XDR (extended detection and response) and SIEM (security information and event management) both keep the network safe and protected from malware attacks. XDR provides a strong level of security compared to SIEM. XDR is a more integrated and automated approach than SIEM. XDR takes data from multiple sources, such as endpoints (mobile devices, virtual environments, desktops and laptops, workstations, and servers), cloud locations, and applications, to analyze the pattern of modern threats. XDR provides more security layers than SIEM.
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XDR features
XDR collects data from endpoints and uses machine learning and intelligence to analyze those data in real time. If it finds any unusual login activity, it triggers immediate action for resolution. As XDR collects and analyzes data from multiple security layers, it is also known as cross-layered detection and response. XDR provides several key benefits for protecting organizations from multistage attacks, such as those listed below.
- Reduced response time
- Automated threat detection mechanism
- Integrated solution to threat detection
Steps for how XDR works
- Data collection from endpoint
- Data normalization to transform data into one standardized form
- Data correlation and analytics for understanding pattern and behavior
- Threat detection in advance to control adverse situations
- Generate automated response when any threat is detected.
Components of XDR
XDR has an endpoint detection and response tool (EDR) for monitoring various endpoints such as laptops, IoT devices, servers, and databases. EDR is used in XDR for collecting multiple data from these sources. An intelligence system and machine learning algorithm are used to automatically detect anomalies, threats, or any security alerts. Email security tools are another essential component of XDR for safeguarding user accounts and internal communication. A security analytics engine of XDR enables it to predict unprecedented threats by correlating historical data. It is a crucial cyber threat intelligence mechanism built into the features of XDR.
The data collection and storage facility of XDR gives enterprises the option of gathering, storing, and processing large volumes of security-related information. An automated response playbook is another component of XDR, which contains a collection of remedial actions applicable at the time any security alert occurs.
Key difference between SIEM and XDR
- Data source: SIEM collects data in the form of log files and generates responses accordingly. XDR works with various sources such as firewalls, endpoints, servers, and other security tools data.
- Incident response: SIEM provides incident response, which requires human intervention and additional tools, whereas XDR generates automated responses if any potential threat is detected within the network.
- Deployment model: SIEM requires a storage system and needs manual maintenance by trained personnel. SIEM is hosted from a data center with specified appliances. XDR has a vendor’s in-house threat detection mechanism, which has a threat intelligence system for internal threat analysis.
- Threat Detection Mechanism: SIEM follows predetermined rules to identify data. It often requires manual intervention. SIEM often fails to identify the unknown threat pattern that it has not encountered previously. XDR has advanced analytics to identify the emerging threats that were unseen previously.
- Impact on Regular Performance: In SIEM, a large amount of log information data needs to be stored for more than 6 years for retaining information. However, SIEM does not have any impact on organizational operational performance. XDR monitors network traffic from every location, so the performance may be slowed down due to XDR.
Conclusion
Implementation of next-evolution security like XDR is essential for modern organizations for proactively detecting sophisticated threats. SIEM provides the traditional security features, but in today’s business environment, prediction of unforeseen security threats with intelligence systems and predictive analytics is pivotal for every business. XDR reduces the manual intervention and provides security proactively by analyzing all endpoint data.
