EDR vs MDR + Remediation

An Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tool reports that it has blocked malware from a USB device. This prompts one of Blackpoint’s Managed Detection and Response (MDR) analysts to look deeper into the matter. What he finds surprises him. The malware was actually far from being detained–it actually was still running and carrying out commands, connecting to a remote server to begin the process of downloading a bigger payload—all the while cleverly hiding its tracks from the EDR tool.

Unfortunately, this is a story that Blackpoint’s Security Operations Center (SOC) often encounters. EDR tools are supposed to disable threats, but too often, attackers are using advanced techniques that EDRs haven’t adapted to. So, while organizations continue the quest for security solutions that offer robust protection, the terms EDR and MDR often come into question. What is their role in your security stack? What are their limitations? Both EDR and MDR have their place in a layered approach to security, and while EDR has its merits, MDR significantly elevates the level of an organization’s security, particularly while integrated with EDR.

EDR solutions are designed to identify and disable known threats, primarily malware, at the individual endpoint level.

However, threat actors have evolved, increasingly employing advanced techniques that sidestep the detection and detainment capabilities of EDR solutions. While EDRs play a role within a multi-layered defense strategy, its capabilities are often outpaced by threat actors who deploy fileless malware or utilize legitimate IT tools to remain undetected.

When you rely solely on EDR, you will not be alerted of an incident until after a threat actor has been successful. Therefore, the consequences can be dire, and may include:

• Missed indicators of compromise
• Partial neutralization of threats
• Alert fatigue, including false positives

For instance, an EDR might block a known malware but fail to prevent a subsequent, less detectable attack vector, such as an encoded PowerShell command, from executing. These gaps in protection leave organizations vulnerable to significant cyber-risk, especially when malware is only present in 9.7% of modern-day incidents.

Managed Detection Response + Remediation (MDR+R) emerges as the formidable defense in cybersecurity. Unlike standalone EDR solutions, MDR+R has the following:

• A suite of security products built in house to protect everything from endpoints to the cloud
• Machine learning to orchestrate events from internal and external sources to see attacks as they unfold
• A human-led SOC that takes action on our partners’ behalf instead of just sending out alerts

Our Suite of Solutions
Our suite of security products is powered by SNAP-Defense, our proprietary technology that transcends traditional threat detection. With this technology, Blackpoint is able to catch threat actors’ sophisticated cyber tradecraft. In addition, it is capable of real-time adaptation — whether in response to emergent vulnerabilities or the ongoing improvement of our partners’ stacks — exemplifying our commitment to proactive cyber defense.

Lastly, in order to bring further value to our partners’ security stacks, we’ve seamlessly integrated third party EDR alerts into our services at no additional cost. By leveraging Blackpoint’s proprietary technology in conjunction with your preferred EDR, we ensure round-the-clock protection. This integrated approach allows us to address and detain threats of any severity or origin, offering you comprehensive security coverage.

Our Comprehensive View of Cyberattacks
A key differentiator between Blackpoint’s technology, SNAP-Defense, and traditional EDRs is our 360-degree view of an organization’s environment. Our technology brings together data from many points, analyzes it at the source of ingestion, and spots trouble as it’s happening, before threat actors succeed.

This holistic visibility, compared to EDRs’ limited scope, enables our SOC to:

• Identify and respond to attacks right from the start, especially when threat actors spread through the network or try to escalate account privileges early in an attack.
• Detect behavioral anomalies, such as when a threat actor is using built-in IT admin tools and third-party trials maliciously (known as Living off the Land tradecraft).
• Stops cyberattacks right there and then, armed with all the context we need to provide you with the full story when we call you.

Compared to traditional EDR solutions’ narrow focus on individual endpoints, our approach is crucial for shutting down the full scope of modern-day cyberthreats.

Our Active SOC Services
Blackpoint’s technological ability to identify threat actor behavior in real time, before they exfiltrate data or deploy ransomware, is only half the battle. This technology would be nothing if not for our 24/7 Active SOC. This human-led team responds to cyberthreats immediately, remediating threats on your behalf. In addition, they’ve set the new standard for cybersecurity response protocols, by contacting the involved MSP directly once the threat has been contained. This live interaction with our SOC includes a debrief of what the MDR analysts have done, as well as suggested mitigation steps to prevent future threats. They know no different, and at this point in the cybersecurity landscape, neither should you. In contrast, standalone EDR solution providers often generate time-consuming alerts that require approval before action can be taken. This waiting period gives threat actors time to continue infiltrating the environment! With Blackpoint, you need not wait hours for an incident to be detained or to be filled in on what has happened. With an impressive average response time of 27 minutes, you can say goodbye to:

• Wide-open opportunities for threat actors to conduct their attack campaigns
• IT and security teams burdened down by alert management, incident response, and remediation efforts

This truly managed offering allows your team to focus on other aspects of the business, such as proactive uptime and stability, and allows you to not worry about cyberthreats.

With a 1400% surge in fileless attacks and the employment of sophisticated evasion techniques, the constraints of conventional EDR solutions are glaringly apparent. While valuable within a defense-in-depth strategy, these services are inadequate for the full spectrum of threats organizations face today.

Blackpoint Cyber, through its MDR+R offering, provides a robust solution that not only identifies advanced threats, but also responds to EDR alerts and neutralizes advanced malicious activity on your behalf. This shift from passive to Active Cybersecurity empowers MSPs to offer their end clients detection, real prevention and remediation, and most importantly, peace of mind that their digital assets are continuously protected.

The transition from traditional EDR to MDR+R is not just an upgrade in technology—it’s a strategic shift towards a more secure, proactive cybersecurity posture. As MSPs look to provide the highest level of protection to their end clients, the comprehensive, real-time response capabilities of MDR+R offered by Blackpoint Cyber represent the future of cybersecurity defense. This paradigm shift elevates organizational security and ensures immediate detention of threats as they occur, clearly communicating the nature of the threat post-action.

Bid farewell to the era of outdated, reactive point EDR solutions, and welcome the leader of proactive Managed Detection Response + Remediation with Blackpoint Cyber’s expertly managed response and dedicated SOC, driving your cybersecurity strategy for today’s and tomorrow’s digital landscapes from the endpoint to the cloud.

1. Aqua Nautilus Research Finds 1,400% Surge in Memory-Based Attacks as Hackers Evade Traditional Cloud Security Defenses