: Both XDR and EDR use proprietary detection methods combined with threat intelligence to assist security teams in identifying and responding to complex threats.

• Real-time monitoring: Both systems continuously gather and analyze data in a centralized repository, enabling security analysts to efficiently monitor, detect, and prioritize security incidents.

• Reduced alert volume: Thanks to their proactive and sophisticated detection methods, both XDR and EDR produce fewer false positives, minimizing alert fatigue among security teams and allowing for faster threat responses.

• Threat hunting: Both solutions enable security analysts to actively search for signs of suspicious or malicious activities that may not have triggered any security alerts.

These similarities have led some vendors to rebrand their EDR solutions as XDR with minimal changes to the core product. However, XDR is designed to consolidate detection and response capabilities across multiple telemetry sources, not just limited to endpoints.

XDR Benefits and Use Cases

XDR is designed to support specific scenarios within the security operations center (SOC), including:

• Accurate Threat Detection: XDR deeply analyzes endpoint, network, and other telemetry sources to uncover threats and trace them to their origin, helping security teams recognize the sophisticated tactics used in advanced attacks. While the endpoint might be the first place where a threat is noticed, clues from other security control points often reveal the full scope of the attack. By correlating data from endpoints with network, cloud, and other sources, XDR can more effectively detect and stop attacks.

• Effective Threat Response: With its robust data collection and analysis, XDR helps security teams track the path of an attack, enabling them to understand how it unfolds and locate the attacker within the environment. XDR solutions with automated response capabilities can immediately block a threat as soon as it’s detected.

• SIEM Integration: XDR can handle much of the initial heavy lifting for threat detection and deliver high-fidelity alerts to a SIEM. This helps analysts speed up investigations or uncover additional threats by combining XDR telemetry and alerts with data from sources outside XDR’s coverage.

• Enhanced Detection and Response: By integrating with tools beyond the endpoint, XDR enables more precise threat detection and coordinated responses with minimal effort from security teams.

• Assisting Smaller SOC Teams: XDR solutions can automate many of the evidence collection and response tasks that analysts typically handle manually. This frees up analysts to focus on high-priority threats, making SOC teams more efficient at detecting and addressing critical risks.

Challenges with XDR Solutions

XDR platforms face two significant limitations regarding overall cybersecurity practices:

• Limited range of integrations: XDR solutions often work with a smaller set of integrated tools, which can limit security teams’ flexibility in using preferred or new security solutions alongside the XDR platform.

• Restricted data analysis: The scope of data that XDR solutions can process is often constrained. This limitation may create blind spots for security teams, especially if XDR is relied upon as the primary security operations platform, as it may miss critical security data not covered by the platform.

These challenges can hinder a team’s ability to optimize existing security tools or expand their security stack effectively.

Comparing XDR with Other Cybersecurity Solutions

XDR excels at providing enhanced detection and response, but it does so within a limited range of use cases and data sources. The challenge arises when threats evolve beyond the scope of these predefined use cases and available data sets.

Let’s look at a few common comparisons. However, at DeepDefend, we view comparisons between XDR and solutions like SIEM and SOAR as misaligned. We see XDR as a data source and control point that works alongside other security tools, much like EDR. In fact, many of our customers have already integrated XDR with DeepDeend. XDR helps reduce noise, while DeepDefend empowers teams to address use cases beyond just endpoint protection. It’s a win-win solution.

XDR vs. SIEM

At first glance, XDR and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions might seem similar, as both collect telemetry data to improve threat detection. However, they have several key differences:

Data Sources: XDR platforms are limited in the types of data they can ingest and analyze, whereas SIEM solutions can handle data from a broad range of sources.

-Advanced Threat Capabilities: XDR tools are generally less equipped to handle investigations into advanced and emerging threats, forensics, and fraud-related cases. As attackers become more adept at concealing their actions, investigations often require insights from multiple systems and environments. Limited data access can hinder threat hunters in tracing an attacker’s path and understanding the full scope of an attack.

Long-Term Storage: Unlike SIEM systems, XDR solutions lack robust long-term data storage capabilities. Due to functionality or performance constraints, XDR tools cannot retain data indefinitely. To meet compliance and auditing requirements, you would need to store this data separately, adding another layer of complexity to your tech stack.

Compliance: Compliance regulations often mandate organizations to:

• Implement various security controls.

• Develop a security threat response plan.

• Track critical business events.

• Maintain detailed records of all security incidents and responses.

  
  

SIEM solutions offer continuous monitoring, real-time threat detection, alerting, data analysis, visualization, and log management and storage, which assist organizations in meeting these regulatory requirements more effectively.

XDR vs. SOAR

XDR and Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) tools have some overlapping features but also key differences:

• Automation: Both SOAR and XDR aim to streamline security operations and automate responses. SOAR excels in this area, utilizing playbook-based systems to coordinate and automate incident response processes. XDR, however, typically focuses on automating specific actions based on data analysis, rather than orchestrating complex, multi-step responses.

• Integration: SOAR solutions are built to integrate with a wide range of tools and point solutions, offering extensive interoperability. In contrast, XDR solutions are generally composed of tools from a single vendor, providing a more integrated but narrower scope of functionality.

• Broader Use Cases: SOAR’s capabilities extend beyond security into areas such as IT operations and software development. XDR, while focused on security, does not typically have the same breadth of application.

Reducing Cyber Risk: Going Beyond XDR

The goal is not just to acquire a tool but to effectively reduce cyber risk. While XDR offers valuable protection against a variety of attacks, it’s important not to rely solely on it.

Integrating XDR telemetry and high-fidelity alerts with a SIEM-based SOC platform allows for comprehensive data correlation, enhancing your ability to detect, investigate, and respond to threats accurately and swiftly. An effective cybersecurity strategy addresses the entire attack surface to better mitigate cyber risk.

Get the Best Visibility Possible

DeepDefend delivers the same benefits as XDR technology: our solutions do not restrict use cases or data sources. Beyond TDIR, you can index and search across all your data, both security-related and otherwise. This comprehensive visibility is crucial for uncovering the root cause of today’s most complex attacks.

DeepDefend provides enterprises with the flexibility needed to address current challenges while remaining agile to tackle future threats. DeepDefend Security is the security operations platform designed for the agile enterprise. By centralizing all data and focusing on advanced analytics, streamlined operations through automation and orchestration, and fostering collaboration with a diverse set of ecosystem partners, we offer a robust solution for modern security operations. Click bellow to get a demo.

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