With malware attacks escalating in number and severity, what can small and medium-sized businesses do to protect their networks without breaking the bank? Read on to learn more about using managed detection and response (MDR) to help detect and mitigate threats to your cybersecurity.

 

The Need for Managed Detection and Response

 

Leading global technology market analysts, Canalys, shared in a LinkedIn post, ransomware attacks are increasing each year. Between the first four months in 2023, and the same period in 2024, publicly disclosed attacks increased by 96%. Between 2022 and 2023, the attacks increased by 68%. These attacks are just the ones that are publicly disclosed. What about attacks on small to medium-sized businesses that not been reported? And what can smaller businesses do if they don’t have the time and resources to constantly monitor their networks?

 

What is MDR and How Does it Work?

 

Enter Managed Detection and Response, or MDR. This option “relies on an external third-party to monitor a company’s IT systems and respond to threats in real time.” Unlike traditional cybersecurity deployments, it is fully managed and delivered by an external provider. MDR is also sometimes called “cybersecurity as a service.” Cybersecurity can be challenging for SMBs especially, as it can require time and effort on the part of the company and even then not all threats can be dealt with. But with the 24/7 monitoring provided by MDR, companies can focus on meeting business goals.

 

Managed Detection and Response combines cybersecurity software, threat intelligence and human (or machine learning powered) intelligence to detect threats to the network, including unpatched software and operating systems, weak passwords, and susceptibility to social engineering (“phishing”) attacks, among others. Not only does MDR quickly analyze suspicious activity, assessing its severity and potential impact, but isolates and neutralizes any threat. Any intelligence gathered about threats will be accessible to machine learning to improve future detection.

 

Further Benefits of Managed Detection and Response

 

Beyond the detection and response capabilities, MDR can help in other ways. By using an external third party, you don’t need to have specialized staff on site. Therefore, you can focus on activities that bring revenue and advance business goals. What’s more, MDR services can work with your existing security solutions, enhancing their reach and effectiveness. For instance, you can combine MDR with an endpoint security solution like Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) for even stronger detection and response.

 

The cloud-based managed detection and response is a way to monitor your network and mitigate threats, preventing costly cyberattacks. For further assistance, contact your trusted Focalized Networks advisor today.