In short
Extended detection and response (XDR) is security technology that collects and correlates detections from endpoints, identities, email, network and cloud services, groups related alerts into a single incident and lets you investigate and respond across those areas from one console. It builds on EDR, and differs from a SIEM by focusing on detection and response rather than log collection.
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Tell us roughly how many users or sites you have and we will reply by email with options and a quote.
What is extended detection and response?
Endpoint detection and response records and analyses what happens on devices. That is powerful, but an endpoint only sees part of an attack. The phishing email that started it sits in your email security, the suspicious sign-in in your identity provider, the data leaving the network in your firewall.
Extended detection and response, usually shortened to XDR, brings those signals together. Sensors or integrations feed detections and telemetry from several layers into one platform, which correlates them, so an analyst sees a single incident: the email, the sign-in, the device and the server, in order. From the same place they can isolate the device, disable the account, block the sender or block an address at the firewall.
The practical benefits are fewer, better alerts and faster investigations, which matters most to small teams and to the vendor-run managed services that rely on XDR data.
What XDR correlates
| Layer | Typical signals | Typical response actions |
|---|---|---|
| Endpoints | Process, file, registry and network activity from the EDR agent | Isolate device, kill process, roll back |
| Identity | Unusual sign-ins, account misuse, privilege escalation, directory changes | Disable account, force password reset, revoke sessions |
| Email and collaboration | Phishing, malicious links and attachments, suspicious mailbox rules | Remove message, block sender |
| Network | Scanning, lateral movement, command-and-control traffic, data exfiltration | Block address or traffic at the firewall |
| Cloud | Audit logs, configuration changes and suspicious activity in cloud services | Revert change, restrict access |
Identity is often the most valuable addition, because so many attacks start with a stolen password. Our Cloud Security site covers identity threat detection and response in its own right.
Not sure which option fits? Ask us
Tell us what you need and we will recommend the right option for your organisation, with a quote.
Native XDR vs open XDR
XDR products take two broad approaches, and many now combine them:
- Native XDR correlates data from one vendor's own products: its endpoint agent, email security, firewall and identity tools. Integration is tight and response actions work out of the box, but you get the most value if you use several products from that vendor.
- Open (or hybrid) XDR also takes in data from other vendors' tools through integrations, so you can keep the firewall or email security you already have. Coverage depends on which integrations exist and how deep they go.
If you already run a lot of one vendor's products, native XDR is often the simpler route. If your estate is mixed, check exactly which of your existing tools a platform can take data from, and whether it can act on them as well as read them.
XDR options we supply
These are the XDR offerings of the vendors we supply, in their own names. Which sensors or add-ons you need is confirmed at quote.
| Vendor | XDR offering | What it brings together |
|---|---|---|
| CrowdStrike | Falcon Insight XDR | CrowdStrike's EDR unified with identity, cloud and mobile telemetry, with third-party data in the same console, Falcon Fusion SOAR and Charlotte AI-assisted investigation |
| Bitdefender | GravityZone XDR | GravityZone EDR plus optional XDR sensors for identity, productivity apps such as Microsoft 365, network and cloud, with related detections correlated into one incident |
| WatchGuard | ThreatSync XDR | Correlates Endpoint Security detections with what Fireboxes and other WatchGuard products see in WatchGuard Cloud; actions include blocking an address on a Firebox, isolating a device or disabling a user in Active Directory or AuthPoint |
| Sophos | Sophos XDR | Sold as Sophos XDR Powered by Secureworks: Sophos EDR plus supported third-party security data, cross-product correlation, an AI Assistant for investigations and automated response playbooks |
| Check Point | Harmony Endpoint XDR | Infinity XDR correlates Check Point Endpoint Security events with the rest of your Check Point estate, in the top edition or as an add-on |
| TrendAI | TrendAI Vision One XDR | XDR sensors for endpoints, email, networks and cloud correlated and investigated from one workbench, with Security Operations adding Agentic SIEM and Agentic SOAR |
If you are standardising on Microsoft 365 security instead, our Cloud Security site covers Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and how it fits into Microsoft's own XDR. Licensing detail is on our XDR and EDR software pages. Pricing depends on users, devices, sensors and data volumes, so ask us for a quote.
Is extended detection and response (XDR) the right fit for you?
We will check it against your systems and requirements and recommend the right option.
XDR vs SIEM
A security information and event management (SIEM) system and XDR overlap, and some vendors now sell both on one platform, but they start from different places:
| XDR | SIEM | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Detection and response across security layers | Collecting and keeping logs from almost any source |
| Data | Curated security telemetry from the vendor's sensors and supported integrations | Raw logs from servers, applications, network devices and security tools |
| Detection | Built-in, vendor-maintained correlation and analytics | Rules and analytics you or your provider write and tune, plus vendor content |
| Response | Built-in actions on endpoints, accounts, email and network | Usually through a separate or bundled SOAR tool |
| Retention and compliance | Enough history for investigation; varies by product | Long-term retention for audit and compliance is a core purpose |
| Effort to run | Lower: works largely out of the box | Higher: onboarding sources, tuning rules and managing data volumes |
| Typical fit | Small and mid-sized teams, and managed services built on one platform | Organisations with log retention requirements, many custom sources or their own security operations team |
Many organisations do not need to choose one. Several vendors we supply offer SIEM alongside XDR, for example CrowdStrike Falcon Next-Gen SIEM, Sophos Next-Gen SIEM as an XDR add-on, and Agentic SIEM within TrendAI Vision One Security Operations, so you can add longer retention and wider log sources later.
EDR vs SIEM
EDR and SIEM are rarely alternatives. EDR records detailed activity on devices and responds there; a SIEM collects logs from many systems, including EDR, and keeps them for search, correlation and compliance. If you have to choose where to start, EDR on every device with someone watching the alerts usually reduces risk faster than a SIEM nobody tunes. XDR sits between the two: wider than EDR, more focused and less effort than a SIEM. For the difference between EDR, XDR and a managed service, see EDR vs XDR vs MDR on our Cloud Security site.
Who watches XDR?
XDR reduces noise, but someone still has to act on the incidents it raises. Most of the XDR vendors above also run their own managed services on top: CrowdStrike Falcon Complete, Bitdefender MDR, WatchGuard Total MDR (which takes in Firebox, network, identity, Microsoft 365 and cloud sources), Sophos MDR and Check Point MDR among them. Our Cloud Security site explains managed detection and response, and our threat hunting guide covers proactive searching.
We help you decide whether XDR is worth it for your estate, which sensors or integrations add real value, and who will respond. Contact us to talk about extended detection and response.
How Forever Systems helps with endpoint security
We are an independent UK IT and cyber security provider. We supply and support endpoint security from several vendors, so we can recommend what fits your devices, your people and your budget rather than one vendor's answer to everything.
- Start with what you have: we can review your current antivirus, EDR and Microsoft 365 licences before suggesting anything new
- Vendor-aware advice on EDR, XDR and managed detection and response, including CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, WatchGuard, Bitdefender, Sophos and Check Point Harmony
- Deployment help: planning a rollout, replacing an existing product and setting sensible policies for device control, encryption and patching
- Policies and compliance: we help you map your controls to Cyber Essentials and the NCSC's device guidance
- Ongoing support options, such as policy tuning, renewals and regular reviews, agreed and confirmed at quote
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations. Tell us about your devices and we will suggest a sensible next step.
Frequently asked questions
What is extended detection and response?
Extended detection and response (XDR) collects and correlates detections from endpoints, identities, email, network and cloud services, groups related alerts into one incident and lets you investigate and respond across those areas from one console.
What is the difference between EDR and XDR?
EDR focuses on endpoints: it records device activity, detects attacks and responds on the device. XDR builds on EDR by adding signals from identity, email, network and cloud, so an attack that crosses those areas appears as one incident with response actions in each.
Is XDR a replacement for SIEM?
Not necessarily. XDR focuses on detection and response with vendor-maintained analytics. A SIEM collects logs from almost any source and keeps them long term for search and compliance. Smaller organisations often find XDR enough; those with retention requirements or many custom sources may need both.
What is open XDR?
Open or hybrid XDR takes in data from other vendors' security tools through integrations, not just the XDR vendor's own products. It lets you keep existing tools, but coverage depends on which integrations exist and whether they support response actions.
Do I need XDR or MDR?
XDR is technology; managed detection and response is a service in which a vendor's analysts monitor and respond for you. Many MDR services run on XDR platforms. If nobody can watch alerts out of hours, an MDR service matters more than which layers you correlate.
Still have a question about extended detection and response (XDR)?
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