Managing company data of any kind in isolation is not generally the best strategy. The same is true for security incident and event data. This is a leading reason why XDR (Extended Detection and Response) is a better approach than monitoring and acting on cyber threats individually.  XDR systems simplify security monitoring by providing a set of integrated analysis and remediation services which are:

  • Easier to use than complex systems which require more advanced data security skills than are available
  • Capable of lightening the workload of time-strapped IT security professionals
  • Able to provide real-time threat visibility and faster response
  • XDR is a lightweight, cloud-delivered service, making it highly accessible for distributed workforces

Let’s explore these key challenges which XDR helps businesses overcome, and why other approaches are no longer enough to safeguard your company’s valuable data assets. Gartner listed XDR as their number one security and risk trend in late 2020, and many CISOs and CTOs are paying close attention. 

Ease of Administration

You are likely aware that the best IT security talent is difficult and expensive to come by. Many IT security experts with the certifications and skills needed to work with some of the leading Security Operations Center (SOC) and Security Information and Event Management systems, and the various security hardware and software which they monitor. 

Over the years,  many companies have acquired or subscribed to applications and devices from multiple security vendors for endpoint protection, firewalls, cloud security, and intrusion detection. Some of these services are proprietary, forcing their customers to run multiple monitoring services, and weave together multiple event logging reports. Reviewing multiple reports and consolidating them into a consumable format is a tedious and time-consuming task. 

A cohesive dashboard application tracking multiple endpoints, cloud services, and network hardware is simply easier to use and to package reports or data visualizations is the best way for businesses to understand their IT security posture. 

Automating and Streamlining Security Monitoring Activities

Many companies are leveraging XDR to automate routine, scheduled activities like patching, freeing up their SOC team to focus on identifying threats as they happen, and to take corrective action to limit data loss or malware spread. Others are consolidating attacks across multiple systems (like email, network, and endpoint devices) into a single event. Many complex legacy SIEM systems have rigid rule sets which are difficult to modify to ensure you can understand the full scope of a security breach. XDR apps are more configurable without the costly expertise of those complex platforms. 

XDR services help businesses to better identify types of attacks and their impact. You can improve the efficiency and productivity of your IT staff by helping them identify what may seem like a minor vulnerability on a single application, and correlate wide-spread issues across multiple systems. Traditional network threat analysis approaches may only enable you to see part of the picture, especially if you are only watching for external threats. Backdoor vulnerabilities or malware may be wreaking havoc inside your network if you aren’t paying attention to internal threats. 

Real-Time Visibility and Faster Response

How many times have you heard about a company that found out about a data security breach days, weeks or even months after it happened? Or maybe they identified the threat, but weren’t able to patch a vulnerability gap until after customer data was compromised, and significant damage was done? XDR enables IT departments to better manage their security safeguards which protect their structured and unstructured data, even with limited IT staff.  

XDR platforms enable businesses to identify patterns in security events, and to prioritize which events should send immediate response relative to those which can be attended to the next business day. False positives or “every security event is cause for panic” policies can be as demotivating to IT security specialists as the villagers in Peter and the Wolf. Implementing a systems which can analyze patterns, prioritize notifications and orchestrate the best possible resolution, you can make the most of your IT staff’s time and abilities and keep them engaged. At the same time, you can get more ROI from your investment in IT security protections like firewalls, endpoint protection, and other safeguards. 

Are you looking for innovative ways to better secure your company’s data across SaaS applications, multiple endpoints, and networks, without adding a lot of IT overhead and cost? Explore ArmorPoint’s managed cybersecurity solutions today.