Managed Detection and Response – Gain and Loss

The cybersecurity industry is thriving every day amid the increasing incidents of cyberattacks. A Clark School study at the University of Maryland has revealed that there is a hacker attack on computers with Internet access at every39 seconds on average. Talking about its impact on the USA, one in three Americans every year has got affected due to cyber attacks. Another alarming fact is- the global average cost of a data breach is $3.9 million across small and mid-sized enterprises that could, at times, put many out of business.

Though modern IT infrastructures have become more advanced and sophisticated than ever, hackers can also have a wide scope for cyberattacks ranging from mobile to desktops. The frequency of such malicious attacks has increased exponentially in recent times with more than half of small businesses have endured a breach in the past few years. Malware, ransomware, phishing, and email attacks have become more frequent across various industry sectors. Here, Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services come into the picture. 

MDR Services - Introduction and Key Characteristics

Managed detection and response is a service designed to provide cybersecurity support to SMEs that are either lacking resources or time or both to manage security. What makes MDR services unique is its powerful approach to deal with threats. Though different MDR service providers offer different tools and procedures to detect and respond to threats, here are some of the common characteristics of MDR services.

• As the name suggests, MDR services are more focused on detecting threats rather than offering compliance
• MDR services are delivered using the service provider’s tools that are deployed on the user’s premises. These tools are positioned to protect pinpoint vulnerabilities and internet gateways of the companies
• Managed detection and response services are based on advanced analytics and security event management
• MDR service providers also offer incident validation and response from remote places
• MDR involves humans for monitoring your company’s network on a 24x7 basis

Simply put, an MDR service can meet the need for cybersecurity by enhancing the organization’s ability to recognize and respond to various threats.

Major Services Included in MDR (Managed Detection and Response)

MDR services provide deeper detection and a better response to threats whereas traditional Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) only give notifications from security tracking.

Here are the major services offered by a robust and reliable MDR service provider -

Threat Detection - MDR service providers use big data analytics to find threats across multiple and large data sets. The core objective of MDR services is to find anomalies and define their threat level to determine the course of action. Threat detection enables MDR service providers to identify and respond to vulnerabilities in real-time.

MDR focuses on combining behavior-based detection features and data activities throughout endpoints to recognize threats that often go unnoticed by antivirus and firewalls. The MDR provider can also assist companies to eliminate false positives and suspicious processes.

Incident Response - Any incident that goes undetected can cause a huge problem that ultimately collapses the system or leads your company to significant expenses. Therefore, quick response to an incident is essential for modern enterprises. Businesses can easily restore services and processes while minimizing losses and mitigating vulnerabilities by giving a quick and effective response.

Incident response services make organizations ready for the unknown and known issues. Companies can readily identify security concerns as and when incidents occur. Finally, incident response services enable enterprises to establish best practices to prevent any threats.

Security Advisor - This is another important service offered by the MDR provider. A dedicated security advisor assesses all security measures in place and studies potential breaches. In some cases, security advisors also supervise security operations or consult the client organizations about cybersecurity measures. Security advisors usually manage the implementation of new measures and help companies maintain them periodically.

What’s more, security advisors can establish security clearance levels to regulate access to the system. In other words, they ensure that only authorized individuals gain access to the corporate data thereby reducing the chances of a data breach.

Read here: How MDR service helps to reduce Cyber Risk?

Asset Monitoring - Continuous asset monitoring and management are one of the less-known services of MDR providers. The service providers can monitor assets through a system of software or hardware. MDR services enable organizations to monitor and manage assets in different locations. In a way, organizations can secure their assets.

Proper asset monitoring and managing also improve the overall performance and keep the assets up and running. Asset monitoring also facilitates companies to gain control of their assets and establish priority by categorizing assets by their risk profiles.

MDR services offer many benefits to organizations including -

Reducing Risks of Cyberattacks - MDR can help companies understand all the threats and reduce cyber risks. The ever-changing cybersecurity landscape can pose a great challenge for enterprises and MDR service providers can assist enterprises to handle this challenge. Also, MDR solutions can enable organizations to remain vigilant of cybersecurity threats. With advanced tools and technologies, MDR service providers can easily recognize the latest threats and take preventive measures in advance to reduce the risks associated with data breaches and malware.

Quickly responding to Attacks - MDR service providers can search for malicious activities, false positives, and provide end-to-end support. MDR can give the assistance necessary to meet vulnerabilities and eliminate threats effectively. A detailed incident response plan can reduce the impact of the damage of any cyberattack while defining the root cause of the incident.

Compliance with Standards - MDR services has no direct role in compliance, but the level of cybersecurity is improved significantly because of MDR services. It makes organizations ready to meet multiple regulatory standards including GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), NIS Directive, GPG13 compliance standards, and PCI-DSS.

Wrapping  Up

MDR services can effectively overcome the shortcomings of the traditional MSSP model. With the real-time and integrated response to threats, companies can remain assured of eliminating threats and vulnerabilities. In MDR services, every cyberattack is supervised by a team of expert professionals to block any threats before they can damage the entire system. SMEs should adopt MDR for mitigating risks associated with cyber attacks.