EDR, XDR and Exposure Management: Three layers of protection against today’s cyber threats
EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response) monitors computers and servers in real time and stops ongoing threats based on behavioural analysis. XDR (Extended Detection & Response) extends protection to identities, Microsoft 365 and cloud services for a cohesive view of the entire IT environment. Exposure Management complements with proactive risk management that identifies and prioritises vulnerabilities before they are exploited. Together, the three components provide comprehensive protection tailored to how cyberattacks actually look today. Here we tell you more.
Tuesday evening, 11:30 PM
A computer in your office suddenly starts renaming hundreds of files on the company's shared server. Documents, spreadsheets and customer contracts are systematically encrypted. No one is at the computer. No one notices anything.
What is happening is an ongoing ransomware attack, and the question is how long it will take before someone discovers it and what happens in the meantime?
Most attacks don't start with a virus
The image of IT attacks as malicious files and email attachments is somewhat simplified. In reality, most breaches start with a hijacked account, a misconfiguration in the cloud, or a known vulnerability that has never been addressed. Threats have become faster, smarter and more automated. They exploit users, identities and cloud services rather than classic viruses. Traditional antivirus is often built for a different time. They look for known threats, but today's attacks are smarter than that.
What happens without proactive IT protection?
In the Tuesday scenario, proactive protection was missing, which meant no one reacted during the night. The attack spread undisturbed to more servers and shared spaces. In the morning, employees are faced with locked files and a ransom demand. Operations come to a halt. How long this will last is still unknown.
But it could have been different. In a parallel scenario, an attacker has not encrypted anything at all, but silently taken over a user account via a phishing link in Teams. The account is used to access SharePoint, forward emails and map the organisation from within. No file triggers an alarm. Everything looks normal until it is too late.
What is happening is an ongoing ransomware attack, and the question is how long it will take before someone discovers it and what can happen in the meantime?
What is EDR? Stop threats in real time
With the security agent EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response) in place, Tuesday evening would have looked different. EDR is the foundation of proactive security protection and a minimum level for all our customers' security setups.
The system monitors computers and servers in real time and responds to behaviours, not just known virus files. When hundreds of files are suddenly renamed within seconds, EDR detects the abnormal behaviour, automatically isolates the computer from the network, and alerts the security team before the attack has a chance to spread.
What is XDR? See and protect the entire IT environment
In the phishing scenario, however, EDR would not have helped, as no malicious file was installed and nothing unexpected happened on the device. This is where XDR (Extended Detection & Response) comes into play. XDR extends protection beyond individual devices to identities, Microsoft 365, and the cloud, providing a cohesive picture instead of isolated alerts.
The system would have detected the recurring login attempts in Entra ID, flagged the account takeover, and connected the chain of events: phishing link à account takeover à access to sensitive areas. XDR also monitors Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive and provides insight into which accounts are being targeted, which is valuable even if MFA is already in use.
Exposure Management reduces risk going forward
Both attacks above exploited something that already existed. An unpatched vulnerability, a misconfiguration, or an account without sufficient protection. The attackers didn't need to be brilliant, they just need to find a door that was already ajar. Exposure management is about finding, closing, and locking those doors before it's too late.
This type of proactive, ongoing risk management identifies vulnerabilities in servers, clients, and networks, reviews Azure and M365 configurations, and prioritises risks based on known CVEs. It all results in a clear report of what is most important to address first, not a long list of technical warnings. It also provides support for those covered by NIS2.
The attackers didn't need to be brilliant, they just need to find a door that is already ajar. Exposure management is about finding, closing, and locking those doors before it's too late.
Three parts, one whole
Together the three parts form a protection that matches how attacks actually look today.
EDR protects endpoints in real time and stops threats happening now. XDR monitors the entire IT environment including identities and cloud, reducing the need for manual management. Exposure management identifies risks and prioritises actions proactively, for a safer environment ahead.
We help you get started, from EDR as a foundation to a complete solution with XDR and exposure management, no matter what your current situation looks like.
5 common questions and answers about EDR, XDR and Exposure Management
- What is EDR?
EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response) is a security solution that monitors computers and servers in real time. Unlike traditional antivirus, EDR focuses on behaviour analysis and can automatically isolate devices, stop ransomware and alert on suspicious activity around the clock. - What is XDR and how does it differ from EDR?
XDR (Extended Detection & Response) extends protection from individual devices to also include identities, Microsoft 365, cloud services and email. While EDR protects endpoints, XDR provides a cohesive view of threats across the entire IT environment, enabling detection of, for example, account takeovers and phishing attacks. - What is Exposure Management?
Exposure Management is a proactive and ongoing risk management that identifies vulnerabilities in servers, clients, networks and cloud configurations. It prioritises which risks should be addressed first based on known CVEs and provides support for compliance with, among others, NIS2. - Why is traditional antivirus not enough?
Traditional antivirus looks for known threats and malicious files. Today's attacks instead exploit hijacked accounts, misconfigurations and vulnerabilities, methods that do not trigger classic virus alarms. Therefore, behaviour-based solutions like EDR and XDR are needed. - How are EDR, XDR and Exposure Management connected?
The three components complement each other: EDR stops ongoing threats on devices in real time, XDR monitors the entire IT environment including identities and cloud, and Exposure Management identifies and prioritises vulnerabilities proactively. Together, they provide comprehensive protection that matches today's threat landscape.
