Best EDR Solutions

An endpoint detection and response solution is software that monitors an IT environment for potential network or endpoint attacks. Once an attacker breaches security, an EDR system detects it before they have the chance to steal or alter data.

EDR solutions detect endpoint infections, monitor security threats, and respond to endpoint attacks. An EDR strategy can detect malicious activities automatically, blocking any suspicious activity before it has the opportunity to cause more damage.

For a solution to be effective, it needs the capability of detecting attacks and responding to them. Effective EDR solutions use behavior analytics, network forensics, memory forensics, malware identification and more to provide an effective defense against cyberattacks on a system.

Digital transformation drives enterprises to transform the way they operate their business processes. Adopting artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud services has created a perfect opportunity to optimize business processes, reduce operational costs, and improve customer experience.

According to the latest statistics from Allied Market Research, the endpoint detection and response (EDR) market will be valued at $18.3 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 25.3% between 2022 and 2031. With the expansion of IT infrastructure, stringent government regulations on data protection, and increasing adoption of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs in enterprises, EDR has become essential to improve the security of sensitive data stored on endpoints.

Also see: 7 Enterprise Networking Challenges 

Top EDR Solutions

With more malware, targeted attacks, and malicious insiders than ever before, endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions have become an essential security tool to protect organizations of all sizes.

As these threats continue to evolve and become increasingly sophisticated, it’s essential to ensure your endpoint protection platform (EPP) includes the latest threat intelligence feeds and real-time detection mechanisms and allows you to respond quickly and effectively in case of an incident. Here are 12 EDR solutions that meet these criteria and are expected to gain traction in the year ahead.

• SentinalOne Singularity
• CrowdStrike Falcon Insight XDR
• Bitdefender GravityZone
• Cisco Secure Endpoint
• Broadcom Symantec Endpoint
• Palo Alto Networks Cortex
• Sophos Intercept X
• VMware Carbon Black EDR
• Heimdal Endpoint
• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
• Cybereason
• Trellix
• Top Must-Have Features of EDR Tools
• Benefits of EDR Solutions
• Choosing the Right EDR Solution

SentinelOne Singularity

SentinelOne Singularity is an EPP and EDR security solution that uses advanced technology to protect endpoint devices. The AI-powered, hyper-adaptive system proactively hunts threats and reduces cyber risk by blocking malware and ransomware before they can harm the device.

SentinelOne Singularity provides teams with comprehensive visibility across all connected endpoints as well as other IoT devices within the network perimeter. Singularity leverages its robust machine learning (ML) model, which enables organizations to detect intrusions in real-time, gather forensic evidence on incidents in any stage, and remediate threats automatically.

Key Differentiators

• Singularity tracks all operating system (OS) relationships automatically, providing users with complete context and knowledge of an attack.
• Through automated correlation of telemetry and mapping to the MITRE Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge (ATT&CK) architecture, security operating centers (SOC) and IT analysts may reduce alert fatigue and human triage.
• Singularity uses next-generation antivirus (NGAV) and behavioral detection to stop known and unknown threats.
• Its automated EDR helps to automate threat mitigation, network isolation, and endpoint auto-immunization against new threats.
• OS-level location-aware firewall management is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Pros

• Easy to deploy.
• Offers device control capabilities for various devices such as USB and Bluetooth/BLE peripherals.
• Rogue device discovery.
• Supports a variety of Windows, Mac, and Linux distributions as well as virtualization operating systems.

Pricing

SentinelOne Singularity is available on request. There is no mention of price on the website, but potential customers can request a demo and get in touch with the company to learn more about pricing.

Also see: Best Network Management Solutions 

CrowdStrike Falcon Insight XDR

CrowdStrike offers a suite of endpoint detection and response solutions. Falcon Insight is a cloud-delivered comprehensive endpoint detection and response solution that provides visibility into the endpoint to identify risks and provide an analytics platform to streamline remediation. CrowdStrike Falcon Insight delivers real-time protection for endpoints, servers, applications, and desktops.

The software also includes advanced threat intelligence and behavioral analytics to identify malicious activity within an environment. In addition to providing effective, immediate responses for containment and eradication, it proactively monitors the security health of an environment, so users can prioritize issues before they become serious threats.

Key Differentiators

• Alerts are easier to comprehend even for the most complex detections when mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK architecture.
• Falcon Insight reduces alert fatigue by 90% and improves response times when getting rid of information overload by converting security alerts into events.
• Falcon Insight returns search results for threat hunting and investigation queries in less than five seconds.
• Falcon Insight proactively hunts cyber threats hiding undetected in a network.
• The CrowdStrike Security Cloud, powered by AI, generates actionable data, detects trends in adversarial tactics, and maps tradecraft in the patented Threat Graph to automatically avert attacks across CrowdStrike’s worldwide client base in real-time.

Pros

• Cost reduction.
• Gartner named CrowdStrike a Leader in the 2021 Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms.
• Intelligent visualizations and collaboration.
• Multiplatform support.
• Real-time visibility.
• Threat hunting.

Pricing

The pricing is not currently available on the vendor’s website. However, CrowdStrike has a 15-day evaluation free trial of Falcon Insight to evaluate the product before purchasing, and companies can request a free trial extension subject to the provider’s approval.

Bitdefender GravityZone

Bitdefender GravityZone is a leading endpoint detection and response solution to the threat of data breaches. It offers real-time protection from ransomware, malware fileless attacks, and other cyberattacks by preventing malicious code execution, propagation, or effects.

The product also provides visibility into potential security events on endpoints that help detect threats before they can cause damage. With minimal false positives, it’s perfect for organizations with large user populations where time-to-detection matters most in the event of an attack.

With threat analytics and a cloud-based event collector, Bitdefender GravityZone continuously monitors endpoints, prioritizes security events, and develops a list of incidents for analysis, investigation, and response.

Key Differentiators

• Advanced search options are available for detecting attacks, such as indications of compromise (IoCs), MITRE ATT&CK methods, and other artifacts.
• GravityZone’s advanced risk analytics system analyzes endpoints and human behavior to discover, prioritize, and mitigate user, network, and endpoint threats.
• It identifies fileless threats, ransomware, and zero-day threats in real time.
• Its cross-endpoint correlation capability enables the detection of complex threats involving several endpoints in hybrid infrastructures such as workstations, servers, or containers running various OSes.
• It provides comprehensive visualizations with rich context and threat intelligence to understand attack paths and identify security gaps.
• There are configurable dashboards, email alerts, and complete reporting features for quick and scheduled reports, all controlled from a centralized console.

Pros

• Provides incident alert, visualization, investigation and response.
• Enhanced with user behavior risk analytics.
• Sandbox analyzer.
• Customizable dDashboard.

Pricing

A one-year plan that protects 10 endpoints, as well as up to four servers and fifteen mailboxes, costs $570.49.

Also see: Best Network Automation Tools 

Cisco Secure Endpoint

Cisco Secure Endpoint, formerly known as advanced malware protection (AMP), is an automated cloud-delivered endpoint management solution with one of the most comprehensive detections and response capabilities.

The solution provides next-generation antivirus and advanced endpoint detection and response to stop unknown and evolving threats in their tracks. Cisco Secure Endpoint also features cross-platform EDR with unified visibility into endpoints running Windows, macOS, or Linux operating systems.

Key Differentiators

• Secure MDR for Endpoint offers dedicated global SOCs researchers, investigators, and analysts.
• Its over 200 predefined vulnerability, IT operations, and threat-hunting queries can help speed up threat hunting and investigations.
• Cisco Secure Endpoint protects against fileless malware and ransomware.
• Cisco’s built-in SecureX platform provides a centralized view, streamlined incident management, and automated playbooks.

Pros

• Continuous behavioral monitoring.
• Sandboxing.
• Users find the device trajectory feature very efficient.
• Reduces remediation time by up to 85%.
• Centralized management.

Pricing

Pricing for this product is available on request. However, the vendor offers a 30-day free trial which gives users ample opportunity to test drive the product, evaluate its features, and assess its cost-effectiveness before committing to buy it.

Broadcom Symantec Endpoint Security Complete

Symantec Endpoint Security Complete is an all-in-one security technology including SEP (Symantec Endpoint Protection), EDR, Mobile Threat Defense, Active Directory Defense, Adaptive Protection, App Control, and Threat Hunting. The solution gives organizations the tools to identify, respond to and stop advanced attacks.

Symantec Endpoint Security Complete uses a single agent architecture for all OSes such as Windows, Mac, Linux, Windows in S Mode, Android, and iOS — including servers, desktops, laptops, tablets, mobiles, applications, cloud workloads, and containers.

Plus, it offers robust detection, with signature-based antivirus and file heuristics that can detect known and unknown threats. It also detects exploits using application whitelisting and exploits prevention technologies; this includes preventing zero-day malware by identifying attempted exploitation before code executes on the endpoint.

Key Differentiators

• Endpoint Security Complete supports on-premises, hybrid, and cloud-based deployments.
• It provides unified insight into threats, rules, and events across many Symantec products.
• Symantec offers a reduced attack surface through breach assessment, device control, application control, and adaptive protection.
• Using AI, it manages security, so policies are updated with more precision and fewer mistakes in setup.
• Endpoint activity may be recorded and analyzed with the help of behavior forensics, allowing for the detection of advanced attack techniques that use legitimate apps for malicious intent.

Pros

• Customizable.
• Auto policy updates with AI.
• Supports behavior-based prevention.
• Granular control of each security component.

Pricing

Price is available on request.

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR

Palo Alto Networks has been a leader in the endpoint detection and response space for many years. The company’s Cortex XDR platform provides security teams with complete visibility and analytics of their environment, including network traffic and user behavior, to help detect, prevent, and remediate attacks quickly.

It blocks advanced malware, exploits, and fileless attacks to protect endpoints from even the most sophisticated threats. The company’s lightweight agent stops threats with behavioral threat protection, artificial intelligence, and cloud-based analysis without interfering with system performance or slowing down productivity.

With Cortex XDR, organizations can proactively monitor networks at the endpoint level while also achieving compliance and managing change with deep insights into the current compliance status of every device on their network.

Key Differentiators

• Cortex XDR uses ML to create behavioral profiles and detect abnormalities that may indicate an attack.
• It provides endpoint security with technologies such as NGAV, host firewall, disk encryption, and USB device control.
• Using behavioral analytics, its ML capabilities enable users to detect hidden threats such as insider abuse, credential attacks, malware, and exfiltration.
• Endpoints don’t need to be online for users to perform in-depth internal and regulatory investigations.

Pros

• Automated root cause analysis.
• Centralized management.
• Easy to deploy.
• Gain visibility across all data.

Pricing

Pricing is available on request. However, potential buyers can request a demo or try it themselves before purchasing.

Also see: Best IoT Platforms for Device Management

Sophos Intercept X

Sophos is a cybersecurity company that offers a comprehensive suite of cloud, web, network, and endpoint security solutions. Intercept X, the company’s EDR solution, protects against malware, data leaks, and cyberattacks with real-time detection and behavioral analytics.

Intercept X allows users to remotely access devices on their company’s network to conduct remote investigations on endpoints, reboot devices, terminate active processes, install and uninstall software, and run forensic tools.

Key Differentiators

• Its built-in AI helps detect both known and unknown threats.
• Unified console is available for all Sophos solutions, including EDR and XDR.
• Intercept X has integrated zero-trust network access (ZTNA) for remote employees using a single agent and console to access applications.
• Sophos supports peripheral, application, and web control or category-based URL blocking.

Pros

• Central console.
• Reporting and analytics.
• Fast threat detection and response.

Pricing

This is a quote-based product, and the pricing is available on request.

VMWare Carbon Black EDR

VMware is a significant player in the security industry with many solutions to offer. VMware Carbon Black EDR enables enterprises to detect, investigate, and respond to advanced attacks promptly.

The incident responses and threat hunting solution from VMware is designed for organizations looking to identify active threats, pinpoint their root cause, stop new incidents before they happen, and remediate those that do occur.

This endpoint detection and response solution from VMware is a good option for customers who want maximum detection capabilities with minimal configuration requirements.

Key Differentiators

• Its live response and remote remediation capability lets incident responders extract or push data, stop programs, conduct memory dumps, and swiftly remediate from anywhere.
• This system offers threat hunting and incident response from the same agent and dashboard as NGAV, EDR, and real-time query.
• Security experts have centralized access to continually gathered data to hunt threats in real-time and perform in-depth investigations after a breach.
• Its attack chain visualization makes root cause analysis easy.

Pros

• Ease of use.
• The dashboard and alerting feature makes endpoint monitoring easy.
• Intuitive attack chain visualization.
• Alert validation and triage.
• Remote remediation.
• Automated updates.

Pricing

The seller does not disclose product price information on their website. To learn more about the product and price, contact their sales team. Those interested can also request a free product demo.

Heimdal Endpoint Detection and Response

Heimdal’s EDR solution allows enterprise customers to detect and respond to cyberattacks across any endpoint and network. It delivers real-time visibility into every aspect of an organization’s IT environment, enabling security teams to stop breaches before they happen.

Heimdal protects against advanced ransomware, insider threats, admin rights abuse, advanced persistent threats (APTs), software exploits, brute force, Domain Name System (DNS) and DNS over HTTPS (DoH) vulnerabilities, phishing and social engineering, and any other known or unknown threats.

Key Differentiators

• Heimdal tracks endpoint activity via data analytics and quickly reacts to situations by mapping data to threat intelligence.
• This solution combines the capabilities of next-gen antivirus, privileged access management, application control, ransomware encryption protection, patch and asset management, DNS traffic filtering, and threat modeling.
• It offers remote desktop control and email fraud detection.

Pros

• Easy-to-deploy and lightweight agent.
• Ransomware encryption protection.
• Next-gen antivirus.
• Efficient support team.

Pricing

Pricing is available on request, with a 30-day free trial available for users to test the product.

Also see: Top Enterprise Networking Companies

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a lightweight endpoint security solution that automatically delivers high-fidelity protection and post-breach detection capabilities. It also automates investigation and response to help with faster containment of breaches. With this solution, security teams will be able to detect and respond to unauthorized network devices and identify unmanaged endpoints in their network.

Key Differentiators

• Unified security tools and centralized management.
• Device control (such as USB).
• Automated investigation and remediation.
• Threat intelligence and vulnerability management.

Pros

• Best for beginners and experts.
• Easy to deploy.
• Includes cloud access security broker and identity and access management functionality.
• Easy to onboard devices.

Pricing

Microsoft has two purchase options. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 is available in Microsoft 365 E5, whereas Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P1 is included in Microsoft 365 E3.

	Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P1 included in 365 E3	Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 included Microsoft 365 E5
Microsoft 365 E3	$36 per user per month (billed annually)	$36 per user per month (billed annually)
Microsoft 365 E5	$57 per user per month (billed annually)	$57 per user per month (billed annually)
Microsoft 365 F3	$8.00 per user per month (billed annually)	$8.00 per user per month (billed annually)

Cybereason

Cybereason is a cybersecurity company that offers endpoint detection and response solutions. Cybereason’s products allow organizations to detect, investigate, respond to, manage, contain, and recover from cyberattacks. It also provides enterprise-level threat protection against insider attacks by leveraging AI technology to monitor all network activity continuously.

The next-gen endpoint security platform offers advanced malware identification to reduce the risks associated with known and unknown malware infections. In addition, it integrates well with other threat intelligence tools, security information and event management (SIEM) tools, and third-party firewalls to ensure a business’s safety.

Key Differentiators

• Pre- and post-execution malware inspection is available.
• Cybereason Threat Intelligence collects several threat feeds and cross-examines them using machine learning to evaluate their historical accuracy for certain types of threats from various adversary groups.
• Cybereason offers instant remediation capability that automates malware removal without manual intervention.
• For security teams, the Cybereason cross-machine correlation engine provides a 1:200,000 analyst-to-endpoint ratio.

Pros

• Threat hunting.
• Anti-malware.
• Feature-rich.
• Cybereason MalOps reduces mean time to repair (MTTR).

Pricing

Pricing quotes are available on request. Those interested can also request a free demo to understand how the platform works before buying.

Trellix

Trellix was created from the merger of two cybersecurity leaders, McAfee Enterprise and FireEye. The combined entity leverages both companies’ complementary strengths in advanced threat protection and detection across the entire attack continuum to provide customers with next-generation security against today’s constantly evolving cyber threats.

Trellix endpoint forensics capabilities offer enterprises comprehensive insight into malware activities on an endpoint level to better understand their endpoint risks and prepare them for incidents with better incident response planning.

Trellix’s proactive network monitoring and response services allow enterprises to defend themselves proactively from the unknown with real-time visibility into breaches as they happen or are attempted. These services also allow immediate remediation actions that reduce the impact and duration of attacks on enterprise resources.

Key Differentiators

• Trellix collects and analyzes data automatically based on warnings provided by a company’s SIEM, ticketing system, or other apps.
• Trellix examines live memory without downloading memory images to detect hidden malware.
• Security experts can edit and share open IoCs.

Pros

• Easy to use.
• Flexible.
• Integrates with SIEM and other alerting products.

Pricing

Quotes are available on request.

Also see: Best Network Virtualization Software & Products 

Top Must-Have Features of EDR Tools

Security teams have been using EDR tools since their existence. But as cyberattacks become more sophisticated, so must enterprise EDR tools. Here are some key features EDR tools should have to help security teams detect breaches as quickly as possible and be able to respond more effectively.

Advanced end-user device protection

Modern EDR solutions should protect against a wide range of targeted endpoints, including IoT devices, mobile devices, email attachments, and even incoming faxes.

Adaptive malware detection

While traditional antivirus products can identify known malicious software and block it from running, they often fail to identify new variants or previously unknown pieces of malware. That’s where adaptive malware detection comes in.

These advanced algorithms monitor systems for anomalous behavior based on several parameters, such as what applications are being run or how much time is spent on each application. When an event is flagged as suspicious, adaptive malware detection notifies IT administrators, so they can take appropriate actions before data becomes corrupted or stolen.

Endpoint data collection

In addition to watching events occurring within a network, endpoint data collection tools also monitor every byte coming into and out of the endpoint. By capturing this information in real-time, EDR tools can alert security teams when there is unusual activity on any part of the endpoints.

Data visualization dashboard

With too many alerts pouring in 24/7, a well-designed and intuitive dashboard will save time by making it easy to spot anomalies without sifting through hundreds of pages worth of log files.

Alerts delivered with context

The most critical aspect of an effective EDR tool is that it provides alerts with context.

• Why were these anomalies detected?
• What do these anomalies mean?
• What type of data was compromised?
• How could this affect my organization?

If implemented correctly, EDR tools can improve visibility into networks and provide additional contextual information about potential incidents. Additionally, an EDR solution can reduce the false positives generated by other defensive technologies that may lack heuristic analysis capabilities. With an endpoint monitoring system in place, users will also be alerted if hackers bypass defenses such as intrusion prevention systems or firewalls.

Incident response and containment

In the case of an actual breach, incident response and containment are vital. Newer EDR tools provide investigators with forensic capabilities that allow them to see what happened during a breach and highlight what data was accessed by attackers.

All this information is then compiled into a timeline called an attack graph, which provides precise visual representations of where the attack took place, what networks were accessed, and who had access to sensitive data. These advanced attack graphs make it easier for security teams to track down hackers and mitigate damage faster.

Threat detection and alerting

EDR tools should detect the presence of threats and provide instant notifications to users, so they know about the potential risks. This is critical because hackers don’t stop targeting networks once the first breach has occurred. They come back repeatedly, attempting to gain access to sensitive data.

Threat detection tools continuously monitor the latest threats to proactively identify new zero-day exploits, ransomware, and other threats as soon as they appear. So if a hacker is attempting to breach a network and use one of the latest zero-day exploits, for example, a proper EDR solution should automatically detect this attack and generate an alert, so incident response teams can take immediate action.

Also see: Top Managed Service Providers

Benefits of EDR Solutions

If a breach compromises sensitive company information like customer data or intellectual property, the effects can be detrimental to a company’s reputation and revenue. Fortunately, having a robust EDR solution means businesses will never have to worry about staying one step ahead of the hackers again.

They can help organizations detect, analyze, and mitigate attacks in real time by combining data from endpoint systems and network traffic. This allows organizations to keep their endpoints up-to-date with the latest patches, which is critical in preventing successful exploits.

Here are some of the benefits of EDR software:

• It monitors how data is being accessed.
• It provides visibility into who has access to data.
• It detects malicious activity on endpoints.
• It responds to threats detected on endpoints.
• It sends out notifications when a threat is detected.
• EDR software blocks hackers by detecting abnormal behavior.
• EDR software alerts system administrators when unusual events occur.

Also see: Understanding the Zero Trust Approach to Network Security

Choosing the Right EDR Solution

Choosing the right endpoint detection and response software can be a difficult task. As such, it is essential to research the various types of tools before deciding which one to purchase.

Define the business goals and requirements

The first step is to understand what needs your business has regarding EDR. Understanding these needs will help to define the key factors to look out for when searching for an EDR solution.

Develop a list of potential vendors

The second step involves creating a list of potential vendors who offer products related to your business’s requirements. Doing this will help narrow the search and reduce the time spent looking at unsuitable options.

Create a budget

Once you have developed a list of potential vendors, the next step is to create a budget for purchasing an EDR solution. A realistic budget will help determine how much money can be spent on an EDR product or service.

It will also allow you to assess whether your current spending priorities align with the investment required by an EDR solution. Furthermore, consider the cost of implementing and maintaining an EDR solution and its lifespan. And always include a provision for future growth in your budgeting process because most businesses grow over time.

Evaluate each product based on its use cases

An additional step to take when selecting an EDR solution is considering industry specialization. You should seek to purchase a tool from a vendor whose offerings cater specifically to your industry needs. Remember that some vendors focus on specific aspects of EDR while others may cover all facets. A thorough evaluation should help to determine which type suits your organization best.

When evaluating different products, consider the following criteria:

• Compatibility with other systems within the organization.
• Flexibility.
• User-friendliness.
• Integration with other security infrastructures like SIEM and DLP.
• Performance of data storage, analysis and reporting capabilities.
• Ongoing support services provided by the company selling the product.

After taking these steps, you should be able to make a more informed decision on what kind of EDR solution will work best for your business.

Set up a trial version

Once you’ve completed the steps above, setting up a trial version of an EDR solution is advisable. Suppose you don’t see any significant improvements to your security posture after using the trial version. In that case, you won’t need to spend extra time analyzing features or functionalities irrelevant to your business objectives.

Another way to save time when choosing an EDR solution is to find a solution bundled with other IT management software since they tend to be pre-configured and ready to use.

Also see: Containing Cyberattacks in IoT