Understanding what XDR is ?

XDR stands for Extended Detection and Response. It is an advanced version of Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) that pulls in other security tools and coordinates everything from the cloud. While system coordination occurs on the cloud, detection and remediation actions need to be implemented by on-site modules. The extent to which research gets refined before it is sent to the cloud depends on the design decisions made by each vendor of XDR systems. 

Competing businesses need to offer attractive prices and centralized SaaS-based components bring costs down. However, a remote system that can be cut off from networks under attack is no use to anyone, no matter how cheap it is. So , XDR’s are never entirely cloud-based.  

And while XDR remains an emerging technology, it’s been steadily gaining traction over the past few years – with the market set to reach a revenue of $2.06 billion by 2028 according to a recent report by Grand View Research. 

XDR is currently a growing market, so it can be difficult to keep up with which solutions are the most robust, powerful and advanced – which is why we have done the research for you . We’ve put together a list of the top XDR solutions currently on the market, including their key features, pricing and who they are best suited for. 

Top 10 XDR Software Recommendations 

One of the smallest companies on our list and the youngest, Cynet’s built an impressive solution set that includes AV, EDR, UEBA, incidence response, and network analysis. Together, these technologies combine to produce a platform dubbed Cynet 360. Boasting it as the world’s first autonomous breach protection platform, Cynet’s trinity of solutions within Cynet 360 is XDR, response automation, and MDR. Other features include pre-built and custom remediation, a central console for holistic visibility, and network traffic analysis.

On Gartner Peer Insights, Cynet holds a 4.8/5 star rating over 41 reviews in the EDR segment. In the latest MITRE Carabanak+FIN7 Evaluations for EDR, Cynet had an overall detection rate of 87.93% between telemetry and analytic detections.

Microsoft, with a trio of security products that combine to offer extended infrastructure protection. Together, Azure Sentinel, Microsoft 365 Defender, and Azure Defender offer a cloud-native SIEM and XDR solution for enterprises. XDR capabilities built into 365 Defender and Azure Defender include coverage of all network components and environments, priority alerts, and threat response coordination. There’s always a financial incentive to bundle with the tech giant, so Microsoft’s ability to quickly extend these capabilities to existing customers is an inherent advantage.

On Gartner Peer Insights, Microsoft holds a 4.5/5 star rating over 158 reviews. Microsoft’s 365 Defender made the Forrester Wave and Gartner Magic Quadrant Leaders in the most recent reviews. In the latest MITRE Carabanak+FIN7 Evaluations for EDR, Microsoft had an overall detection rate of 86.78% between telemetry and analytic detections.

In 2013 SentinelOne launched in the endpoint protection space – last month, the vendor raised $1.2 billion at their IPO. In a word, the Mountain Valley, California firm has made a name for itself. In May, MITRE ATT&CK evaluations showed SentinelOne detected 100% of attack techniques, beating out PAN and Trend Micro. For enhancing SOC-level operations with end-to-end infrastructure visibility, SentinelOne offers Singularity XDR. Features include an easy-to-use automation ecosystem, enhanced SOAR functionality, and machine speed containment.

On Gartner Peer Insights, SentinelOne holds a 4.9/5 star rating over 339 reviews. For Gartner’s platform, SentinelOne is the highest-rated and most reviewed XDR 

solution. In the most recent reviews of the EDR market, SentinelOne is a Strong Performer in the Forrester Wave and a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant. In the latest MITRE Carabanak+FIN7 Evaluations for EDR, SentinelOne had an overall detection rate of 100% between telemetry and analytic detections.

For XDR-focused solutions, Cisco offers SecureX and Secure Endpoint. In addition to traditional EDR capabilities, XDR features include advanced incident management, threat intelligence, automation, and orchestration. Other benefits include endpoint forensics, machine learning analysis, and script protection for blocking specific DLLs.

On Gartner Peer Insights, Cisco holds a 4/5 star rating over 75 reviews. Cisco was named a Visionary in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant. In the latest MITRE Carabanak+FIN7 Evaluations for EDR, Cisco had an overall detection rate of 70.11% between telemetry and analytic detections.

McAfee is now under the Trellix name after merging with FireEye, although McAfee’s cloud products will soon become a separate company. As Trellix rebrands the merged products, many McAfee and FireEye products will be included in the Trellix XDR platform.

Longtime security software brand McAfee continues to adapt to paradigm-shifting technologies, including offering MVISION XDR. The Santa Clara, California company, points to the litany of operational inefficiencies of modern security operations centers (SOC) for why XDR is the solution of the future. McAfee boasts that MVISION XDR is a proactive, sensitive data-aware, and cross-infrastructure platform built to bring endpoint, network, and cloud data together. McAfee offers a solution that can correlate alerts, automate investigation playbooks, and hunt malicious activity.

On Gartner Peer Insights, McAfee holds a 4.7/5 star rating over 39 reviews. While Gartner places McAfee as a Leader in the 2021 Magic Quadrant for EDR solutions, the most recent Forrester Wave only put the enterprise provider as a Contender. In the latest MITRE Carabanak+FIN7 Evaluations for EDR, McAfee had an overall detection rate of 86.78% between telemetry and analytic detections.

Started in 2012, Cybereason’s roots are in the Israeli intelligence community and, while still a relatively small team, their rise in the cybersecurity industry has been impressive. Offering EDR managed security services like managed detection and response (MDR) and network assessments, Cybereason has a platform of security solutions that form the Cybereason Defense Platform. Uniting all endpoints and extending visibility across the network infrastructure, Cybereason offers automated controls and remediation, and actionable threat intelligence.

On Gartner Peer Insights, Cybereason holds a 4.4/5 star rating over 110 reviews. In the most recent review of EDR vendors, the Gartner Magic Quadrant placed Cybereason as a Visionary in 2021, and the Forrester Wave put the vendor as a Strong Performer. In the latest MITRE Carabanak+FIN7 Evaluations for EDR

Cybereason had an overall detection rate of 91.95% between telemetry and analytic detections.

Palo Alto Networks is a global leader in enterprise cybersecurity solutions, and not only coined the term “XDR” but also created the industry’s first-ever XDR product—Cortex XDR. Cortex XDR comes in two versions: Prevent and Pro. Prevent includes next-gen antivirus and protection for endpoints only—it doesn’t include detection and response, threat hunting, and forensics. This is why we recommend Pro, which incorporates telemetry for endpoints, networks, cloud, and third-party sources, as well the full suite of features outlined below.

Cortex XDR Pro works by integrating telemetry from a range of sources to help security teams more effectively detect, investigate, and respond to sophisticated threats and attacks. With advanced endpoint protection, organizations can block malware, exploits, and fileless attacks, as well as detect sophisticated threats using behavioral analysis, machine learning, and AI capabilities. Threat investigation and response is then made easy because of the platform’s powerful incident management, automated root cause analysis, in-depth forensics, and advanced response capabilities.

Users rate Cortex XDR highly for its advanced investigation capabilities, detailed insights, and easy integration with other Palo Alto Networks products. However, some users report experiencing a high number of false positives. We recommend Cortex XDR for mid-sized and enterprise organizations looking for a powerful, well-established XDR solution, as well as for existing Palo Alto Networks customers that are looking to build on their existing tooling (for example, Cortex XSOAR).

Founded in 1985, Sophos is a well-established cybersecurity software vendor that offers an expansive portfolio of services—including solutions for endpoint, network, email, cloud, and web. Part of its Intercept X platform, Sophos XDR provides security teams and IT administrators with holistic, synchronized data (spanning across endpoints, servers, firewalls, email, cloud, and Microsoft 365) alongside strong threat protection, deep analysis, and response.

What sets Sophos apart is that it’s a highly data-driven solution. The product collects telemetry across a range of tools and can leverage both real-time and historic data from the Sophos Data Lake to contextualize threats. The solution can then combine artificial intelligence and machine learning with threat intelligence to provide a prioritized risk score for each threat detected. Threat response is then easy, with the ability to remotely access devices and remediate any issues.

Users praise Sophos XDR for its high level of visibility across environments and easy-to-use interface—but some users note experiencing a high number of alerts, and that customer support can be poor. Intercept X is a scalable platform that’s compatible with all major operating systems across most devices. Because of this, we recommend Sophos XDR for businesses of all sizes that are looking for an XDR solution that provides advanced data aggregation across silos.

In less than a decade, Crowdstrike and their flagship product line Falcon have changed the cybersecurity industry. Analysts believe the endpoint protection and threat intelligence unicorn is a leading candidate to take the XDR market by storm. Falcon software plans and capabilities include advanced anti-virus (AV), threat intelligence and threat hunting, firewall management, EDR, and incident response. For an enterprise of any size, Crowdstrike offers multiple tiered plans and standalone licences for specific solutions.

On Gartner Peer Insights, Crowdstrike holds a 4.9/5 star rating over 263 reviews. Crowdstrike is the third-most reviewed solution on Gartner behind SentinelOne and VMware. In the most recent review of the EDR market, Gartner and Forrester listed Crowdstrike as a Leader. In the latest MITRE Carabanak+FIN7 Evaluations for EDR, Crowdstrike had an overall detection rate of 87.93% between telemetry and analytic detections.

Indeed evolving with the times, Symantec Security Solutions are Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), zero trust security, and what we’re here for – the Symantec XDR. Broadcom’s XDR solution gathers telemetry from workstations, servers, phones, tablets, emails, cloud, third-party applications, and more to offer advanced insights. Other features include data normalisation, risk scoring, and automated attack surface reduction.

On Gartner Peer Insights, Symantec holds a 4.5/5 star rating over 152 reviews. In the most recent Gartner Magic Quadrant, Broadcom Symantec was named a Visionary. In the latest MITRE Carabanak+FIN7 Evaluations for EDR, Symantec had an overall detection rate of 91.38% between telemetry and analytic detections.