As cyber attacks become more frequent, aggressive, and disruptive, companies increasingly rely on cybersecurity service providers with MDR or MXDR capabilities for help. In fact, spending on cybersecurity services will increase 13.8% in 2024, according to Gartner, and is projected to increase by the same amount again in 2025.
In addition to spending more on cybersecurity services, companies are reconsidering their service mix. The advent of AI, the rise of the hybrid office, and skyrocketing rates of cyber risk make the present tech landscape look drastically different from just a few years ago. Services that were appropriate in the past may not be adequate for the security, tech, and compliance needs of now or later.
Nothing illustrates this better than looking at MDR vs. MXDR. Managed Detection and Response (MDR) has been the staple of cybersecurity services for years. But as companies are spending and depending more on these services, many are moving to Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR) instead.
Understanding why is important. Understanding which is better for your business matters even more. We cover both in this blog for anyone comparing MDR vs. MXDR.
What is the Difference Between MDR and MXDR?
With the caveat that service providers name and deliver services differently, MDR typically refers to a managed version of endpoint detection and response (EDR). A service provider takes responsibility for securing endpoints by detecting threats and responding to incidents happeningon endpoints like servers and devices. MDR involves multiple tools, tactics, and threats, but the focus is entirely on endpoints.
MXDR also secures endpoints, but (as the name implies) it extends protection to the rest of the attack surface, including identities, cloud environments, networks, email, and more. Not only does managed XDR apply detection and response to each of those domains and ingest telemetry from across the entire attack surface; it also correlates all that data to enhance detection, unify visibility, and improve response.
Think of it this way: The attack surface is a 360° circle. MDR covers a portion of it. MXDR covers the whole thing.
What are the Advantages of MXDR?
The rise of MXDR reflects bigger trends in cybersecurity solutions. Endpoints remain as vulnerable as ever. However, now that cyber attacks originate from so many sources, take so many forms, utilize so many tactics, and aim at so many targets, endpoints are no longer the only attack vector that requires robust defense. They’re not even the primary attack vector anymore—just one of many that hackers can pick and choose from.
If MDR reflects the priorities of the past, MXDR updates them for the present and future by extending detection and response capabilities across the attack surface. Not only is this the best way to see and stop dynamic attacks eager to prey upon any possible exposure; it’s increasingly the only way to keep cyber risk in check.
XDR platforms integrate multiple security tools to streamline security activities and multiple data sources and threat intelligence feeds to improve detection and forensic analysis. They are powerful hubs for cybersecurity—but it takes time, people, and skills to manage all that XDR can do. MXDR puts that burden on a service provider, giving users the benefits of comprehensive detection and response plus 24/7/365 coverage without the resource requirements.
MXDR gives companies a fighting chance in a battle against cyber attacks they can’t afford to lose. It provides the data and defenses to help any size company or security team succeed at cybersecurity. In turn, that gives companies the confidence to grow, pivot, or innovate knowing that security issues and compliance concerns are being handled by elite service providers.
Choosing MXDR over MDR comes with many advantages—for cybersecurity, IT, staff, and even business performance—just as continuing to put the strongest defenses around endpoints leaves everything else vulnerable as a result.
It’s clear which option offers stronger cybersecurity. That doesn’t, however, make the right choice obvious.
Which Service Should You Choose?
Some companies have a minimal IT footprint that consists largely of endpoints. Others have limited budgets or limited needs for security services and want to focus on strategic areas with the largest security impact. For all these companies, MDR may be the better option. And inalmost every case, having MDR will be a vast improvement over having nothing or trying to secure endpoints in-house.
For everyone else, MXDR makes more sense due to its expanded coverage, integrated capabilities, and robust detection and response capacity. As cybersecurity becomes more dangerous to get wrong and more difficult to get right, working with a service provider represents the best way for companies to make necessary improvements without inflating their staff, budget, or time-constraints past the breaking point. Wherever cybersecurity feels unsustainable, MXDR is the solution.
All that being said, the choice of protection matters less than the choice of service provider. Whether it’s MDR or MXDR, cybersecurity is too important to your business to outsource to just anyone.
NopalCyber – Raising the Bar for Managed Security Services
NopalCyber has developed proprietary XDR technology designed to make detection and response more effective than ever while also making threat hunting more accessible and streamlined than before. Called Nopal360, our XDR technology ingests data from multiple points of telemetry to expand detection, and visualizes and analyzes that data to refine response. We believe strongly in the importance and effectiveness of our XDR offering—but we are even bigger believers in the value of managed security services for keeping companies on the right side of cyber attacks.
Whether you plan to spend more, the same, or less on security services in coming quarters, make sure its an investment in the right service provider. For MXDR—and/or everything else to keep the attack surface as small and secure as possible—contact us.
