Managed SIEM vs. MDR
In today's cyber arena, the stakes are higher than ever. Businesses must navigate a dynamic environment where cyber adversaries are constantly innovating to breach defenses and exploit vulnerabilities. Despite advancements in security tools, a pressing issue remains: the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals. There's just too much to monitor and not enough staff available.
In a recent report, 73% of security professionals in small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) said they either missed, ignored, or failed to act on high-priority security alerts. Their reason? Not enough staff and not enough time.1
To address staff resource and expertise gaps, many organizations are supplementing their security teams with outsourced services like managed security information and event management (SIEM) and managed detection and response (MDR). These services are instrumental in providing proactive monitoring, rapid incident response, and round-the-clock protection against cyber threats that could compromise sensitive data and disrupt business operations.
Anywhere Real Estate
Read this customer story and learn how Anywhere Real Estate, a real estate conglomerate based in New Jersey, flips its security posture for the better with CrowdStrike.
Read Customer StoryManaged SIEM
A traditional SIEM provides visibility into malicious activity by pulling data from every corner of an environment and aggregating it in a single centralized platform. This takes a lot of know-how, and this is where a managed SIEM service can help. By harnessing the collective knowledge and proficiency of a team of seasoned experts, managed SIEM not only streamlines the complexities of threat detection but enhances the efficacy of the SIEM system. Through robust log ingestion, correlation, and analysis from diverse sources across the organization's digital landscape, managed SIEM delivers centralized visibility and proactive threat detection capabilities.
Additionally, managed SIEM services facilitate compliance reporting, helping organizations meet regulatory requirements and demonstrate adherence to industry standards. With robust capabilities supported by an expert team, managed SIEM offers centralized visibility and early detection of security events, helping organizations identify potential threats before they can disrupt business operations.
MDR
MDR is a cybersecurity service that combines technology and human expertise to detect and respond to cyber threats in real time. Unlike traditional security solutions that primarily focus on prevention, MDR services continuously monitor networks, endpoints, and cloud environments to identify suspicious activities and potential breaches. MDR providers offer round-the-clock monitoring, threat hunting, incident response, and remediation services, empowering organizations to strengthen their security posture and swiftly mitigate cyber risks.
Comparative analysis
To help you better understand the scope of these managed services and determine which one suits your needs, let's compare some of their main attributes.
| Managed SIEM | MDR | |
|---|---|---|
| Detection and response | Think of managed SIEM as a detection powerhouse. The SIEM ingests and analyzes data from across the organization, and the service provider’s security experts review the data, assess detections, and raise prioritized alerts. | An MDR service’s detection capabilities depend on the underlying technology (or technologies) that the service provider includes. That said, the provider will likely have an endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution with an agent on the endpoints. This enables the MDR service provider to proactively tackle response efforts as part of the service. |
| Scalability and flexibility | Managed SIEM is a highly scalable service that offers in-depth expertise from the provider to optimize SIEM detections and triage alerts, and it is ideal for organizations with existing security teams. | MDR services provide scalable solutions with cloud-based platforms that are adaptable to dynamic environments. These services are suitable for organizations seeking comprehensive service support across all security fronts. |
| Cost-effectiveness | Managed SIEM is a subscription-based service that includes a SIEM platform and staff augmentation. Outsourcing expertise reduces investment costs and the burden on the organization's internal security team. | MDR is a subscription-based threat detection and incident response service. The cost will depend on the scope of technologies included in the offering. |
Future trends
Several emerging trends are reshaping the cybersecurity landscape, with AI and automation at the forefront.
As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, the integration of AI-powered analytics models offers unparalleled capabilities in identifying and mitigating potential risks. Managed SIEM and MDR providers are adapting their services to harness the power of AI, leveraging advanced analytics to increase threat detection efficiency and accuracy.
Additionally, automation helps security service providers tackle routine tasks and initiate remediation workflows, expediting response actions and reducing the opportunities for data breaches. By embracing AI-driven technologies and automation, managed SIEM and MDR providers are poised to offer even more advanced and proactive cybersecurity services.
Choosing a managed service
In determining which managed service best fits your organization’s needs, it's good to focus on areas where your security team needs the most assistance.
For organizations that have an internal security team capable of handling response efforts but are in need of expert support to manage the SIEM, optimize detections, and fulfill compliance log monitoring requirements, a managed SIEM service is an ideal match.
If your organization lacks internal security staff resources and needs support across the attack life cycle — from detection to response — then MDR is a good match. By recognizing your distinct security needs and aligning them with the appropriate managed security service, you can effectively bolster your organization's security defenses and mitigate the risks posed by evolving threats.
Falcon Next-Gen SIEM Data Sheet
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Chris Bowie is a Product Marketing Manager for CrowdStrike's managed detection and response (MDR) service, Falcon Complete. She has over 5 years of experience in the IT field and at CrowdStrike is focused on helping customers stop breaches with managed services. Prior to joining CrowdStrike, she held roles in product marketing and demand generation for Infrastructure and Observability solutions. Chris currently resides in Austin, Texas and is a graduate of SOAS, University of London.
