What Is an EDR Tool?
Business networks are always a favorite target for different cyberattacks, which is why it’s important to find new ways to protect your network. One way you can do this is by adding a new layer of protection – like EDR – to the security system. To find out how EDR tools improve the company’s security system, it’s important to understand what they are and how they work first.
So what are EDR tools for? Endpoint Detection and Response tools monitor and collect data from the endpoint to check if there are threats. These advanced security systems identify different threat patterns and contain them while notifying the security personnel.
Endpoint Detection and Response: What it is and How it Works
All kinds of businesses are vulnerable to cyberattacks. In 2020, the global cost of data breaches reached an average of $3.86 million. While large enterprises can usually recover after a cyberattack, one data breach is enough to close down a small business.
Strengthening the company’s cybersecurity system is one of the best ways to protect the network from a potential data breach. One way to do this is by integrating Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools into the current security system as an added layer of protection.
What are EDR Tools?
In July 2013, Anton Chuvakin from Gartner introduced the term “Endpoint Threat and Detection Response (EDTR).” This refers to tools that were developed to detect and investigate any suspicious activity and other problems that occur in different endpoints. EDTR (also called EDR) is a new technology that focuses on monitoring and responding to advanced threats that manage to bypass the network’s primary security defense.
How Do EDR Tools Work?
EDR tools monitor different endpoints and network events. They are also responsible for recording all necessary information into a database. This database is where the detection, analysis, investigation, and reporting of a threat happens.
However, different EDR tools may have different specific capabilities. One EDR tool may focus on analyzing the threat and other network events, while other EDR tools prioritize management consoles. At the end of the day, all EDR tools are created with one essential purpose: providing continuous monitoring and analysis for better identification, detection, and prevention of advanced threats.
Why are EDR Tools Important?
No matter how strong the current network’s primary defense may be, there is still a huge chance that new threats go unnoticed by standard detection methods. Without an EDR system in place, malware can easily bypass any system and corrupt the data stored in the network easily.
Here are a few reasons why EDR tools are a must-have for businesses:
- Prevention offered by Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) won’t guarantee full protection for the entire network
- Once threats manage to infiltrate the system, criminals easily return to the network at will
- Most companies don’t have enough visibility to manage all endpoints
- EDR tools record relevant information about a previous attack in case it happens again
- Even with useful information about the malware, the security team should be given the right resources to use it
Are EDR Tools and Antivirus Software Different?
The main difference between antivirus and Endpoint Detection Response is how these tools detect and manage threats to a network. Antivirus software is a type of Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) that prevents cybersecurity threats from entering the network. Other types of EPP include personal firewalls and data encryption.
On the other hand, EDR tools focus more on detecting and responding to the threats that have managed to penetrate the network’s primary defense. It alerts the security personnel in the network to eliminate the threat and fix any damages.
When choosing between antivirus software and EDR solutions, you must consider the company’s resources and capabilities. Most businesses invest in strong antivirus software to prevent malicious content from attacking the network. But if the company relies on unique endpoints, then a strong EDR tool is a must-have.
Find a more detailed comparison between antivirus and EDR tools here.
How to Find the Best EDR Tool for You
Although EDR is a new technology, it is slowly becoming an essential component of security solutions in a business network. When choosing the best EDR tool for the company, here are a few key features to check:
- Filtering – Some EDR tools frequently misidentify false positives, causing alert fatigue on the system. When this happens, real threats easily enter the network unnoticed.
- Threat Blocking – A good EDR solution should be able to prevent threats from infecting the network once they are detected. It should consistently work to eliminate the attack because persistent threats weaken security measures.
- Response Capabilities – Regular threat hunting and efficient incident response minimize the possibility of a full-blown data breach in a network. The EDR solution must be enough to aid the security personnel to mitigate the damages caused by the threat.
- Protection Against Multiple Threats – Multiple threats that attack a network at once is overwhelming. The EDR tool should be strong enough to fend off these attacks.
4 Best EDR Tools: What We Recommend
Endpoint Detection and Response tools significantly improve the security system of a business network. But you might find it hard to utilize EDR tools to their full capacity if the network security staff can’t navigate through its overly complicated design. To help you pick out the best EDR tools for the company’s cybersecurity system, here is a list of our recommendations:
- Top Recommendation: F-Secure Rapid Detection & Response
This EDR tool introduced by F-Secure Consulting protects the business network by continuously monitoring the system and finding out which data are targeted by hackers. It provides the team with full visibility into the company’s IT environment. It also guarantees immediate alerts with low risks of false positives. F-Secure also developed this EDR tool to have a built-in response system that guides the security personnel when the network is under attack.
Some of the key features of F-Secure Rapid Detection and Response include:
- Broad Context Detection – This solution presents threat detections in a broad context and how it may affect the company. It shows the risk levels, the importance of the affected scope, and the threat landscape. It also shows recommended actions that the security personnel may follow.
- Elevate to F-Secure – Sometimes, there are threat detections that require a deeper analysis by cybersecurity experts. If the company experiences this kind of attack, the “Elevate to F-Secure” feature provides response guidance and expert advice to fend off the threat.
- Automated Response – Actions made by the automated response feature reduces the damage of a cyber attack on a network. Depending on the employee schedule, this EDR tool supports the security team when they are shorthanded.
- Host Isolation – This feature allows the EDR tool to contain the breach as quickly as possible. It isolates the affected host from the network to prevent the attacker from infiltrating the system.
- Cynet 360 Autonomous Breach Protection Platform
Cynet’s 360 Security Platform offers more than just endpoint protection – their solution also includes deception, network protection and monitoring, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA), and Next-Generation Antivirus (NGAV).
Cynet 360 Autonomous Breach Protection Platform includes:
- Correlation – This feature allows the user to utilize the integrated security platform. It also provides the team full visibility on user activity and network traffic.
- Validation – All activity signals are correlated to formulate a strict validation of suspicious behaviors that reduces false positives.
- Deep Investigation – All data from different endpoints are analyzed to find all suspicious activities related to the detected threat.
- Threat Hunting – Validated indicators of compromise (IOCs) are provided remediation actions to start the hunt for threats and find hidden attacks.
- RSA NetWitness Endpoint
Unlike other EDR tools that focus on threat prevention, RSA NetWitness Endpoint prioritizes EDR capabilities. Their Broad NetWitness Platform includes important features, such as malware protection, log analysis, network monitoring, and other capabilities.
Some of the RSA NetWitness Endpoint features are:
- Continuous Endpoint Monitoring – Gives full visibility into the behavior of multiple endpoints, such as virtual machines, laptops, servers, and desktops. It provides a full view of the organization’s endpoints to help the team handle an attack.
- Rapid Data Collection – Collects the necessary data from different endpoints in a matter of minutes without disrupting the end-user productivity.
- Behavioral Detection Using UEBA – RSA NetWitness Endpoint utilizes a UEBA that’s embedded in the tool to rapidly detect suspicious behaviors that might be a threat.
- CrowdStrike Falcon Endpoint Protection Enterprise
CrowdStrike’s Falcon Endpoint Protection Enterprise integrates different technologies, such as Next-Generation Antivirus, Endpoint Detection and Response, threat intelligence automation, and managed threat hunting to successfully prevent data breaches.
Here are some of the features that Falcon Endpoint Protection Enterprise includes:
- Falcon Prevention – This NGAV included in the EDR tool protects the network against different kinds of attacks that may or may not include malware.
- Falcon X – The Integrated Threat Intelligence tool of CrowdStrike automates incident investigations and speeds up breach responses.
- Falcon Device Control – This USB Device Protection feature enables safe device usage accompanied with complete visibility to prevent malicious attacks.
- Falcon Overwatch – The Threat Hunting Service of CrowdStrike actively identifies different attacks and stops the breaches all day.
Protect Your Endpoint Devices with The Abacus Advantage
Here at Abacus, we offer variousIT solutions to help strengthen your network’s security. Some of our services include system security patching, system monitoring, vulnerability assessments, and strategic planning. Our team of engineers and support personnel are experienced when it comes to assisting businesses with their IT needs.
Visit our website now or call us at (856) 505 – 6860 to learn more about our comprehensive cybersecurity solution fit for your business.
