1. EXtended Detection and Response (XDR) and its meaning
Extended Detection and Response or more often referred to as XDR, is a modern method of threat detection and response that offers comprehensive defense against hacker attacks, illegal access, and misuse. Nir Zuk, CTO of Palo Alto Networks, produced the term XDR in 2018. According to research firm Gartner, XDR is a convergence trend, which provides competitive pressure on existing solutions like EPP/EDR/NDR and SIEM/SOAR vendors
XDR is a vendor-specific, SaaS-based, cloud-native platform. Multiple security products are integrated into a seamless security operations system. While using analytics and automation to counteract today’s more advanced threats, it provides visibility across all data, including endpoints, networks and cloud data. Successful cyber-attacks can be avoided, and security procedures can be made simpler and more robust because of XDR. Firms and organizations can then concentrate on strategic priorities when people, data, and applications are safeguarded as this enables them to better serve users and accelerate digital transformation activities
2. XDR is a concept, not a standard
EXtended Detection and Response or XDR was created as an alternative to point security solutions, which could only do event correlation without a response or were restricted to a single security layer. It is the development of solutions like network traffic analysis (NTA) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
These layer-specific tools are still important, but they frequently produce more alarms, take longer to investigate, and address issues, and demand more upkeep and management. In contrast, XDR streamlines tools and makes it possible for security teams to operate more productively
3. Key Capabilities of XDR
EXtended Detection and Response or XDR, is a new approach that offers comprehensive defense against cyber-attacks, unwanted access, and misuse of information. XDR systems deliver a proactive approach to threat identification and response. According to research firm, Gartner, XDR is a platform that helps integrate, correlate, and contextualize data from multiple security prevention, detection, and response components. This helps ensure that you are always aware of potential threats and can take appropriate action. XDR is a cloud-delivered technology that uses multiple point solutions and advanced analytics to correlate alerts from multiple sources into incidents from weaker individual signals to create more accurate detection rates. The solution aims to reduce or eliminate product sprawl, alert fatigue, integration problems, and operational expense
4. XDR Components
Front End
In a typical XDR system, a minimum of three front-end solutions aimed at threat identification and response. These solutions may include, among others, email security, mobile threat detection, network detection and response (NDR), security services edge (SSE), and endpoint detection and response (EDR)
Back End
XDR systems at the back end, offer strong analytics, automated responses, data lake storage, API integration capabilities, and linked alarms
5. How XDR works
An XDR, when compared to EDR, enables faster, deeper, and more effective threat identification and response because it collects and aggregates data information from a much wider range of sources and uses a single-pane data from the entire network
With XDR, threats are made more visible and contextualized. Occurrences that would not have previously been addressed would come to light and raise awareness to the security analysts, enabling security teams to take corrective action, lessen negative impact to the network, and narrow down the extent of the attack
In a typical ransomware attack, the endpoint is first attacked after traveling through the network and entering through the inbox. Attempting to address security by examining each of those separately is a disadvantage for organizations and may take longer time than expected. XDR integrates disparate security controls to be able to provide automated or one-click responses across enterprise security, such as blocking inbound domains and file hashes, disabling user access, and more
We at Wizard Cyber, build XDR with the vision of creating a complete threat detection and response service that protects every organisation against even the latest cyber threats
Our XDR integrates state-of-the-art threat intelligence and SIEM capabilities with our ability to detect and respond to threats globally, 24x7x365. Combined with a variety of other leading Microsoft security tools and consultancy from a team of Microsoft –certified experts, we can provide XDR for your organisation with enterprise-level cyber security protection
6. XDR Methodology
6.1 Detection
With XDR, you can identify more threats by gathering security events which are then analyzed by security information and analytic platforms
6.2 Investigation
With XDR, human-machine teaming connects all pertinent threat information, applies situational security context and signal-to-noise reduction techniques to reduce signal from noise and helps with root-cause analysis
6.3 Recommendations
XDR offers relevant actions that would most improve the containment or remediation of a discovered risk or hazard, as well as recommendations to analysts to further an investigation through additional queries
6.4 Hunting
XDR provides a uniform query capability across a data repository containing multi-vendor sensor telemetry that will enable threat hunters to find unusual threat behaviours and respond accordingly
As a Microsoft Gold partner, we at Wizard Cyber, can provide you with an XDR that does so much more than just keeping an eye on your network for known threats and reacting to them. We centralize and correlate all your organization’s telemetry (from various tools and sources) and our XDR can offer a solution that enables you to detect and respond to more risks than ever
7. Key Benefits of XDR
Now we all know that XDR approaches threat detection and response in a more proactive manner than a solo EDR or SIEM system. Instead of just focusing on endpoints, an efficient XDR system automatically correlates all information gathered to drive detection. Along with improving visibility into threats in your environment, this telemetry focus makes it simpler to administer and manage your security initiatives
There are several significant ways that a security analyst can benefit from using an XDR, among these are:
7.1 Detecting Sophisticated Threats
Infected data are not necessary for the success of modern cyber-attacks. Instead, these attacks target your website and use other methods including SQL injections, DNS attacks, URL parsing, and much more. XDR actively analyzes all irregularities that it can find, for it to determine which ones are a threat to be blocked
7.2 Tracking threats Across Devices and Sources
XDR offers a comprehensive method of cyber security. It is not limited to guarding just a one-threat source, like endpoints or user behavior. Instead, it keeps an eye on all network traffic to watch out for any potential risks
7.3 Collecting and Analyzing Data from Multiple Sources
XDR then gathers data patterns in addition to merely monitoring the traffic, files, and other data points spread over your network, so that automatic correlation can spot suspicious activity. XDR’s automatic correlation and AI make your security environment more efficient every day
7.4 Quicker and Custom Alerting to Unknown Threats
While XDR responds to many threats automatically, you may specify what you and your team need to know when a specific event occurs. We at Wizard Cyber can help customize what you need exactly for your organisation
8. XDR, EDR, SIEM, and MDR: Understanding the Differences Behind the Acronyms
EDR gives a company the opportunity to keep track of all activities and events on endpoints and watch out for any questionable behavior. It executes automatic reaction activities, such as isolating an infected endpoint from the network in almost real-time, after correlating information to offer a crucial context for detecting advanced threats. EDR is a great tool for endpoint protection, endpoint detection, and endpoint response
XDR has been known to be the evolution of EDR. In contrast to EDR, XDR extends the reach of detection beyond endpoints to enable detection, analytics and response across all endpoints, networks, servers, cloud workloads, SIEM and much more. XDR pushes the boundaries of endpoint defense to stop more complex attacks that can get beyond the endpoint
As a result, a unified approach can be applied to these threats, which helps with triage, investigation, and quick remediation actions.
Then we know about Security information and event management (SIEM) and XDR, but what is the difference between these two? A SIEM collects, combines, analyzes and stores large volumes of log data from across the company’s network. SIEM started with a very broad and general approach; gathering all available log and event data from virtually any source across the company to be stored in several use cases. Among these were governance and compliance, rule-based pattern matching, threat detection, behavioral techniques such as User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)
SIEM tools need a lot of work to implement. The sheer volume of notifications that a SIEM generates might also overload security analysts, causing the SOC to disregard vital alarms. Additionally, a SIEM is still a passive instrument that generates warnings despite collecting data from numerous sources and sensors.
The XDR platform, on the other hand, which incorporates behavior analysis, threat intelligence, behavior profiling and analytics, intends to address the limitations of the SIEM tool for effective detection and response to targeted attacks.
XDR and Managed Detection and Response (MDR) both assist security teams in coping with constrained resources and escalating threats, but they do it in diverse ways:
MDR has a wide variety of responsibilities including;
- Risk areas identification and configuration
- Incident investigation
- Potential threat detection
- Response guidance and recommendations
- Security goals, policies, and controls regular review, and provides updation recommendations.
XDR – An organization’s ability to detect and respond to threats can be improved if it maintains an internal SOC all because of XDR’s ability to automate security processes and increase analyst productivity. Security teams save time because of an XDR, which allows them to investigate and respond to genuine business threats.
It is important to understand that XDR does not replace SIEM, Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR), NDR, EDR or other security solutions that your organisation is currently using or may use in the future.
9. The XDR and SIEM Integration
For larger teams, SIEM still may be necessary, but it’s possible that XDRs will combine SIEM threat detection and response use cases. In contrast to SIEM systems, XDRs are solely intended to address the prevention, detection, and response use cases that are predominantly provided by the product of a single vendor. They are not intended to address compliance issues, or the wide variety of operational use cases that a SIEM currently provides, including support for a wide variety of telemetry sources. Furthermore, even though XDRs incorporate the idea of a data lake, they are not intended to serve as the principal location for long-term storage. An XDR solution may not contain a SIEM. At Wizard Cyber, our XDR Solution contains a SIEM which is Microsoft Sentinel.
10. Who needs an XDR?
Now who needs an XDR? In reality, any organisation that wants to ensure that their environment is as secure as possible should start at the very least to think about including XDR in their cyber security plan. This would apply to businesses who gather and store confidential client information, have any proprietary data stored on their systems, and work in regulated sectors. On the other hand, given the risk profile of SMEs that utilize their computer systems primarily for communication and inventory management, for instance, may not need to invest in a comprehensive security plan.
Why Wizard Cyber XDR?
We understand that switching to a managed service for your entire cyber security needs is a difficult decision. Our XDR is built to be entirely bespoke to your organization’s requirements, starting with an extensive initial consultation with our cyber security experts. Following this consultation, we precisely calibrate XDR to ensure that every aspect of your business’ infrastructure is protected
Our service supplies all the people, technology, and cyber security capabilities that your organization needs to detect, analyze, and respond to cyber threats. Supported by our 24x7x365, global SOC, XDR is a truly complete service that stops threats in their tracks, before they can cause any damage or disruption to your business. Get in touch with one of our experts today.
