What is extended detection and response (XDR)?

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) offers a consolidated view of security data and tools, providing enhanced visibility, analysis, and response capabilities. This glossary will provide the XDR definition, the key benefits of XDR platforms and how XDR security differs from other threat detection and response solutions.

What is Extended Detection and Response (XDR)?

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) is the technology foundation that leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance the visibility into your threat landscape and extends threat containment capabilities that traditional tools such as EDR and NDR offer. It brings context to external threat intelligence and to the internal business environment by synthesizing data from security telemetry including network, endpoint, log, cloud, email, identity, and more. An Extended Detection and Response platform finds patterns within the data ingested to help with threat detection, reduce false positives, and automate threat response and remediation, providing Security Operations Center (SOC) teams with greater context for faster threat detection, investigation, and response.

How Does XDR Work?

An Extended Detection and Response platform operates through a three-step process: telemetry and data analysis, detection, and response.

Telemetry and Data Analysis

Extended Detection and Response platforms monitor and collect endpoint, network, log, cloud, identity, and vulnerability data. This telemetry data is then analyzed using advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms. By correlating and analyzing data from different sources, XDR platforms can identify patterns, anomalies, and indicators of compromise.

Detection

Based on the analysis of telemetry data, Extended Detection and Response platforms identify security incidents and prioritizes alerts for further investigation. XDR platforms also establish baselines of normal behavior and known malicious behavior within your environment, enabling the detection of deviations and potential threats.

Response

Once a threat is detected, an Extended Detection and Response platform facilitates a targeted and effective response. It can contain and remove threats, update security policies to prevent similar breaches and initiate threat response workflows. This comprehensive response helps minimize the impact of threats and enables faster recovery. See an example how eSentire’s Security Operation Center uses XDR-enriched outputs as part of our threat response process here.

Benefits of XDR

Implementing an Extended Detection and Response platform can provide several tangible benefits to enhance your organization's security posture:

1. Enhanced Visibility and Context

An Extended Detection and Response platform should ingest high-fidelity data from endpoint, network, log, cloud, identity, and vulnerabilities to enable complete attack surface visibility. By ingesting data from these diverse sources, XDR platforms can provide a comprehensive view of your security environment. This enhanced multi-signal visibility allows security analysts to identify threats more effectively and gain valuable context about the attack's origin, spread, and impact.

2. Prioritization of Threats

Managing a large volume of security alerts can overwhelm security teams. XDR's data analysis and correlation capabilities help prioritize alerts and surface the most critical ones. By grouping related alerts and applying contextual analysis, XDR enables security teams to focus their efforts on high-priority threats.

3. Automation and Operational Efficiency

XDR leverages automation to streamline security processes and reduce manual effort like automating repetitive tasks like alert triage. An Extended Detection and Response platform should also automatically block attacks using a global IP deny list with known malicious IOCs and IPs to help security teams focus on high-priority threats creating more efficiency and allowing security professionals to focus on more strategic initiatives and proactive threat hunting.

4. Faster Threat Detection and Response

An Extended Detection and Response platform leverages advanced analytics and correlation techniques to sift security alerts and prioritize the most critical ones. It will reduce noise and enhance SOC investigations by aggregating and normalizing data from endpoints, networks, logs, identity and cloud assets. The XDR platform correlates the data with the latest IoCs to identify genuine threats and facilitate complete response.

By correlating data from multiple sources and providing valuable context, an XDR platform helps pinpoint the origin of a threat, understand its spread, and identify other affected users or devices. This thorough investigation enables effective threat removal and strengthens defenses against future attacks.

5. Proactive Threat Hunting

A strong security program should allow your organization to anticipate and withstand potential cyber threats before they cause significant damage. Any new IOCs and attack technique data can be added to an XDR platform to help identify and prevent new cyberattacks.

XDR vs. EDR and MDR

To fully grasp the capabilities of an Extended Detection and Response platform, it is essential to understand how it differs from other detection and response solutions, such as Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Managed Detection and Response (MDR).

XDR vs. EDR

EDR solutions primarily focus on endpoint security and offer enhanced visibility and response capabilities for endpoints. On the other hand, XDR extends the capabilities of Endpoint Detection and Response across multiple security layers, including networks, logs, cloud, email, identity and more. XDR provides a more comprehensive view of the security landscape, enabling security teams to correlate and analyze data from various sources and respond to threats more effectively.

XDR vs. MDR

Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services are powered by XDR platforms. An MDR solution should combine XDR technology, multi‑signal threat intelligence, and Elite Threat Hunters. Therefore, XDR describes a collection of functionality & capabilities through a technology, and MDR represents the synthesis of people and technology through efficient and effective processes.

Conclusion: Answering, "What is XDR?"

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) is revolutionizing how organizations approach threat detection and response. By consolidating data from various security tools and providing enhanced visibility, analysis, and response capabilities, Extended Detection and Response enables security teams to stay ahead of evolving threats. With its advanced analytics, automation, and comprehensive view of the security landscape, XDR solutions offer numerous benefits, including improved visibility, faster detection and response, and enabling proactive threat hunting. By implementing XDR, organizations can strengthen their security posture and improve their cyber resilience.

eSentire: Your XDR Security Solution

The eSentire Open XDR Platform continuously ingests and correlates millions of threat signals across your environment, giving you complete attack surface visibility. Patented AI and machine learning eliminates noise, powers real-time detection and response, and automatically blocks known high-fidelity malicious threats every single day - so our Security Operations Center (SOC) and Elite Threat Hunters can focus on your highest-priority security events. The eSentire Open XDR platform seamlessly integrates and enables threat investigation across your existing tech stack.

Contact us today to learn more about our XDR platform and how it enables eSentire Managed Detection and Response.