EDR (endpoint detection and response) tools proactively monitor your organization’s environment for signs of malware, ransomware, and other advanced threats. They then work with your team to triage, investigate and remediate the incident before it can grow into a breach.
These ML-based attack detection technologies identify known and unknown threats, including ransomware, crypto miners, and more. Look for solutions that provide broad visibility and independent tests to ensure they can detect these attacks in real time.
Containment
This technology, often called EDR security, helps companies discover suspicious endpoint activity, such as malicious software installation, data loss, or compromised network logins. It can detect threats that traditional antivirus or anti-malware solutions may miss and offers a way to mitigate them with prevention techniques.
The best EDR solutions combine advanced threat detection and incident response capabilities. They can also automate and streamline security investigations so analysts can stay on top of threats in real-time.
A robust EDR solution also provides visibility across your entire attack surface — both on-premises and in public cloud accounts, including business-critical applications. It is critical to ensure a secure network environment.
As attacks become increasingly sophisticated and threats move from piecemeal to targeted and persistent, IT security teams need more help from automated analysis and response. EDR security has emerged as the best solution for detecting and responding to cyberattacks.
An EDR system continuously collects behavioral cyber telemetry from endpoints, allowing security teams to identify attacks based on processes running, programs installed, and network connections. Similar to the black box on a plane that records flight data, this telemetry can be used to prevent similar crashes in the future. In addition, it can be combined with other endpoint data to provide a complete picture of what’s happening at the endpoint.
Detection
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) is a security tool that provides visibility into endpoints, helping IT teams detect, contain and investigate malware, ransomware and other cyber threats. It also helps them reduce the time it takes to identify and respond to a malicious threat.
EDR systems monitor and collect data from endpoints, such as running processes, network telemetry and registry modification. They analyze the information to identify suspicious activities and alert administrators.
Typically, the data collected by an EDR solution is stored for six months so that security analysts can travel back to pinpoint when an attack began. It makes it possible to see the entire kill chain that led an attacker to a specific system and help security teams identify affected systems before a breach occurs.
In addition to detection, EDR systems provide incident response tools. These include forensics capabilities, which allow investigators to look at live system memory and gather artifacts. They also enable investigators to combine historical and current situational data, which can help them build a picture of an attack.
As attacks become increasingly sophisticated and diverse, organizations need tools that automatically analyze and respond to them. These can stop threats in their early stages, deter unauthorized access, and prevent critical losses or compromises. They can also correlate data from EDR and other security tools to identify patterns and trends in malicious behavior, giving IT professionals a better understanding of how cybercriminals work.
Investigation
Investigating an attack is crucial in determining how it happened and what caused it. It can also uncover insights that can help you strengthen your overall security.
A good investigator will use their investigative skills and expertise to conduct thorough interviews with people who may have information about the case. It includes people who are involved in criminal activity, as well as other key stakeholders.
In addition to interviewing individuals, an investigator may also use their knowledge of computer systems and the Internet to gather evidence for the investigation. They will review documents, email messages, and other data that can help them prove a criminal’s guilt.
Investigators should also document their work to protect themselves and the information they have gathered. It means taking notes of each investigation step, including how to follow leads, collect evidence, and interview suspects.
This documentation can make it easier to analyze the evidence when a suspect challenges your findings. It also allows for easy tracking of important events and dates.
A sound EDR system will include threat response capabilities that can take corrective action, diagnose issues, and perform forensic analysis to aid in an investigation. It can also correlate endpoint, network and SIEM data to understand better how threats are getting through the organization’s defenses.
Elimination
EDR security focuses on detecting threats and preventing cyber attacks from affecting connected devices. It combines centralized management with enhanced visibility into all endpoints on an organization’s network.
When a threat is detected, the data is analyzed, and an alert is triggered. This process identifies the origin of the danger, its behavior on the network and any other relevant information about it. The system will also record the knowledge to help future detections.
Once the attack has been confirmed, EDR will isolate and contain it to reduce the risk of spreading throughout the network. It will prevent further damage and minimize the impact on the business.
Elimination is the final phase in the EDR security cycle. It involves removing the file and restoring it to how it was before it infected the system.
It is usually accomplished by adjusting the security protocols to prevent the file from accessing sensitive data. It will require a certain level of understanding and knowledge about how the file was created, what application it interacted with, how it interacts with the network and other aspects of its lifecycle.
A capable EDR solution should also eliminate the file by setting the system back to how it was pre-infection. It will reduce the effects of the infection on the company and its employees.