As the cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace, so too do cyber attacks and the rate at which they occur. Another concern amongst business and IT leaders is where cyber attacks are occurring.
According to a 2020 study by the Ponemon Institute, 68% of organizations experienced one or more endpoint attacks that successfully compromised data and/or their IT infrastructure in the previous 12 months. The same report found that 68% of IT professionals found that the frequency of endpoint attacks had increased since the year before.
So, what does EDR mean? We explore the meaning in this blog.
Gartner’s Anton Chuvakin first defined endpoint threat detection and response (ETDR) in 2013 as “the tools primarily focused on detecting and investigating suspicious activities (and traces of such) other problems on hosts/endpoints.”
In 2015, Gartner began referring to EDR as endpoint detection and response (EDR), which is now a very well-known term in the IT security industry.
In this blog, you will learn what EDR stands for, the core functions of EDR technology, and the difference between EDR and other cybersecurity tools (and why you need them).
How EDR Works
At a high level, EDR tools provide continuous monitoring of endpoint and network events, analyze data to identify malicious activity, and give security teams the ability to respond to advanced persistent threats. EDR is deployed by installing software on endpoints and is then managed by either an in-house security team or a managed security service provider (MSSP).
Let’s break down EDR a bit further to understand its core functions.
- Endpoint – An endpoint is a device such as a server, laptop or user workstation
- Detection – EDR detects threats, via threat hunting, on endpoint devices and provides analysts with information that can help investigate the attack
- Response – EDR solutions can perform actions at the device level – such as blocking malicious processes – to automatically respond to an attack, as part of its security capabilities
Ultimately, EDR security, meaning EDR as it relates to the security of your network, is designed to alert security teams of malicious activity on endpoints, enable real-time investigation of the attack, and provide a path for remediation.
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Where Does EDR Fit in Your Security Stack?
If you are tasked with overseeing your organization’s cybersecurity tools and technologies, EDR is not one to miss. That said, it’s important to note the role EDR plays, and what EDR means for computer systems, in protecting your business.
What EDR means for security is that it can sometimes get mixed up with a variety of other toolsets, most notably antivirus solutions, endpoint protection platforms (EPP), and SIEM technology. While these tools all complement each other to create a robust and effective cybersecurity solution, there are some key differences.
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EDR vs. Antivirus
At this point, an antivirus solution is (or should be) a pretty standard component in every organization’s IT security arsenal. However, it is not a bulletproof solution on its own. Antivirus aims to prevent cyber threats from entering a network, whereas EDR detects suspicious activity within a network and mitigates the threat before it can cause damage.
EDR vs. EPP
EDR and endpoint detection platforms (EPP) are very similar but different enough that organizations should consider adopting both for complete endpoint security. Essentially, EPPs serve as a first-line threat prevention solution that’s made up of various tools and techniques, including machine learning to support behavioral analysis. EDR capabilities extend beyond typical EPP support by allowing security teams to neutralize advanced threats and conduct incident response as well as investigation and remediation on endpoints.
EDR vs. SIEM
Most organizations, especially at the enterprise level, could benefit from having both security information and event management (SIEM) and EDR solutions, as both provide vital threat intelligence and response capabilities that are key to mitigating business risk. The biggest difference between these two solutions is the type of data they collect. SIEM technology offers organizations visibility into their entire IT environment as a whole and collects data from many different log sources, such as firewalls, servers, applications, and more, while EDR’s only focus is collecting endpoint data.
Given the importance of advanced endpoint security in today’s cyber threat landscape, it is best practice to supplement your EDR solution with complementary technologies like antivirus, endpoint protection platforms, and SIEM technology that can work together to provide a multilayer defense strategy for your business.
Need Help With Your Endpoint Security?
Buchanan Technologies partners with cybersecurity leaders like ArmorPoint to provide our clients with the most advanced, holistic endpoint security solutions available on the market.
Through this partnership, you can rest assured that unauthorized devices, applications and configuration changes are detected in real-time, threats are validated and prioritized accordingly (no false positives!) and remediation to the network or individual endpoint occurs.
And most importantly, that you have a dedicated security response team working for you 24/7/365.
