What Is MDR? Managed Detection and Response | Microsoft Security (2024)

Managed detection and response (MDR) is a cybersecurity service that helps proactively protect organizations from cyberthreats using advanced detection and rapid incident response. MDR services include a combination of technology and human expertise to perform cyberthreat hunting, monitoring, and response.

As today’s cyberthreat landscape continues to evolve, it’s more important than ever for organizations to protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. From ransomware to well-disguised phishing attempts, cybercriminals are getting craftier. However, as organizations across industries face talent shortages, many IT departments are struggling to keep their security teams fully staffed with employees with the right skills.

In this environment, a growing number of organizations are looking for a trusted managed detection and response (MDR) partner to take over time-consuming tasks and augment theirexisting in-house security teams. When an organization works with an MDR security provider, they gain full-time access to a security operations center (SOC) without the need to hire additional IT employees. MDR not only keeps your business, employees, and data safe—it also helps to preserve your brand reputation and bolster customer trust.

Managed detection and response combines cutting-edge technology with human expertise to monitor, detect, and respond to cyberthreats against your organization in real-time and around the clock.

While MDR offerings vary depending on the provider, these services typically include:

• Cyberthreat monitoring and response around the clock
• Cyberthreat hunting led by human experts
• Containment to prevent the spread of cyberattacks
• Incident response to eliminate cyberthreats
• Root cause analysis to prevent reoccurrence of cyberattacks
• Cybersecurity reports delivered weekly and monthly
• Regular security health checks

Unlike threat detection and response (TDR)—a tool used to identify and stop cyberthreats—MDR is a human-led service that manages these cybersecurity tools and the data they provide.

Proactive protection in five steps

The managed detection and response process generally includes the following five steps:

Step 1: Prioritize

It’s extremely time-consuming for security teams to sift through the countless cybersecurity alerts they receive each day. This is why many MDR partners offer what’s known as managed prioritization. Using a combination of automation and human analysis, MDR sorts through your organization’s huge volume of alerts and separates the false positives from significant cyberthreats. Then, they present a stream of high-quality alerts to your security team.

Step 2: Hunt

MDR offers proactive and comprehensive cyberthreat hunting capabilities around the clock. Cyber threat intelligence platforms collect critical data about potential risks, and this information is then passed along to analysts. These human experts have extensive skills and knowledge to identify and respond to stealthy cyberthreats that are sometimes missed by automated tech solutions.

Step 3: Investigate

MDR analysts will also investigate cyberthreats to give your organization a clear understanding of the extent and significance of the cyberthreat. They’ll provide detailed information, including what kind of cyberattack it was, when it happened, who was affected, and the severity of the cyberattack. Using this valuable information, they plot an effective response and identify next steps.

Step 4: Remediate

Remediation is the process of disrupting the cyberattack to prevent it from spreading. This may involve removing malware, isolating impacted networks or systems, expelling intruders, cleaning the registry, and eliminating malware persistence mechanisms. Effective remediation ensures that your network is returned to its pre-cyberattack state.

Step 5: Neutralize

After the cyberattack has been stopped and your network has been returned to its previous state, analysts will perform a root cause analysis. This allows them to fully eradicate the cyberattacker and prevent future occurrences of the same type of cyberthreat.

MDR is one of many cybersecurity offerings. Unlike most cybersecurity tools, which are typically technology platforms, MDR is a managed service that combines technology with human expertise.

Here are a few differences between MDR and other popular cyberthreat prevention tools:

MDR vs. XDR

Extended detection and response (XDR) is a software as a service (SaaS) tool that combines security products and data into simplified solutions. XDR delivers a more efficient cybersecurity solution for organizations with multicloud, hybrid environments, which can lead to complex security challenges. However, XDR isn’t a managed service that includes a team of human analysts like MDR.

MDR vs. MXDR

Managed extended detection and response (MXDR) is the next generation of MDR. Like MDR, MXDR is a managed service that combines tech solutions with human expertise. However, with MXDR, the provider uses XDR security solutions to extend protection across a wider variety of IT environments. Because these services offer comprehensive coverage, real-time monitoring, and cyberthreat hunting beyond the endpoint, MXDR is often faster and more effective than traditional MDR. Plus, MXDR provides a more complete picture of the cyberattack story.

MDR vs. EDR

A tool that’s frequently used by MDR providers, endpoint detection and response (EDR) tracks behaviors and occurrences on endpoints and responds to cyberthreats using rules-based automation. When EDR detects an anomaly, an alert is sent to the security team for further investigation. Today, EDR solutions often include advanced capabilities like machine learning, behavioral analysis, and integration tools, and have become a main feature of endpoint protection platforms (EPPs). It can be difficult and time-consuming for internal security teams to manage these complex systems, which is where an MDR service can help.

MDR vs. MSSP

The predecessors of MDR services, managed security service providers (MSSPs) were created to provide monitoring and management of security systems. An MSSP provides general monitoring for an organization’s network and endpoints and then sends alerts to the internal security team. Unlike MDR providers, MSSPs generally don’t actively respond to cyberthreats.

MDR vs. SIEM

Security information and event management (SIEM) is a technology solution that collects data from an organization’s existing security tools and then analyzes the information to pinpoint cyberthreats. SIEM doesn’t include a human element like MDR services.

In today’s increasingly complex cyberthreat landscape, it’s essential to take measures to reduce your organization’s risk. MDR services offer organizations an effective, proactive, and cost-efficient solution that doesn’t require additional staff.

If you’re considering MDR solutions, it’s important to choose a trusted provider that delivers reliable services. Look for a partner that aligns with your unique needs and delivers quick cyberthreat responses, a high level of expertise in your industry, and comprehensive coverage around the clock.