How endpoint detection and response (EDR) can help secure your business
With new cyber threats continuously emerging, and with many IT departments already stretched thin, the thought of protecting a growing number of devices can seem daunting. Now that many employees work remotely at least part of the time, companies need to realise the benefits of EDR in protecting a wide range of endpoints, such as desktops, laptops, and mobile devices, both in and out of the office.
Because of these changes, as well as the overall threat level from cyber attacks, many organisations are turning to endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions.
“As remote work becomes more common, strong endpoint security is an increasingly vital component of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy. Deploying an effective EDR security solution is essential to protect both the enterprise and the remote worker from cyber threats,” notes Check Point, a cyber security software company.
In this article, we’ll dive into how EDR can help organisations strengthen their cyber security from both a technology and human-analysis standpoint.
What is endpoint detection and response (EDR)?
The term EDR is quite literal in the sense that these solutions can detect and respond to threats that occur at the endpoint level, which includes things like laptops, smartphones, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices that link to a company’s network.
An EDR solution collects technical data “from these endpoints, and then transmits it back to the vendor or a local server. The data is then analyzed for suspicious patterns and threats. If a threat is identified, it is blocked and an alert is generated,” explains the Center for Internet Security.
Currently, there’s a lot of hype around endpoint security systems, which appears to be justified considering the number of endpoints that exist and the gaps that can occur with other types of cyber security software.
For example, solely relying on traditional antivirus software can “leave organisations vulnerable to more sophisticated threats such as memory-resident malware,” notes Redscan, a cyber security solutions provider.
EDR can also surpass what some other solutions provide, such as in terms of analysing incidents to learn from these events and reduce future cyber risks.
3 benefits of EDR
As a whole, EDR solutions can go a long way toward helping companies keep hackers from causing significant damage. Some of the top ways EDR helps include the following:
Quickly identify and stop threats
EDR tools are generally able to quickly identify and stop cyber threats, often through the use of automation.
EDR “tools work by continuously monitoring activity on endpoints, with the aim of identifying suspicious or threatening behaviour in real-time…Once a threat has been detected, EDR can isolate and deflect attacks from internal and external sources, protecting endpoint devices from risks,” explains FireEye, a cyber security solutions provider.
Proactively hunt threats
Part of what makes EDR tools able to quickly identify and stop cyber threats is that these solutions often involve proactively hunting out new threats that other cyber security tools might not find.
“Cyber threat hunting digs deep to find malicious actors in your environment that have slipped past your initial endpoint security defences,” explains CrowdStrike, another cyber security solutions provider.
Gain the support of security experts
In addition to the automated capabilities that EDR tools provide to find and block threats, EDR solutions also often add to an organisation’s ability to analyse security risks at a human level. Many cyber security software providers offer managed EDR tools, which gives other companies the support of a security operations centre (SOC) to manage the tool and review incidents.
For example, Redscan offers a managed EDR solution, which it notes can free up time for existing IT employees.
“By analysing, triaging and prioritising EDR alerts and only communicating those which genuinely require attention, Redscan’s SOC experts enable your in-house security team to focus on incident response and other aspects of security management,” the cyber security solutions provider says.
When to consider the benefits of EDR for your business
EDR software can be a big help for organisations that want to improve their cyber security, especially for those with many endpoints that need protection. If you currently lack visibility into endpoint threats, or if your existing cyber security defences have slow remediation times or similar gaps, then there’s a good chance you’ll want to consider the benefits of EDR for your business.
That said, there are many options to evaluate, such as whether you want more of a standalone tool or a comprehensive cyber security solution that includes EDR.
If you’re ready to explore your options for adding EDR software, YourShortlist can help. We’re a technology consultancy using procurement best practices and data insights to save companies time and money. Our goal is to make business technology procurement simple, transparent, and cost-effective. Book a consultation at your convenience. We won’t charge you anything, and we won’t share any of your project details without your explicit approval.
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