Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Up until not too long ago, when we considered safeguard policies for a company’s cybersecurity needs, all it took were some sturdy firewalls and a robust antivirus solution, and that was it.

Unfortunately, that is no longer the case, since:

Cyberattacks are getting more frequent, more costly, and more sophisticated by the second. A new incident occurs every 39 seconds, and projections estimate the total cost of cybercrime will reach $6 trillion in 2021.
Where we work is changing. Even though some industries are returning to the office, recent studies show that approximately 58.6% of the American workforce is currently working remote.
Convenient as it is, working remotely also presents some serious dangers. Ever since the pandemic began, there has been a 300% increase in reported cyber crimes, and the average cost of a company’s data breach increased by $137,000.

We can no longer rely only on security solutions that monitor just the company’s LAN infrastructure. Our cybersecurity approach must evolve and learn how to stay one step ahead. Today’s security landscape requires protecting every single device with access to your network, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and other devices.

What Is Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)?

EDR is a proactive cybersecurity approach that pairs continuous monitoring with data collection on all end-user devices to detect potential cyberattacks (and stop them in their tracks). Unlike other solutions, EDRs do not monitor only the network but also all the devices that communicate on or with the network.

EDR solutions focus on three primary tasks:

Real-time monitoring and data collection from all devices.
Establishing threat patterns by analyzing the collected data.
Proactive threat response and immediate remediation.

How Does Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Work?

There are several EDR options available in the market. Each of them possesses a unique combination of capabilities within the cybersecurity spectrum. However, when it comes to how they work, we can break it down into six simple steps.

EDR Installation – An agent is a simple software that gets installed on all devices. On that note, there is also the agentless approach, that passively monitors information traffic through the network. Both have pros and cons, but in the end, they seek the same goal: collecting endpoint data.
Advanced Behavioral Analysis – With advanced algorithms based on machine-learning, the EDR platform will analyze every user’s behavior to learn what they do and how they do it. In the same way that we can tell when something’s off about a person we know and care about, this technology can sense unusual behavior, setting everything else in motion.
Malicious Activity Detection – After identifying the unusual behavior, the EDR solution fully awakes and looks for signs of malicious activity. Immediately, a full-on investigation kicks in to determine if the threat is a true or false positive. If it’s a false positive, the incident gets closed, notes get logged, and the end-user doesn’t get notified. However, for true positives, further actions take place.
Breach Point Identification – If the hit is indeed a malicious attack, the advanced algorithms will compile a backward route to pinpoint the most likely breach point. With that information, it is now possible to rebuild its path from the point of entry.
Data Consolidation – Before taking further actions, the EDR technology will classify all collected data into narrower categories to facilitate all possible reviews and mitigation options.
Incident Review & Remediation – For the last step, notifications can go directly to the end-user or IT department along with the recommended remediation choices, or this whole step gets executed via pre-defined automated routines (saving countless precious hours).

In most cases, a hybrid approach combining automation with skilled cybersecurity professionals will most definitely stop all threats before they can do any harm whatsoever.

Why Is EDR Important? Here Are The Top 5 Reasons.

In addition to the preliminary cybersecurity statistics, here are the top five reasons why implementing an Endpoint Detection and Response solution for your company is long overdue:

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), 70% of all successful security breaches begin through unprotected endpoint devices.
94% of all malware gets delivered by harmless-looking emails.
On average, about 95% of companies’ folders do not have proper threat protection.
If your company suffers a malware attack, it will cost you approximately $2.6 million and 50 days’ worth of lost time.
If your company suffers a data breach, you will lose roughly $3.86 million, 197 days spent on identification, plus 69 more days for breach contention.

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