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How managed detection and response (MDR) can help your enterprise

People know enterprises that actively protect their organizations will have fewer chances of experiencing security issues. Likewise, one step they can take to achieve such a goal is to invest in managed detection and response (MDR) services.

MDR is an outsourced service that hunts cybersecurity threats for an organization. Once they discover the cybersecurity issues that threaten an enterprise, they try to respond to them through their pool of cybersecurity experts.  These experts assess incidents, address security problems, and monitor networks.

If you want to safeguard your assets and data, then choosing an MDR service is the right path to take, along with implementing other cybersecurity practices. An MDR service can protect such resources even if a threat can evade typical enterprise security controls.

That said, before you learn more about how MDR can help your enterprise, here is some information on why it differs from typical managed security service providers (MSSPs):

The difference between MDR and MSSPs

MDR is usually likened to MSSPs. While they have something in common, they also have differences, especially in their technology and expertise.

For instance, MDR providers can identify lateral movement inside a network. Lateral movement is a technique that cyber criminals use after gaining initial access to a network. Its purpose is to broaden access to other hosts and applications within an enterprise.

Additionally, MDR services can conduct a considerable amount of computer forensics, threat research, and analytics. In contrast, MSSPs can typically secure an enterprise at a perimeter level only.

Another difference is that MDR—being human-operated—can monitor and respond to threats 24/7. This differs from other MSSPs, which are sometimes only automated.

Lastly, MDR has access to global threat intelligence and analysis, which MSSPs may not be capable of having. If you want a more in-depth cybersecurity solution for your enterprise, you can select one from various MDR services, such as Castra.

How MDR can help your enterprise

As you now have some knowledge of the differences between the two cybersecurity services, here are some of the benefits of MDR for your enterprise:

1. Gives access to a security team

Each enterprise has its distinct objectives, processes, and cybersecurity challenges. As such, the personalized service of an MDR service with a pool of cybersecurity experts can uniquely address all of their cybersecurity concerns. By spending resources on an MDR service, you can have experts who’ll know how your particular network environment works and the risks tied to your enterprise.

In addition, having an outsourced security team through MDR can allow you to have an exclusive point of contact. When there’s a security problem, you can be sure that the MDR team will know what to do to meet your enterprise’s needs.

This differs from other service providers that only utilize randomly chosen service technicians, who’ll conduct troubleshooting. The MDR security team will offer proper recommendations and can significantly help your in-house IT experts.

2. Provides customizable security rules

It’s a fact that your enterprise differs from other businesses. Your organization’s unique structure mainly sets how it operates. As such, you need a cybersecurity service to meet your specific needs.

One benefit of hiring an MDR service is that it uses a customizable rules engine that will be applied to your security policies. This engine helps the MDR service’s engineers to register your specific operational and security policies, and then improve them to keep up with your evolving enterprise needs. Also, MDR helps address new and growing cyber threats and align your enterprise with any rules and laws.

Your MDR service can focus on identifying both familiar and unfamiliar cybersecurity risks by having a set of customized security rules. It also registers and filters out events that don’t provide any actual threat for maximum efficiency.

Overall, a rules engine tailored to your enterprise can make the processes of an MDR security team more precise and effective. This makes them more capable of recognizing and responding to more cyber threats that can harm your specific enterprise environment.

3. Uses both artificial and human intelligence

The most distinct advantage of having an MDR service is its capability to use both human and artificial intelligence (AI). It’s common knowledge that cyberattacks are continuously evolving. While software programs and automated software can still recognize them, false detection is still possible. And so, human decisions are still needed to address cyberattacks.

Human intelligence is still crucial to guarantee that your cybersecurity measures are enough to address the problem. In addition, security experts can provide the needed advice on threat analysis. This kind of highly unique and detailed advice is a thing you won’t get from an automated system.

Overall, MDR services can automate your cybersecurity operations by detecting and responding to system issues. This is all while allowing a dedicated cybersecurity team to verify the case and offer the right solution.

Final thoughts

Your enterprise must be protected from security issues. One way to achieve that is to invest in an MDR service. MDR is an outsourced service that protects your data and assets from cyber threats.