In today's digitalized business landscape, combating threats requires a continuous, proactive and holistic approach.
Open Extended Detection and Response (Open XDR) is a security technology that meets these criteria because XDR goes beyond just threat detection to coordinate defensive responses across a range of security tools. In the case of Open XDR, this happens regardless of the type, origin or provider of the tools. Below we'll explore XDR's end-to-end threat response capabilities to demonstrate what XDR can do for an organization's security posture.
Detect and defuse threats early
XDR redefines threat detection by bringing together data from multiple sources. The technology harnesses the power of advanced analytics, machine learning and threat intelligence to identify anomalies and potential threats across the IT environment. This proactive detection capability enables organizations to detect and mitigate threats before they develop into full-fledged attacks.
The power of XDR lies in its ability to correlate data from different sources to create context. The technology shows the connection between seemingly unrelated events, enabling a more nuanced understanding of the threat landscape. For example, a seemingly innocuous login attempt can be associated with a series of unusual network activities, revealing a sophisticated attack pattern. This contextual awareness improves the precision of threat detection, minimizes false positives, and ensures security teams focus on the most important issues.
Orchestration of defensive reactions
XDR enables seamless orchestration of defensive responses across various security tools. The technology triggers an alarm when a threat is detected and takes rapid and automated action to contain and neutralize it. This orchestration of responses is a critical security enabler for many organizations because it minimizes the amount of manual intervention required and allows security teams to keep up with the speed of today's cyber threats. Below are three examples to illustrate how XDR works:
- Use case 1: Automated quarantine and isolation
If XDR detects abnormal behavior on an endpoint that indicates a possible malware infection, the technology can automatically initiate a response - for example, isolating the suspected compromised endpoint from the network. This prevents any lateral movement by an attacker and limits the impact of the threat. Additionally, this automatic quarantine not only stops the attack but also frees up valuable time for security teams to investigate and remediate. - Use case 2: Automated detection and response
XDR's machine learning-based detection and response capability enables the identification of malicious login attempts and anomalous user behavior. Once detected, alerts are optimized by cross-referencing databases of leaked passwords, applying a risk assessment algorithm, and integrating additional threat intelligence. This comprehensive approach allows XDR to effectively and automatically block potential threats at the firewall, ensuring robust and proactive cybersecurity defenses. - Use case 3: Threat hunting with enriched data
XDR enables security teams to go beyond automated responses by providing enriched data for effective threat hunting. By correlating threat intelligence feeds and historical data, XDR can uncover hidden threats that may not trigger automated responses. This human-machine collaboration improves the depth of threat analysis and allows organizations to stay one step ahead of emerging threats.
XDR enables high scalability and seamless integration into existing security frameworks, providing a significant advantage for cybersecurity. The solution is designed in such a way that it not only complements the existing systems, but also optimizes them and thus meets the individual security requirements of companies. This adaptability is critical as it allows companies to implement XDR without disrupting existing workflows. Additionally, integrating XDR is particularly beneficial for leveraging the expertise of Security Operations Center (SOC) experts. In this way, companies can effectively fill any cybersecurity workforce gaps. This strategic deployment of skilled SOC professionals combined with XDR's advanced capabilities creates a robust, effective and flexible cybersecurity structure.
Exchange threat intelligence in real time
XDR does not work in isolation, but is based on a collaborative model in which the technology enables real-time exchange of threat data between user companies. When XDR discovers a new threat or emerging zero-day attack pattern, XDR enables this information to be quickly shared with other affiliates. This collective defense approach strengthens XDR's resilience to evolving threats.
Because XDR learns from every threat it detects and every response through the use of machine learning, the technology continually evolves its algorithms and models. This iterative learning process ensures that XDR becomes better at detecting emerging threats and adapting to the evolving tactics of cyber attackers.
XDR represents a significant evolution in threat detection and proactive and orchestrated response. By integrating with the expertise of a Security Operations Center (SOC), XDR improves organizations' resilience to advanced cyberattacks and facilitates real-time defense.
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Via Barracuda Networks Striving to make the world a safer place, Barracuda believes that every business should have access to cloud-enabled, enterprise-wide security solutions that are easy to purchase, implement and use. Barracuda protects email, networks, data and applications with innovative solutions that grow and adapt as the customer journey progresses. More than 150.000 companies worldwide trust Barracuda to help them focus on growing their business. For more information, visit www.barracuda.com.
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