Hackers and other attackers usually target endpoints, as they are difficult to defend once compromised. An average IT security team manages thousands of endpoints in just one network. These include not only desktops and servers, but also laptops, tablets, smartphones, smart wearables, and other IoT devices. In short, these are the devices that are normally used by an end-user. Hence, attacking these handsets can put an organization in danger, as these devices contain not only personal data but also crucial information. This is where endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions come in to help.
What is EDR?
Also known as endpoint threat detection and response (ETDR), EDR is an integrated endpoint security tool that offers real-time monitoring and endpoint data collection. It also provides the IT security team with rules-based automated response and analysis capabilities.
Simply put, EDR is a solution that monitors end-user devices for any suspicious activity. It investigates suspicious activities on hosts and endpoints, providing your security team with a great tool that can automatically identify, detect, and respond to any threats. Through EDR, an organization will have an integrated hub that collects, correlates, and analyzes the gathered data.
Endpoint detection and response will become more effective with these three vital units: endpoint data collection agents, automated response, and analysis and forensics.
How Do EDR Solutions Work?
EDR gathers endpoint data in a centralized database, where it is analyzed and correlated to discover and identify suspicious activities. Being unaware of the suspicious activity, the EDR tool can detect it by matching it with known threat signatures and comparing it with established behavioral baselines.
In case you missed it, threat signatures are the characteristics usually present in previous attacks or vulnerabilities, while established behavioral baselines are the activities or datasets used as a benchmark for their safety.
Sample threat signatures are malware hashes and outdated software versions, while established behavioral baselines include the normal number of log-in activity and the acceptable file access patterns. Your endpoint detection and response tool knows this very well, therefore, allowing it to detect suspicious activities.
Through this capability, an EDR solution can notify your security team, and can automatically block further events or stop it from running processes. By notifying your security team, experts can verify if these activities are considered a threat and/or harmful to your network. If yes, this helps them understand the whole situation and make appropriate actions.
What Threats Do EDR Protect You Against?
Traditional systems can identify and protect you from cyberattacks. However, today’s hackers and other online predators are now capable of creating new types of malware that can penetrate your system even if you have an anti-virus. This is the main reason why you cannot be dependent on traditional systems, as several types of malware are now more difficult to detect using standard methods.
Meanwhile, endpoint detection and response solutions can protect your entire ecosystem against attacks that can bypass traditional systems. These include multi-staged attacks, fileless malware, zero-day threats, insider threats, and compromised accounts.
1. MULTI-STAGE ATTACKS
Endpoint detection and response tools can collect data continuously and analyze it at the same time. This assures your security team that it can correlate events that may not appear suspicious when detected alone.
By linking or correlating these events, EDR tools can spot multi-stage attack patterns, like reconnaissance. It will then block the attack from access at all entry points, and even before penetration occurs.
2. FILELESS MALWARE AND ZERO-DAY THREATS
Endpoint detection and response solutions can effectively detect novel and process-based attacks—those threats that cannot easily be detected by a normal system. Through established behavioral baselines, it is able to determine any suspicious attack.
One good example of this is the processes run by file-less malware, operating in memory. This threat does not write files to disk, hence, the antivirus cannot detect them. Without EDR, your system or network will be put in danger.
3. INSIDER THREATS AND COMPROMISED ACCOUNTS
Again, since endpoint detection and response tools can do behavior analysis, they can also detect attacks that are brought upon by the abuse of credentials. This is important because insider threats and compromised accounts can easily penetrate authorization and authentication measures. Plus, they can enter end-user devices legitimately.
Through EDR, these threats can be detected when credentials are used in unexpected ways, such as accessing networks from different IP addresses. Once detected, your EDR solution can then block these users and stop the attack.
Takeaways
An EDR tool can help secure your end-user devices and your whole network itself. To keep your organization safe against malicious threats, you have to find the best EDR solution that can match your system, needs, and preferences.
For a superior defense against crippling cyber-attacks, choose Comodo EDR Services. We provide a clear visibility of your security situation and deploy the highest level of detection and response to help fight advanced threats. Contact us today to help you get started.
