What is MDR (Managed Detection and Response)?

MDR (Managed Detection and Response) is EDR with people. The EDR platform generates alerts; the MDR service has trained analysts watching those alerts 24/7, investigating what's real vs. noise, and taking response actions when something serious shows up.

Why MDR exists

EDR generates a lot of alerts — many are false positives, many are low-severity, and a few are real attacks in progress. Sorting through them takes specialized expertise and continuous attention. Most SMBs can't staff a 24/7 security operations center; MDR services rent you one.

What MDR typically includes

• EDR platform deployment and tuning
• 24/7 SOC analyst monitoring — real humans watching alerts overnight, weekends, holidays
• Triage and investigation — analysts determine which alerts are real threats
• Response actions — isolating infected endpoints, killing malicious processes, sometimes reaching out to confirm legitimate activity with your team
• Threat hunting — proactive searches for indicators that didn't trigger an alert
• Incident response coordination — when something serious happens, MDR helps coordinate the full response

MDR vs. building your own SOC

A real 24/7 SOC needs minimum 6 analysts (3 shifts, coverage for time off), plus management, plus tooling. All-in cost: $1M+ annually. MDR services deliver equivalent coverage for $25-$80 per user per month depending on scale. For everyone but the largest enterprises, MDR is the right answer.

Common MDR services

Huntress (SMB-focused), SentinelOne Vigilance, CrowdStrike Falcon Complete, Sophos MDR, Arctic Wolf, eSentire, Red Canary.