Report
2025 Gartner® Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response
MDR services provide customers with remotely delivered, human-led, turnkey, modern SOC functions, ultimately delivering threat disruption and containment. MDR services are available from a range of providers (well above 600 providers as of this research). Gartner recommends that cybersecurity leaders should use this research to identify MDR services that meet their business-driven risk requirements.
Some key findings of the Managed Detection and Response Gartner Market Guide include:
- "Misnamed technology-first offerings that fail to deliver human-driven managed detection and response (MDR) services are not aligned with buyers looking to identify and select an outcome-driven service.”
- "Turnkey threat detection, investigation and response (TDIR) capabilities are a core requirement for buyers of MDR services, who demand remotely delivered services deployed quickly and predictably."
- "MDR buyers routinely ask providers to extend their requirements beyond the detection of and response to threats, to include the proactive identification and mitigation of threat exposures."
- “As MDR customers mature their SOC operations internally and AI-driven solutions initiate measures for active containment or disruption of a threat or an exposure, the requirements for a typical MDR solution are evolving. Trust and transparency in delivery technologies and a pathway to self-service are becoming increasingly important to MDR buyers.”
As a cybersecurity leader responsible for security operations, you should:
- “Use MDR services to obtain 24/7, remotely delivered, human-driven security operations capabilities when there are no existing internal capabilities. MDR services should also be used when the organization needs to accelerate or augment existing security operations capabilities.”
- “Investigate whether the MDR provider’s service can align with your business-driven requirements by using RFPs and proofs of concept (POCs), and if necessary, by validating core, must-have requirements such as data residency requirements. Determine whether it can provide actionable findings that internal teams can successfully react to, rather than settling for recited technology outputs with no added analysis.”
- “Assess how the MDR provider’s containment approach and incident reporting can integrate with your organization. Also decide whether and what type of actions can be performed on your behalf to align with business requirements as well as compliance, legal policy, and government regulation.”
- “Attain the maximum benefit from MDR services by preparing response workflow processes and integrating existing ticket management systems. This will ensure an outcome-driven response for the business.”
Download the 2025 Gartner® Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response to learn more about MDR services, the direction of the MDR market and get a list of Representative MDR vendors.
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MDR services provide customers with remotely delivered, human-led, turnkey, modern SOC functions, ultimately delivering threat disruption and containment. MDR services are available from a range of providers (well above 600 providers as of this research). Gartner recommends that cybersecurity leaders should use this research to identify MDR services that meet their business-driven risk requirements.
Some key findings of the Managed Detection and Response Gartner Market Guide include:
- "Misnamed technology-first offerings that fail to deliver human-driven managed detection and response (MDR) services are not aligned with buyers looking to identify and select an outcome-driven service.”
- "Turnkey threat detection, investigation and response (TDIR) capabilities are a core requirement for buyers of MDR services, who demand remotely delivered services deployed quickly and predictably."
- "MDR buyers routinely ask providers to extend their requirements beyond the detection of and response to threats, to include the proactive identification and mitigation of threat exposures."
- “As MDR customers mature their SOC operations internally and AI-driven solutions initiate measures for active containment or disruption of a threat or an exposure, the requirements for a typical MDR solution are evolving. Trust and transparency in delivery technologies and a pathway to self-service are becoming increasingly important to MDR buyers.”
As a cybersecurity leader responsible for security operations, you should:
- “Use MDR services to obtain 24/7, remotely delivered, human-driven security operations capabilities when there are no existing internal capabilities. MDR services should also be used when the organization needs to accelerate or augment existing security operations capabilities.”
- “Investigate whether the MDR provider’s service can align with your business-driven requirements by using RFPs and proofs of concept (POCs), and if necessary, by validating core, must-have requirements such as data residency requirements. Determine whether it can provide actionable findings that internal teams can successfully react to, rather than settling for recited technology outputs with no added analysis.”
- “Assess how the MDR provider’s containment approach and incident reporting can integrate with your organization. Also decide whether and what type of actions can be performed on your behalf to align with business requirements as well as compliance, legal policy, and government regulation.”
- “Attain the maximum benefit from MDR services by preparing response workflow processes and integrating existing ticket management systems. This will ensure an outcome-driven response for the business.”
Download the 2025 Gartner® Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response to learn more about MDR services, the direction of the MDR market and get a list of Representative MDR vendors.
