How can you use endpoint detection and response tools in SOC operations?

Endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools are software solutions that monitor, detect, and respond to cyber threats on endpoints, such as laptops, desktops, servers, or mobile devices. EDR tools can help security operations center (SOC) teams improve their visibility, analysis, and response capabilities across the network. In this article, you will learn how you can use EDR tools in SOC operations to enhance your security posture and mitigate risks.

Find expert answers in this collaborative article

Selected by the community from 3 contributions. Learn more

1 What is EDR?

EDR stands for endpoint detection and response, a type of cybersecurity tool that collects and analyzes data from endpoints to identify and respond to potential threats. EDR tools can provide continuous monitoring, threat detection, threat intelligence, automated response, and forensic investigation capabilities. EDR tools can help SOC teams gain more insight into the endpoint activity, behavior, and status, as well as reduce the dwell time and impact of attacks.

Add your perspective

2 Why is EDR important for SOC operations?

EDR is essential for SOC operations as it can help teams become more efficient and effective in detecting and responding to cyber threats. EDR tools provide real-time and historical data on endpoint events, processes, files, network connections, and user actions which can help SOC teams gain more context and visibility into the endpoint environment and the threat landscape. Additionally, EDR tools leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning, and threat intelligence to analyze endpoint data and detect anomalies, indicators of compromise, and attack patterns. This helps reduce false positives, prioritize alerts, and perform root cause analysis. Finally, EDR tools enable SOC teams to execute predefined or customized actions to contain, isolate, or remediate compromised endpoints. This reduces the manual effort, human error, and response time involved in mitigating threats.

Add your perspective

M. Yousuf Faisal

I help cyber & business leaders with Securing Things (IT, OT/ICS, IIOT, digital transformation/4.0 journey, & AI) & share everything I learn at securingthings.blog | securingthings.academy
(edited)
Report contribution
As the critical data and most of the malicious activities evolves around the endpoints, hence EDR tools are an essential elements of the overall defense-in-depth security stack for endpoint protection, detection and response capabilities. As part of the overall SOC monitoring/detection and response capabilities, leveraging the use of EDR tools provides contextual visibility of activities, anomalies and behavior analysis on endpoints for the SOC analysts and their ability to take quick and approproiate actions to contain, isolate, remediate and eradicate compromised endpoints.

Like

3 How to choose an EDR tool for your SOC operations?

When selecting an EDR tool for your SOC operations, you should consider its coverage, integration, scalability, and usability. Ensure the tool can support the types, locations, and platforms of endpoints you need to protect, such as Windows, Linux, Mac, cloud, or mobile devices. Additionally, it should integrate with your existing security tools and systems like SIEM, firewall, antivirus, or vulnerability scanner to improve data collection, correlation, and analysis. Moreover, the EDR tool should be able to scale with your endpoint growth and complexity while handling large volumes of data and alerts without sacrificing performance or reliability. Finally, it should have a user-friendly interface with customizable and flexible features that fit your SOC team's skill level, workflow, and preferences.

Add your perspective

4 How to implement an EDR tool in your SOC operations?

Implementing an EDR tool in your SOC operations requires careful planning, testing, and deployment. To ensure success, you should define your objectives and metrics, assess your endpoint environment, select and test the EDR tool, and deploy and monitor it. Defining objectives and metrics will help you measure success, while assessing the endpoint environment can identify security gaps and risks. When selecting an EDR tool, make sure it matches your needs, goals, budget, and resources. Testing the tool in a pilot or sandbox environment will ensure its functionality, compatibility, and performance. Finally, deploy the EDR tool in phases and monitor its operation, performance, and results to make adjustments as needed.

Add your perspective

5 How to optimize your EDR tool in your SOC operations?

Optimizing your EDR tool in your SOC operations requires continuous improvement, learning, and feedback. To ensure your EDR tool is operating at its best, you should update and tune it regularly to keep up with the latest threat intelligence, patches, and features. Additionally, you should train and educate your SOC team on how to use the tool effectively. To measure the impact, value, and performance of the EDR tool, you should review and evaluate it periodically. Furthermore, you should solicit and incorporate feedback from your SOC team, stakeholders, and users to identify any issues or opportunities for improvement.

Add your perspective

M. Yousuf Faisal

I help cyber & business leaders with Securing Things (IT, OT/ICS, IIOT, digital transformation/4.0 journey, & AI) & share everything I learn at securingthings.blog | securingthings.academy
Report contribution
As environment changes (solutions, tools, processes gets updated, added, removed), one needs to review the EDR related security policies, settings, whitelisting, exclusions and other settings both for smooth operations and security of the endpoints for the environment. Over time EDR vendors, continue to release updates, patches, fixes of bugs, threat intel packs - needs to be tested and deployed for which clear organizal strategies/policies should be in place. The processes around EDR solution should be closely tide with the endpoint asset & change management lifecycle. And yes its absolutely critical that the team responsible for managing EDR solution is well trained on the features/capabilities, troubleshooting & understanding logs.

Like

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

M. Yousuf Faisal

I help cyber & business leaders with Securing Things (IT, OT/ICS, IIOT, digital transformation/4.0 journey, & AI) & share everything I learn at securingthings.blog | securingthings.academy
(edited)
Report contribution
Solely or over relying on EDR tools for the SOC operations is a wrong approach as there are many known EDR bypasses industry have seen where EDR solutions have been evaded in certain attacks and security researches have demonstrated as Proof of concepts. It has its critical space in security stack needed for defense in depth but ensuring you have network detection and response mechanisms to have an extended response and detection (XDR) in place and enabled for SOC operations.

Like

How can you use endpoint detection and response tools in SOC operations?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 What is EDR?

2 Why is EDR important for SOC operations?

3 How to choose an EDR tool for your SOC operations?

4 How to implement an EDR tool in your SOC operations?

5 How to optimize your EDR tool in your SOC operations?

6 Here’s what else to consider

Cybersecurity

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Cybersecurity

More relevant reading

How can you use endpoint detection and response tools in SOC operations?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 What is EDR?

2 Why is EDR important for SOC operations?

3 How to choose an EDR tool for your SOC operations?

4 How to implement an EDR tool in your SOC operations?

5 How to optimize your EDR tool in your SOC operations?

6 Here’s what else to consider

Cybersecurity

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Explore Other Skills