What is Managed Detection and Response (MDR)?

Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is an outsourced security service that monitors endpoints, networks and cloud environments. It utilizes advanced software tools overseen by security experts specializing in threat hunting, security monitoring and incident response. MDR uses a team of these experts to constantly watch over your infrastructure and respond to threats in real time, delivering comprehensive security coverage.

When you work with an MDR partner, you get access to a fully operational Security Operations Center (SOC) without needing to build it yourself. MDR combines sophisticated detection like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) or Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solutions that are managed with human expertise.

The MDR team integrates with your existing security measures via lightweight software agents and connectors that feed telemetry data and logs into their monitoring platforms. This combines the best of software analytics with human interpretation - allowing the MDR team to spot anomalies and investigate them as soon as they surface.

Data collection and triage

MDR services start by collecting data and telemetry from your entire environment. This includes log data from your endpoints, network traffic to establish patterns, cloud workload information, and user behavior analytics. All of this data is ingested into the MDR 24/7, giving it a full picture of your operation’s security posture that you simply can’t get from a single software solution.

Threat hunting and proactive measures

With MDR, the SOC team performs proactive threat hunting that involves actively searching for telltale signs of threats that might have evaded initial monitoring. By using threat intelligence and their combined knowledge of current attack patterns and techniques, the SOC team finds signs of compromised systems and services, suspicious patterns and early warning signs of a potential breach. By being proactive, they uncover threats that would have stayed hidden without investigation. 

Enhanced threat detection

Signature-based detection and behavioral analytics are fed into machine learning tools (ML) to find evidence of suspicious activity on your network. By using advanced AI tools, teams can limit false positives and concentrate on real issues before they become security incidents. The typical tech stack is an enterprise-grade antivirus, intrusion detection systems, data exfiltration detection, and a correlative engine that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to create a human-readable report that is updated constantly.

Although outsourcing your cybersecurity operations is one of the advantages of using an MDR, it only scratches the surface. There are many additional benefits that give your organization clear advantages over traditional internal security teams.

24/7 security coverage

Anyone who has had to manage 24/7/365 coverage schedules will know how complex shift rostering can get. Some organizations simply don’t have enough personnel to have dedicated teams online at all hours of the day and night, which is why an external team monitoring your environment for threats is so valuable. Incidents can happen at a moment’s notice, and if you have nobody manning your Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platform when an attack is underway, the results can be catastrophic. MDR removes this burden with expert-level personnel working around the clock monitoring your infrastructure for security events.

Access to security experts 

The cybersecurity skills gap is a serious challenge, especially as new attack techniques continue to emerge rapidly. Managed Detection and Response (MDR) teams are made up of seasoned security professionals who have experience handling both well-known threats and previously unseen zero-day attacks. Over the years, their work across diverse environments and industries has made them a trusted source of practical security insight. This deep expertise allows them to effectively guide and support your teams—especially when facing threats that could have major financial or reputational consequences.

Ransomware protection

Ransomware is more sophisticated and pervasive than ever, making protection from such a threat that much more critical. MDR can detect and isolate infected systems very quickly, preventing the spread of the damage and reducing the likelihood of file encryption.

Insider threat protection

MDR services monitor user behavior and identify suspicious patterns that align not just with external threats but insider threat metrics as well. Experienced security team members can quickly assess the scope of the activity and make a decision on how to approach unauthorized activities like sensitive data access and file deletions and escalate accordingly. 

Cloud security monitoring

Organizations that rely on cloud services often don’t monitor them effectively in real-time. MDR treats cloud infrastructure with the same attention as on-premises systems, monitoring containers, cloud workflows, serverless functions and SaaS applications, and comparing them against historical thresholds. When unusual spikes and anomalies are detected, response teams can react immediately when proper alerting is in place. 

Supply chain attack defense

Some industries rely heavily on integrations like API calls or system interoperability for orders and stock control. Supply chain attacks look to exploit these trusted connections, injecting malware or intercepting network packets where security is not up to standard. MDR can monitor these connections and detect anomalies like traffic spikes or intermittent connectivity issues caused by third-party probes, allowing them to stop attacks that bypass traditional security measures. 

Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) detection

APT groups use long-term attacks that are concealed within a target network. They are stealthy and evade detection for weeks, months and even years in some cases before being leveraged in an attack. APTs establish a presence within a network and either collect information and exfiltrate it to third parties or facilitate continued unauthorized access to the network or resource that they are targeting. MDR threat hunting and automated detection systems work to root out APTs before they have an opportunity to complete their intended tasks.

There are many different systems and variations of systems available for protecting enterprise systems, so it’s important to understand what these solutions are — and what they are designed to address.

EDR

EDR is a software product that monitors endpoint user devices like laptops, servers and mobile devices. It tracks what is happening on these devices and automatically responds to threats when they are detected. EDR gives you detailed information about your endpoints and requires experienced operators in your organization to monitor and manage the solution effectively.

XDR

XDR has endpoint monitoring capabilities like EDR, but it draws data from a wider array of sources than EDR. These include networks, cloud platforms, identity and access management (IAM) systems, and email systems. It provides a far more detailed picture of the overall security health of your organization than EDR. Much like EDR, XDR requires your organization to provide skilled security personnel to manage and properly interpret the plethora of generated alerts.

MDR  

Compared to EDR and XDR, MDR is less of a product and more of a service. It has software components at its foundation, but those tools are wielded by experienced cybersecurity teams, called SOCs, that manage and respond to the customer’s security threats in real time. With MDR, you’re getting specialized attention to your organization’s security, with your existing security measures often being integrated into the MDR solution. The challenge with MDR is making sure that there are no blind spots between monitoring and alerting tools, which can have an impact on how well the service is implemented and managed externally.

Not all MDR solutions provide the same capabilities, so it's important to identify what your current security setup is missing — and what specific support you need from an MDR provider to fill those gaps. 

Technology stack and capabilities  

Identify your current detection capabilities. Then find out whether your short list of prospective MDR providers can integrate your existing security solutions into their service. Are they vendor agnostic, or do they require use of their own native, unified suite of tools for their monitoring and threat response?  If they are unable to leverage elements of your existing tech stack and require you to revamp some or all of your security protections, are they a good fit? Look at your critical systems and find out if the prospective MDR providers are able to properly monitor them. This is especially important if you’re running legacy systems that are not compatible with the latest software requirements.

People behind the service

Find out about the SOC team that will be looking after your systems; what their qualifications are, what the average level of experience that they bring is and what their exposure to businesses in your industry is like. Other factors include what their analyst-to-customer ratio is, what their Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are and what services they do (and don’t) offer.

Response capabilities 

Find out what the MDR team is able to do when it needs to mitigate threats during an investigation. Specific permissions will need to be discussed during the initial stages of your research into an MDR, but it's worth finding out who will be responsible for isolating infected systems from the network, locking suspicious accounts or blocking IP addresses that are suspected to be malicious.

Proper security controls are vital in modern businesses, and most modern companies do have measures in place to deal with common scenarios. When is an MDR the right fit for you? If your teams are being overwhelmed with alert fatigue, offloading some security tasks to an MDR makes sense. MDR-based threat hunting and incident response experts will strengthen your existing cyber defenses and alleviate some of the pressure that your team experiences daily. MDR also uses audited processes that help you retain compliance (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS) and helps lower your cyber insurance rates by demonstrating your commitment to implementing ongoing, proactive security measures.

Organizations that lack internal security experts

Some businesses can’t justify the expense of hiring dedicated security staff full-time, and security workloads might not be large enough to support a full-time expert within the company. MDR is a good fit here because the service is there when it’s needed without the need to hire additional staff.

Organizations that need 24/7 coverage

Global businesses that operate across different locations and time zones need constant security monitoring. MDR handles shift allocations, making sure that there is sufficient coverage for businesses 24/7.

Barracuda Managed XDR incorporates highly detailed data and telemetry from all your platforms and adds a management layer of cybersecurity experts who are well versed in today’s modern threat landscape. By combining the SOC’s human expertise with AI-enhanced automated detection, threat response times are greatly reduced. The result lowers your Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) and Mean Time to Respond (MTTR) to seconds, rather than hours, days, weeks, or even months. This reduced response time significantly limits the scale of damage caused by a security breach resulting from ransomware or another intrusion, before it escalates into a full incident.

Whether you’re building your initial set of security defenses for your organization or looking to strengthen what you already have, Barracuda Managed XDR delivers comprehensive enterprise-grade protection at a much lower price point than traditional solutions. When you partner with the right provider, like Barracuda, you get advanced technology and a team of experts who have your security as their top priority and who are there for you when you need them. And unlike many vendors in the space, Barracuda has a full suite of complementary security solutions including email protection, network protection, application protection, and even data protection (i.e., backup).

Ready to see how Barracuda Managed XDR can transform your security posture and boost your cyber resiliency? Schedule a consultation with Barracuda's security experts or download this comprehensive XDR e-book to learn more about the current state of threat detection and response strategies.