An expensive alphabet soup
When it comes to protecting a business, you get bombarded with acronyms: EDR, MDR, XDR, SOC. Every vendor pushes their own, and it becomes hard to know what you are actually buying. Here is a plain explanation.
Antivirus: the front door, not the summit
Traditional antivirus compares files against a list of known threats. Useful, but outmatched by modern attacks that use no recognizable file. It is the minimum, not the protection.
EDR: the security camera for your devices
EDR, endpoint detection and response, continuously monitors the behavior of your computers and servers. Instead of looking for a known file, it spots a suspicious action, such as a process trying to encrypt thousands of files. It can isolate the affected device automatically.
The catch: EDR generates alerts. Without someone to analyze them, they go nowhere.
MDR: EDR plus experts on watch
MDR, managed detection and response, adds the human element. A team of specialists watches your alerts around the clock, sorts the real from the false and steps in when needed. For an SMB with no in-house security team, this is often the most sensible option: the technology and the eyes watching it.
SOC: the nerve center
A SOC, security operations center, is the team and infrastructure that provide that monitoring, often 24 hours a day. You do not need to build your own, which would cost a fortune. You can access one through a partner.
What your SMB actually needs
Not sure where you stand? Let's discuss your current level of protection and what would have the most impact.
