Microsoft Security: Protecting your environment with Managed Detection and Response

Microsoft has been the world’s number one software provider for over 30 years, with approximately 90% of all computers currently running a version of the Windows operating system.

In August 2021, Microsoft announced a fourfold increase in its already high levels of cybersecurity investment. At the time, the company pledged to invest $20 billion over the next five years to advance its security offerings.

Over the past several years, organizations of all sizes in all verticals began shifting more of their infrastructure to the cloud to support remote workers and improve agility.

Many organizations are transforming their infrastructure to reduce the problem of multiple security vendors and consolidating their technology stacks.

By doing these things, organizations can become more agile, reduce costs, and simplify their technologies.

Why Microsoft Security

Maintaining a strong security posture requires far more than tools and technologies. Microsoft Security solutions also must be tuned, optimized, and properly managed. This means you need access to the right expertise 24/7.

The challenge for many organizations is the lack of security skills, jobs being unfilled, training and retaining talent, and in-house capabilities are lacking.

The cybersecurity workforce needs to grow by 65% to defend critical assets.

The case for Managed Detection and Response (MDR)

As a result, many growing and maturing companies are upgrading from Microsoft 365 E3 licensing to Microsoft 365 E5 because it includes far more extensive security and compliance capabilities.

To obtain comparable prevention, detection, visibility, and response capabilities, an organization would need to purchase solutions from at least four distinct security vendors.

By bundling their E5 licensing together with Microsoft 365 and Azure licensing, Microsoft Security users will save 50% to 60% over the costs of a multi-vendor best-of-breed security tool stack.

By moving to the Microsoft Security suite, your organization can leverage endpoint, email, identity, and cloud security capabilities as well as security information and event management (SIEM) and security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) functionalities – all consolidated within a fully integrated and easy to manage platform.

To contain today’s growing cyber threats, defenders must take a multi-signal approach that protects the entirety of the attack surface.

They also need rapid response and containment capabilities that can stop even the most sophisticated adversaries at any stage of the attack lifecycle.

This is exactly what leading Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solutions offer.

To ensure this multi-layered approach to security, your organization requires human expertise. You need people who can monitor, support, tune, optimize, integrate, investigate, and respond within the Microsoft Security ecosystem to maximize its value.

This is where MDR comes in. A top-notch MDR provider gives your organization access to the skills and expertise you need to operationalize Microsoft’s capabilities and harden your defenses across the entirety of the Microsoft Security ecosystem.

Organizations should look to partner with providers that are highly certified, active members of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA), and are certified as Microsoft Security Partners. MISA members have demonstrated expertise in managing, and securing, the entire Microsoft Security suite 24/7.

The Economic Impact of MDR for Microsoft

For a security team to achieve high-quality 24/7 threat detection, investigation, and response, two essential elements are needed:

• High-quality tools

• High-quality expertise

Microsoft provides high-quality tools, but they still need to be configured properly and monitored 24/7.

Organizations have traditionally sought out managed security services providers (MSSPs) for this support, but that presents limitations.. For one, traditional MSSPs inundate security teams with alerts and false positives. Moreover, MSSPs focus on preventative measures and a high-level overview of security posture. Actively responding to threats isn’t their strong point.

Top-tier Managed Detection and Response (MDR), on the other hand, goes much further than the alerting that MSSPs offered in the past, providing complete response and remediation capabilities.

This is especially important considering how organizations’ security needs are currently shifting.

• 35% Technology Cost Savings
• 50% Reduction in total implementation and management costs
• 80% Reduction in total management costs

There are five core capabilities that an MDR solution must have for robust protection: Threat intelligence, Visibility, Automation, Human-led threat detection, response and remediation, and Risk reduction over time.

To achieve these capabilities you need the technology, tools, processes, and people. This is difficult and expensive to achieve for most organizations without hiring security staff and building your own 24/7 SOC.

What to look for in an MDR provider for Microsoft

1) Can they handle all the technologies that are in use in your environment, including those not from Microsoft?

2) Do you have expertise in monitoring, threat hunting, incident containment, and response across both Microsoft and non-Microsoft infrastructures?

3) How many Microsoft customers do you work with?

4) What certifications do you hold? Are you a Microsoft Gold Partner, have you obtained Microsoft Security Competency Certification, etc?

Also, look for an MDR provider that belongs to the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA).

For example, eSentire, a global leader in MDR can provide the following capabilities:

Conclusion

To realize the full value of your investment in Microsoft Security, you need an experienced, certified, and trustworthy partner who can manage these solutions 24/7 to shrink attacker dwell times and reduce the risks of business disruption.

Combining first-rate MDR with your existing investment in the Microsoft ecosystem can significantly reduce your overall security spend and put your business ahead of threat disruption.

Contact me at rcarter@netsharx.com for more information on MDR providers and their capabilities to help you protect your Microsoft environment.