XDR Definition

XDR, or extended detection and response, is a platform that specializes in security operations that unify data from multiple security tools. Additionally, it uses analytics and automation to detect, investigate, and effectively respond to cyber threats.

How Does XDR Work

Extended detection and response, or XDR, collects information from various security solutions, and that information is normalized and correlated to provide a single view of security events throughout a company. The security solutions gathered include endpoint detection and response (EDR), network security, cloud security, and security information and event management (SIEM).  Then, XDR uses advanced analytics and automation to detect cyber threats that would not be easily detected with traditional security tools. XDR can automatically generate incident reports and recommend remediation actions. Below are some well-known XDR solutions:

• Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR
• Microsoft Defender XDR
• Cisco SecureX
• Trend Micro Vision One
• CrowdStrike Falcon XDR

Advantages of Using XDR

As noted, extended detection and response capabilities allow companies and users to generate incident reports and recommend remediation actions. Below are examples of some of the benefits of extended detection and response:

• Threat detection and response – Extended detection and response can help accurately detect cyber threats from multiple sources, and it can also automate response tasks, such as isolating infected devices.
• Alert fatigue – Extended detection and response can help reduce alert fatigue by alerting multiple security products to reduce the number of false positives and prioritize the most critical alerts.
• Visibility – Extended detection and response solutions provide a single point to view and analyze data from an organization’s varying security protocols.
• Anticipate threats – Extended detection and response solutions can help security teams anticipate cyber threats from multiple sources to identify suspicious activity.