MDR versus SIEM: Why You Need Both

Businesses benefit from both Managed Detection and Response and Security Information and Event Management

Identifying today's threats in the digital space and responding to them requires advanced technology. But you might be surprised to learn that your organization would benefit from having both Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions. While it's common to have just one of these, even small to enterprise-sized businesses would enjoy a higher level of protection when leveraging both. Before we dive down into why you need both MDR and SIEM for your business or organization, let's first explain what each of these technologies delivers.

Understanding Managed Detection and Response

MDR offers threat hunting capability that builds upon other technologies, optimizing your organization's ability to detect and respond to threats in a timely manner. This technology enhances your existing tools, providing for cloud-managed security, threat intelligence, robust analytics, and the availability of experts around the clock.

The threat landscape grows in sophistication every day, and MDR provides a higher level of protection which can shield your organization from attacks that may be able to evade detection by other technologies. Small businesses and enterprises are not exempt from these threats—in fact, cybercriminals know that successful attacks on businesses of this size can be lucrative for them, while large organizations often have more high-level protections and personnel in place. MDR protection typically includes machine learning, behavioral analytics, and professional expertise.

Understanding Security Information and Event Management

SIEM collects and screens log data from network devices, analyzes it, and quickly pinpoints threats, providing real-time threat detection. Multiple sources of event data can be logged and consolidated, whether it's on servers, databases, individual workstations, security devices, and more. This allows network security experts to view and study this information from a single pane of glass. The result: you are alerted to network security issues fast so that defensive action can be deployed quickly. Whether you operate a highly-regulated business, a small business, or an enterprise-sized business, SIEM is an important tool in your network security arsenal.

How MDR and SIEM work together to improve your network security

In today's complex threat landscape, having layered security is key. Your technologies should overlap and provide an extreme depth and breadth of protection. While the temptation is there to invest in a single solution, rarely, if ever, will a single solution provide the network security defense an organization needs. MDR and SIEM work collaboratively to give you the deep, flexible, and layered security solution you need to meet and defeat the threats to your network.

Is it time to bolster your network security?

Network security is never a one-and-done solution. To truly protect your company and your network data, you need layers of security that together can provide a comprehensive solution. Cybercriminals are working round-the-clock to exploit vulnerabilities in your network—you need security solutions that meet them at every potential entry point. That means leveraging both MDR and SIEM, as well as other security solutions. When it's time to get started on the next chapter of your network security, we can help. Contact us to learn more about MDR, SIEM, and the full selection of security options we can provide to your small or enterprise-sized business.