Security Risks Can Be Reduced in 6 Ways by Managed Detection and Response (MDR)

Today, the world is more connected than ever before. As a result, the opportunities for cyberattacks are growing too. Security risks can be found in countless places, from fraud to sabotage and espionage. The Verge states that businesses risk “catastrophic losses” from cyberattacks if they aren’t prepared for the fallout. However, new technologies and emerging business practices are giving rise to new ways of detecting and responding to security risks faster.

Managed detection and response (MDR) is one such technology. According to Gartner, MDR is a methodology to analyze, investigate, and respond to threats through active containment and threat mitigation. So, how does MDR benefit a business? This article discusses six ways that managed detection and response can reduce your organization’s security risks.

Managed Detection and Response in Brief

MDR is a combined service that utilizes the most cutting-edge advancements in technology alongside the knowledge and experience of a human operator. A security contractor can quickly identify and mitigate a threat through this combined effort before it causes issues to the company’s data or operations. With a skilled operator and the relevant technology, a business can rest assured that it will be protected from threats as they arise. But how exactly does MDR deal with security risks? Let’s look at six ways MDR can manage security risks to an organization.

• Reduces Talent and Skills Gap – Generally, businesses don’t have employees that are trained in cybersecurity. As a result, a massive skills gap exists between a trained cybersecurity operator and the average employee. However, thanks to the intelligent application of MDR, a business can work to reduce or even remove that gap altogether. Outsourcing the “heavy lifting” required for MDR to a security or IT company allows a business to forego the issue of staffing a complete IT department and paying them to run security on the systems 24/7. Not only does a business save money by hiring a contractor, but it also ensures that it gets skilled and trained individuals in the field.
• Allows for early threat detection – One of the most significant reasons companies opt for MDR is because of the constant protection the business has from threats. Automated pattern-seeking algorithms can monitor traffic for suspicious events and report anything they see as suspect to a human operator within contractors’ offices. This way, potential threats can be tracked and nullified immediately if they prove accurate. This pre-emptive tracking gives businesses the most effective early-threat detection system around. Forbes mentions that it may take a few hours to several weeks to spot security issues. MDR gives companies a leg up on finding those threats early.
• Provides intelligence regarding threats – The scariest thing for a company is not knowing what they’re facing as far as a security threat is concerned. MDR is designed to offer organizations a way to better secure themselves amid an ever-changing landscape of unknown and unknowable perils. There is nothing new under the sun, and most threats have been dealt with or encountered by other teams. MDR collaborates with a system of analytics and machine learning to offer intelligence about threats as they appear. This informs the company and the security team what they’re dealing with and how to contain best and neutralize the threat. There’s no need to be aware of every danger the company may face. Knowing what suspicious behavior looks like is enough to cover a company’s data assets.
• Provides fast assessments and responses – The ability to figure out a threat’s danger level and how impactful it can be is helpful, but knowing how to stop it before it ruins a company’s data or operations is priceless. MDR’s analytics system has the added benefit of allowing companies to respond to threats rapidly. Once the threat has been identified, a security team can take measures that have proven effective on similar threats. These can pre-emptively stop the threat in its tracks or make it more difficult for the danger to achieve its goals. Context is vital in this sense, as knowing how and why a breach happens can give a clue as to how to deal with it.
• Helps with breach containment and prevention – Data breaches, leaks, and ransomware are too common in the security landscape of the 21st century. MDR offers organizations the tools to contain violations and limits the damage a threat may cause to their organization. Most companies have linked networks spanning their entire enterprise. A single entry point could lay the network bare to untold havoc. MDR can help to classify the damage, limiting it to a particular sector or even a single machine. Malicious activity can easily be spotted by MDR systems, allowing the team to leap into action and shut down potential malware.
• Reduces risk of threat recurrence – The only thing worse than facing a security threat is having to do it repeatedly. MDR’s analytics engine, along with the experience of a managed IT consultant, can help a business weather danger and avoid any future invasion from the same source. Understanding how and why threats occur can help prevent dealing with them in the future. Delving the root cause of hazards can help a business erect the necessary barriers to common entry points. Once these barriers are up, they make it more difficult for the company to fall prey to the same methodology twice. This predictive stance on security is a unique feature of MDR.

Is MDR The Best Solution?

Some businesses would argue that they would prefer doing work in-house. However, they quickly realize that something as complex and continuous as MDR gets challenging to manage as an in-house operation. Yet the necessity of it in this day and age is undeniable. With cyber threats expected to increase, businesses can’t afford to sidestep predictive methodologies like MDR if they want to remain profitable and in control of their data. Hiring an IT contractor like TechSeven Partners gives an organization the benefit of MDR without the drawbacks. If you’re interested in what we can offer your business as an IT contractor, call or email us today. Face the threats of tomorrow with a reliable, competent IT contractor by your side.