Whether it’s polymorphic malware, APTs, or phishing attacks, EDR security solutions identify and contain threats that traditional antivirus tools can’t.
Look for a detection solution with broad visibility and machine learning-based attack detection capabilities.
What is EDR?
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) security is a technology that monitors and detects malicious activity on endpoint devices. It collects data from different sources, such as system logs and network traffic, and sends it to a central location for analysis.
EDR tools can be standalone programs or part of a more comprehensive endpoint protection platform. Typically, these systems include threat intelligence feeds that introduce context in real-world examples of cyberattacks and compare these with network and endpoint behavior.
A well-designed EDR tools list can quickly identify suspicious activity, triggering security alerts to the appropriate person in the organization. It prevents security teams from getting bogged down in alert fatigue and helps them focus on more essential duties, such as responding to threats in real time.
Behavioral analytics is another critical feature that EDR platforms use to identify unusual activities by users. This technology analyzes user behavior and creates profiles based on that data, alerting the security team when something seems out of place.
As a result, EDR solutions can protect against stealthy attacks that can evade antivirus and traditional perimeter defenses. These include ransomware, phishing attacks, file-less malware, zero-day vulnerabilities, and internal threats that may be undiscovered by antimalware solutions.
EDR Detection
Detection is an essential aspect of EDR security. It helps security teams identify and respond to a threat before it has time to infect the entire system. It also allows security teams to prioritize threats that require more thorough investigation so they can focus on the most critical ones first.
Data is gathered by agents installed on endpoints and then sent to a centralized location where algorithms and machine learning technology can sift through it. It can then be viewed and used to determine whether an endpoint displays abnormal behavior or irregularities.
When assessing different solutions, it is essential to consider how much data each tool gathers and what type of analysis they use to interpret it. It can be important in determining how accurate the alerts are.
It can also help to evaluate how quickly the solution can collect and process alerts. Many EDR vendors offer rapid investigations, which allow security analysts to quickly gain context about a potential incident and take action on it.
An automated response is another key feature of an EDR solution. It enables security teams to automatically block malicious activity on compromised endpoints and perform other actions to minimize damages.
Choosing the right EDR solution can be complex, but the best solutions will provide the features and functionality your organization needs most. To make the process easier, use our guide to comparing EDR solutions to help you choose the best one for your security goals.
EDR Response
EDR solutions alert security teams of suspicious activity, enabling them to investigate the incident quickly and take action to contain or block threats. It can help to limit the damage caused by cyberattacks and prevent data breaches.
The primary function of an EDR solution is to monitor and collect data on endpoints, including laptops, servers, cloud systems, and mobile devices. It allows it to detect anomalies and malicious behavior and record these events for later analysis.
When selecting your EDR solution, consider how it will evolve with the threat landscape and respond to new attacks. It includes updating indicators of compromise (IoCs) frequently so it can catch up to new malware signatures and other types of cyberattacks.
In addition, it should be able to prioritize detection alerts for the security team so that they can focus on the most significant problems first. For example, if a system alerts that an employee has used incorrect credentials for a password change, that indicates a threat.
Another thing to look for in an EDR is robust live response capabilities that automatically drop into a compromised system and run scripts or commands to remediate issues. It helps to minimize damage from an attack and saves time for your IT/security team.
EDR Integration
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions provide real-time monitoring of endpoints. They use machine learning and heuristics to detect suspicious activity and threat intelligence to identify malware.
EDR tools interpret raw telemetry from endpoints, including running processes, files installed, and network connections. They then create endpoint metadata that human users can use to identify threats and proactively take action.
EDR security tools use continuous file analysis to identify risks by comparing each file to other files and looking for irregularities that can point to a cyberattack. These anomalies might result from a malware infection or unauthorized access to your network.
The best EDR solutions also have threat-hunting capabilities that can search all open network connections and programs for potential unauthorized access. These capabilities help security teams spot attacks before they become breaches, allowing them to contain and remediate incidents quickly and efficiently.
These capabilities are crucial to EDR. They can help mitigate alert fatigue and reduce stress on analysts who must sift through thousands of signals daily.
EDR tools can help increase operational efficiency by integrating with other systems to automate response actions. It will reduce the workload on IT teams and allow them to respond to incidents more quickly and efficiently.