In a crowded endpoint security market, it can be difficult to distinguish between technology offerings.
With so many vendors claiming to provide comprehensive endpoint security, it’s essential to understand the features and benefits of each solution before determining which best suits your business needs. The two main forms of advanced endpoint security, as categorised by Gartner, are EPP and EDR.
What is an EPP?
An Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) is an integrated security solution designed to detect and block threats at device level. Typically, this includes antivirus, anti-malware, data encryption, personal firewalls, intrusion prevention (IPS) and data loss prevention (DLP).
Traditional EPP is inherently preventative, and most of its approaches are signature-based – identifying threats based on known file signatures for newly discovered threats. The latest EPP solutions have however evolved to utilise a broader range of detection techniques.
What is EDR?
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platforms are cyber security systems that combine elements of next-gen antivirus with additional tools to provide real-time anomaly detection and alerting, forensic analysis and endpoint remediation capabilities.
By recording every file execution and modification, registry change, network connection and binary execution across an organisation’s endpoints, EDR enhances threat visibility beyond the scope of EPPs.
Blurring the lines
On the face of it, the distinction between EPP and EDR is relatively straightforward – EPP is a first-line defence mechanism, effective at blocking known threats. EDR is the next layer of security, providing additional tools to hunt for threats, forensically analyse intrusions and respond swiftly and effectively to attacks.
The difficulty comes in the increasing convergence of the two markets. While EDR was initially positioned as a solution for large enterprises with dedicated Cyber Security Operations Centres, there is a growing acceptance that additional threat detection, investigation and response capabilities are a necessity for organisations of all sizes.
Businesses are increasingly looking for all-in-one solutions that provide both active and passive endpoint protection. This has led EDR providers to incorporate aspects of EPPs into their offerings, and EPP providers to integrate basic EDR functionality in theirs too.
Many traditional EDR use cases, focused around searching across endpoints for indicators of compromise (IOCs), are now addressed by the mainstream EPP market.
Organisations that currently utilise an EPP solution and want to improve threat hunting and incident response are advised to consult with their chosen vendor for insight into new planned features as well as review their in-house capabilities to ensure they are able to maximise the benefits of advanced EDR-type functionality.
Getting the most from EPP and EDR
While small and mid-market organisations are increasingly turning to EDR technology for more advanced endpoint protection, many lack the resources to maximise the benefits of the technology. Utilising advanced EDR features such as forensic analysis, behavioural monitoring and artificial intelligence (AI) is labour and resource-intensive, requiring the attention of dedicated security professionals.
A managed endpoint security service combines the latest technology, an around-the-clock team of certified SOC experts and up-to-the-minute threat intelligence for a cost-effective monthly subscription. Managed services can help reduce the day-to-day burden of monitoring and responding to alerts, enhance security orchestration and automation (SOAR) and improve threat hunting and incident response.
Why choose Edge7 Networks for your endpoint security needs?
Managed Endpoint Detection and Response is a core function of our Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service. Our expert team of SOC analysts and engineers possess a deep understanding of attacker tradecraft and utilise this knowledge alongside the latest EDR technologies to hunt for, detect and respond to attacks, 24/7.
For enhanced cloud security and wider threat visibility, we can also include network security monitoring as part of the service. This includes management of SIEM, IDS, vulnerability scanning, behavioural monitoring and other advanced security technologies. Furthermore, reporting can be customised to meet the needs of compliance standards like the GDPR, ISO 27001, NIS Directive and PCI DSS.