Explaining MDR – More on ‘Security Beyond Anti-Virus’

January 22, 2025
Insights
3 min read

MDR stands for Managed Detection and Response. It’s a comprehensive cybersecurity service that combines technology and human expertise to provide organisations with advanced threat detection, investigation, and rapid response to cyber threats.

Mdr For Sme Explored

Identity Threat and Detection Response (ITDR):

One particular aspect of an MDR solution is ITDR. This technology provides an early-warning system for potential breaches within your Microsoft 365 environment. Without something like this in place, a bad actor could gain access to your system, either via a member of staff clicking a malicious link in a phishing email or by someone within the organisation being socially engineered to disclose credentials, for example. The ITDR lifecycle is as follows:

  • Collect – A managed ITDR solution is continuously capturing Microsoft 365 event data, including user actions, policy changes and login events. The solution also uses mail flow manipulation to get a head start on detection efforts.
  • Detect – The Security Operations Centre (SOC) analysts and security experts use detection login to review the information ingested in order to triage threats quickly.
  • Analyse – Any malicious activity is then confirmed by the SOC and raised with our security team.
  • Report – Incident reports relating to a potential breach are delivered via email and flagged directly within our service desk platform; these include a summary of findings and clearly outlined next steps.
  • Remediate – In some cases the managed ITDR platform allows for one-click remediation. Should this not be an option, our engineers are able to conduct any manual work required, based upon the recommended actions provided by the Security Operations Centre (SOC).

Due to the continuous nature of the monitoring, we are generally alerted to behaviour that could potentially be part of a breach within a few minutes of the event being triggered. This allows us a significant head start on the remediation process and more importantly, prevents a bad actor causing damage within your Microsoft 365 environment.

“This is why small businesses can’t just rely on antivirus and hope for the best. Cybercriminals don’t take time off—so neither do we.”

The key components of MDR include:

  • Continuous Monitoring – 24/7 surveillance of an organisation’s network, endpoints, and cloud environments to detect potential security threats.
  • Threat Detection – Using advanced analytics, machine learning, and human analysis to identify suspicious activities and potential security incidents.
  • Investigation – Expert security analysts examine alerts and incidents to determine their severity, scope, and potential impact.
  • Active Response – Taking immediate action to contain and remediate identified threats, which may include isolating affected systems, blocking malicious activity, or providing specific remediation guidance.
  • Threat Hunting – Proactively searching for hidden threats that may have evaded initial detection.

MDR differs from traditional managed security services (MSS) by providing more comprehensive and proactive security coverage, with a strong emphasis on rapid response and remediation rather than just monitoring and alerting. It’s particularly valuable for organisations that lack the internal resources or expertise to maintain a full-time security operations centre.

Okay, but how is this different from EDR?

EDR stands for Endpoint Detection and Response. It’s a security technology that focuses specifically on monitoring and protecting endpoint devices (like computers, laptops, mobile devices, and servers) from cyber threats.

The main difference between EDR and MDR is that EDR is a specific technology solution focused on endpoints, while MDR is a managed service that often incorporates EDR along with other security tools and human expertise. Think of EDR as one of the tools that might be used within an MDR service.

So in Summary: Why Do Businesses Need MDR?

  • Resource Constraints – Many businesses lack an in-house Security Operations Centre (SOC).
  • Advanced Threats – MDR helps defend against ransomware, APTs (Advanced Persistent Threats), and phishing.
  • Compliance Requirements – Helps meet cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST, ISO 27001, and GDPR.
  • Reduced Dwell Time – Detects and mitigates threats before they cause significant damage.

To discuss MDR or any part of your cyber security options – please do get in touch.