7 Best XDR Platforms of 2023 (Extended Detection and Response)

As part of a holistic security program, risk management software can provide insights into which assets are most at risk and take steps to protect them.

Then, using compliance software, businesses can ensure that their organization is adhering to best practices for security and privacy.

While both are important, extended detection and response is another vital part of any security strategy.

By providing visibility into all activity across the enterprise and automating response to threats, XDR platforms can help organizations speed up detection and reduce the time to resolution.

Falling under the umbrella of SIEM tools, an XDR platform is a comprehensive security solution that offers visibility into all activity across the enterprise.

It also automates response to threats, providing a unified view of an organization’s security posture.

In this article, I will go through the best XDR platforms today, showing you their features and how they can benefit your organization.

Let’s get right into it.

What Are The Best XDR Platforms?

The following are the top XDR platforms to consider.

1. TrendMicro XDR.

Best Overall XDR Tool.

TrendMicro XDR is one of the best XDR platforms on the market and is perfect for organizations that need to monitor activity across multiple cloud services.

It offers comprehensive visibility into all activity, including file sharing, email, and web traffic.

You can link TrendMicro XDR to your SIEM solution if you want a broader perspective on your organization’s activity.

This means serious threats that previously would have gone undetected can be caught and dealt with quickly.

With various security layers alerts automatically generated, you’ll have all the information you need to make informed decisions about how to respond.

Key Features:

• Search with purpose to ensure you’re only getting the most relevant information.
• Robust security features help you keep your data safe.
• Visibility into all activities enables you to detect and respond to threats quickly.
• Cloud services allow you to monitor activity across multiple services.

User Experience:

The user interface can help you find incidents faster, allowing you to get on top of threats quickly.

Reviewing all the activities related to an incident (and from one location) is also very helpful.

Pricing:

You can get pricing information by filling in the specific form.

What I Like/Dislike About TrendMicro XDR

Like:

• 24/7 monitoring and detection help you keep your data safe.
• A detailed history of each incident/attack indicates where your organization’s security posture needs to improve.

Dislike:

• Training for the investigative report review feature is a bit lacking compared to other XDR platforms.

Product Updates:

• Zero trust risk insight capabilities now offer XDR detection and an evaluation of vulnerabilities.

2. Sophos.

Best For Accurate Threat Detection.

Sophos gives more accurate detection and analysis of incidents than many other platforms.

This is the platform for you if you want to identify and investigate potential threats quickly.

It’s also a platform that allows you to view your entire organization, not just individual devices.

This means you can see how different parts of your organization interact together.

Along with top-rated protection, this makes the right personnel confident their data is safe.

Key Features:

• Deep learning technology makes it possible to detect and respond to threats quickly.
• Managed threat response means you can have peace of mind knowing that experts are dealing with the danger on your behalf.
• Exploit prevention protects you from zero-day attacks.
• The anti-ransomware module stops ransomware in its tracks, preventing it from encrypting your data.
• Endpoint detection and response (EDR) helps you detect and respond to threats on individual devices.

User Experience:

With a network security control center, you can gain unparalleled visibility into your organization’s endpoint and network activity.

You can quickly identify and investigate threats by seeing every alert in one place.

Pricing:

Get a no-obligation quote customized to your needs.

What I Like/Dislike About Sophos

Like:

• You can manage firewall policies effectively to prevent data breaches.
• Sophos is straightforward to configure and deploy.

Dislike:

• Configuration using the command line is not easy to do, so if you’re not familiar with it, you may need help from someone who is.

Product Updates:

• Updated the look and feel for Sophos Central so you can get more done in less time.
• Tamper protection improvements to prevent malicious changes to your configuration.
• Linux server security now available via API

3. Barracuda SKOUT Managed XDR.

Best For 24/7 Security.

Barracuda SKOUT Managed XDR comes with a 24/7 security operations center that will investigate and respond to threats on your behalf.

This platform is best for businesses that want the peace of mind of knowing that experts are dealing with their security threats.

You can also ensure that any damage caused by an attack is minimized so you can get back to business quickly.

With various integrations with cyber security-as-a-service solutions, you can stay on top of your data.

Moreover, you can stay on top of the latest threats with an AI-powered analytics engine.

Finally, with advanced cyber threat detection and prevention, you can ensure that your business takes all the necessary steps to protect itself.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive reporting ensures you have all the information you need to make informed decisions about your security posture.
• The centralized dashboard gives you visibility into all activity across your network, so you can quickly identify and investigate potential threats.
• Easy to deploy and use so that you can get started quickly and without any headaches.
• SIEM analysis allows you to detect and respond to threats rapidly.

User Experience:

The dashboard gives you an excellent overview of incidents reported by the platform while making it easy to investigate and respond.

With a timeline showing you what happened on various days, you can quickly get the information you need.

Pricing:

You can request a quote/demo to learn more about their pricing.

What I Like/Dislike About Barracuda SKOUT Managed XDR

Like:

• ‘AI to speed searches’ help you quickly find what you’re looking for.
• The ability to remediate detected threats automatically enables you to get back to business uninterrupted.

Dislike:

• Downloading collectors and altering the settings of applications are required in some situations

Product Updates:

• Barracuda’s enhanced email and endpoint protection offering has been updated to cater to more advanced threats.

4. CrowdStrike Falcon.

Best For Quick Threat Remediation.

CrowdStrike Falcon is an XDR solution that can be deployed in minutes.

Using industry-leading protection at the endpoint, you can ensure that your business is protected from the latest threats.

With multi-domain telemetry used to uncover threats, you can be sure that nothing will slip through the cracks.

You can also get a leg up on threat analysis with the help of machine learning, ensuring that what previously was siloed, disconnected data now becomes helpful information.

Empower security teams with the ability to quickly investigate and remediate threats through an easy-to-use interface that allows them to get started promptly.

Key Features:

• Optimize security operations to focus on the most critical risks with the help of an AI-powered analytics engine.
• Stop attacks before they become breaches using multi-domain telemetry that uncovers threats.
• Get complete visibility into your environment with the help of an easy-to-use interface.

User Experience:

Get detailed information that can be filtered easily, making for a very user-friendly experience.

The alerts and notifications are also customizable, so you can be sure to only receive information that is relevant to you.

Pricing:

You’ll have to start a free trial to get full pricing details.

What I Like/Dislike About CrowdStrike Falcon

Like:

• The cloud-based software doesn’t depend on an organization’s infrastructure, so there are no extra costs to get started.
• It is straightforward to deploy and use in the majority of instances.

Dislike:

• The data reported from a detection can be a bit cryptic, so it may take some time to decipher.

Product Updates:

• CrowdStrike Asset Graph was built to give security teams an inventory of their entire attack surface for both on-premises and cloud environments.

5. Cynet 360.

Best For Simplicity.

Getting comprehensive cybersecurity that is stressless and transparent used to be a pipe dream, but Cynet 360 makes it a reality.

Cynet 360 is a simple platform that’s efficient in its design.

The platform has been built with the help of machine learning algorithms that are constantly being updated to provide you with the latest threat information.

With lean security teams in mind, Cynet 360 lets you quickly and easily detect, investigate, and remediate threats.

With a single platform for all things XDR, including correlation, endpoint response, detection and prevention, and investigation, Cynet 360 provides all you need in a simple environment.

This means you can get autopilot security that is always on and up-to-date to focus on your business goals.

Key Features:

• Threat detection on your network helps you focus on the most critical risks with the help of an AI-powered analytics engine.
• Cloud threat detection enables you to stop attacks before they become breaches with the help of multi-domain telemetry that uncovers threats.
• Endpoint protection enables you to get complete visibility into your environment with the help of an easy-to-use interface.
• SSPM provides you with the ability to quickly investigate and remediate threats with the help of an easy-to-use interface.
• Automated end-to-end security helps you optimize security operations to focus on the most critical risks with the help of an AI-powered analytics engine.

User Experience:

Its current user interface makes it easy to tell that much thought went into the design.

You can immediately see the number of alerts, files, and devices that have been checked, along with various alert information that is nicely organized and can be filtered.

Pricing:

Book a Personal Cynet Demo to get full pricing details.

What I Like/Dislike About Cynet 360

Like:

• You get SSPM and Log Management capabilities to ensure that you’re always keeping an eye on your environment.
• The complete visibility of users, files, endpoints, and traffic means that you’re never in the dark about what’s going on in your network.

Dislike:

• Cynet Dashboard issue sometimes occurs due to connectivity problems

Product Updates:

• The automation, orchestration, and detection capabilities have now been improved.

6. Rapid7.

Best For Cloud-Based XDR.

Rapid7 is a great cloud-based XDR platform available in the market today.

The platform is designed to give you visibility into your environment so you can quickly and easily identify and mitigate threats.

With The Forrester Wave™ for Cloud Workload Security giving them some of the highest scores available, Rapid7 is an excellent solution for those that want a cloud-based platform to protect their business.

Rapid7 removes complexities that often lead to frustration and confusion so you can focus on your business goals.

Eliminate any weak spots in your environment with the help of a constantly updated platform that provides you with the latest threat information while acting on the best solution.

Key Features:

• The platform’s cloud security systems provide visibility and control over your environment so you can quickly identify and mitigate threats.
• XDR & SIEM modules work together to enable you to detect, investigate, and remediate threats in your environment.
• Threat intelligence systems help you understand the latest threats posed to your business so you can take appropriate action to protect your organization.

Pricing:

Start a free trial to get full pricing details.

7. FireEye.

Best For Threat Automation.

FireEye works with your current tools and systems to give you the necessary visibility to identify and mitigate threats.

With world-class automation technology, FireEye can provide you with the latest threat information so you can take appropriate action.

Then, with human expertise, FireEye can give you the best of both worlds so you can be confident that threats are being handled quickly and efficiently.

Aiming to provide its customers with complete visibility, FireEye works with you to ensure you’re always aware of what’s happening in your environment.

Threats are constantly changing and evolving, so it’s essential to have a continually updated platform to keep up with what’s currently happening – FireEye does just that.

Key Features:

• Reduce security complexity by consolidating tools and automating workflows
• Prioritize threats with context and analyst expertise
• Improve analyst and SOC efficiency by reducing the time to investigate and remediate threats
• Optimize deployment by deploying only what’s needed, where it’s needed
• Highlight and minimize the risk with complete visibility into the attack surface
• Deliver detection efficacy by constantly improving detection capabilities

Pricing:

Schedule a free demo of FireEye XDR to get full pricing details.

What Are XDR Platforms?

Security solutions have been traditionally divided into two categories: prevention and detection.

Prevention-focused security tools, such as firewalls and antivirus software, work to prevent threats from entering an organization’s systems.

Detection-focused tools, such as intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) and security information and event management (SIEM) solutions, are designed to identify threats that have already made it past an organization’s defenses.

In recent years, a third security solution category has emerged: extended detection and response (XDR).

An XDR solution is an autonomous breach protection platform that integrates and analyzes data from an organization’s various security tools to provide a complete picture of its threat landscape.

XDR platforms are designed to detect threats that traditional security solutions might miss and to speed up the incident response process by automating critical tasks, such as the triage and investigation of alerts.

Security professionals use XDR solutions to investigate potential incidents, understand the scope of an attack, and take action to contain and remediate it.

Use Cases Of XDR Platforms

There are various use cases for XDR platforms, including the following.

XDR Platforms Can Help Identify Advanced Threats

While the root cause of many incidents is still human error, such as clicking on a phishing email, advanced threats are becoming more common.

These threats, such as zero-day attacks and fileless malware, are designed to evade detection by traditional security solutions.

An XDR platform can provide the visibility needed to detect these types of threats.

XDR Platforms Can Help Prioritize Threats

Security products can help triage potential incidents, but they often lack the context to prioritize them.

An XDR platform can help analysts understand the scope and severity of an incident so they can take appropriate action.

XDR Platforms Can Help Reduce Complexity

XDR security is not a simple “set it and forget it” solution.

An XDR platform can help reduce the complexity of managing multiple security solutions by consolidating data from those tools into a single platform.

This requires organizations to clearly understand their security posture and the various tools they use.

XDR Platforms Can Improve Analyst And SOC Efficiency.

Data sources like network traffic, system event logs, and application activity data can help security analysts investigate potential incidents.

However, the data can be overwhelming, and it can be challenging to piece together the complete picture of an incident.

An XDR platform can help analysts quickly understand the scope of an incident and take action to remediate it.

XDR Platforms Can Optimize Deployment

With various event management tools generating required response actions, XDR platforms can help prioritize those actions and take care of the unnecessary ones.

Amongst other benefits, only deploying what is needed helps reduce the overall cost of deploying and managing an XDR solution.

XDR Platforms Can Help Reduce Risk

Whether dealing with email security or endpoint security, XDR platforms help reduce the risk of data breaches by providing complete visibility into an organization’s attack surface.

Security information is vital to be able to both simplify and unify various security tools.

With the right visibility, teams can automate their workflows while focusing only on their areas of expertise.

Features Of An XDR Platform

There are a ton of features that an XDR platform might offer, but here are a few of the most important ones.

Advanced Threat Detection

Global threat intelligence allows an XDR platform to quickly identify and respond to threats that may have slipped past other security measures.

Being proactive and finding remediation strategies before an incident can help reduce the likelihood of a data breach.

Network Traffic Analysis

NDR (network detection and response) tools can give organizations visibility into network traffic data.

As a network administrator, one can use this data to understand which devices communicate with each other, identify potentially malicious activity, and take appropriate action.

Many providers and security platforms look at network traffic in real-time, which can help reduce the time it takes to detect and respond to threats.

These security services provide an automated response to potential cyberattacks based on the collected network traffic data.

Identify Threats And Facilitate Threat Hunting.

The ability to ‘response speed investigate’ threats is critical for any organization.

Boosting security operations productivity when it comes to managed detection and response (MDR) services can be a daunting task.

But, by using an XDR platform that offers threat hunting capabilities, you can give your team the ability to find and remediate threats quickly.

Endpoint security tools are essential, but they can’t do everything.

EDR solutions (end point detection and response) within an XDR platform can help you quickly understand the scope of an incident and take appropriate action.

Cloud Workloads

Having a cloud-native organization has many benefits but introduces new security challenges.

This means that organizations must be able to protect their data and applications in the cloud.

As more security tools identify unknown threats in the cloud, it’s essential to have an XDR platform that can quickly respond to them.

With an ecosystem that’s constantly evolving, the right XDR platform that can adapt to these changes.

Identify False Positives And Learn.

While an antivirus solution detects and removes malware, it can also generate false positives – when a file or application is flagged as being malicious when it’s not.

The response capabilities of an XDR platform can help you quickly identify and investigate these false positives.

Not only will this save you time, but it will also help you understand how to configure your security tools better in the future.

Wrap Up.

A company’s security stack depends on various factors and considerations.

No matter what these factors might be, an XDR platform is used to get the most out of one’s security tools.

An XDR platform is a unified solution that offers extended detection and response capabilities.

With the right XDR platform, organizations can boost their security operations productivity and improve their overall security posture.

An organization that values its data invests in the right XDR platform solution.

Do you think threat hunting and identifying false positives are essential features of an XDR platform?

What other features would you like to see in an XDR platform?

Let me know in the comments below.

Further reading on AdamEnfroy.com: SIEM tools can help you monitor and detect security threats.

As part of the security information and event management (SIEM) process, data from multiple sources is collected and analyzed to identify potential security threats.

Here are the best SIEM tools to consider to improve your organization’s security posture.

In addition, having the best enterprise software in an organization can help you detect and respond to security incidents in the best way possible.

Finally, here’s a list of the best enterprise CRM software that prioritize security and functionality when managing customer relationships.