Core Components and Data Sources of XDR

This data is then normalized and analyzed using advanced analytics, machine learning (ML), and threat intelligence to link low-fidelity alerts into high-fidelity incidents.

How does XDR go beyond EDR?

XDR’s primary distinction from EDR is its extended visibility and correlation capabilities.

• EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) focuses exclusively on endpoints (laptops, servers, mobile devices) to detect, investigate, and respond to threats on the device itself.
• XDR aggregates data from endpoints, network, email, and cloud workloads. This allows it to stitch together a full attack storyline. For instance, XDR can trace an attack from a phishing email (email source), to a user clicking a link (endpoint source), to the resulting network beaconing activity (network source). EDR would only see the endpoint activity in isolation.

The result is a consolidated view that reduces alert fatigue and provides security teams with the necessary context for rapid, targeted remediation.

Hexnode’s XDR + UEM Approach: Key Features for Full-Circle Security

Hexnode achieves “full circle security” by natively integrating its XDR solution with the UEM platform, centralizing management and orchestrating automated defenses.

• Unified Console: Access all XDR incidents and UEM device controls from a single dashboard.
• Proactive Prevention: UEM enforces security baselines (patching, encryption) to reduce the attack surface before detection.
• Cross-Domain Context: XDR correlates endpoint telemetry with UEM context (compliance, user, device health) for richer threat prioritization.
• High-Fidelity Detection: Provides real-time monitoring and uses severity scoring to consolidate low-fidelity alerts into actionable incidents.
• One-Click Remediation: Enables immediate response actions like device containment and process neutralization directly from the console.
• Dynamic Response: Automatically triggers stricter UEM policies in response to a detected threat for rapid remediation.

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It works by automatically collecting and connecting security information. This gives you a complete picture of complex threats. It then automatically handles the security response.

By eliminating security silos, XDR provides the context needed to track an attack’s full kill chain, significantly reducing the mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR).

What Problem Do XDR Tools Solve?

XDR tools directly address the key challenges faced by modern Security Operations Centers (SOCs):

• Alert Overload: Traditional tools like SIEM often generate an overwhelming volume of uncorrelated alerts, leading to alert fatigue and missed high-priority threats.
• Siloed Visibility: Attackers exploit the gaps between disparate security products (e.g., endpoint data and cloud logs) to move laterally undetected. XDR stitches these data points together.
• Slow Response: Manual investigation of multi-vector attacks is slow and resource intensive. XDR automates correlation and response actions, allowing human analysts to focus on true threats.

How Do XDR Tools Compare to EDR and SIEM?

XDR is often confused with Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM). The core difference lies in the scope of data collected and the focus of the response.

Hexnode’s Unified Approach to XDR

By seamlessly integrating XDR capabilities directly into the UEM console, Hexnode provides IT and security teams with a single pane of glass to:

• Proactively enforce security policies (UEM).
• Reactively detect, investigate, and isolate threats (XDR).

This integration closes the loop between device management and security response, leading to faster, more informed remediation actions across all enrolled endpoints.

Key Benefits

• Faster Investigations: XDR automatically connects related security warnings (alerts). This cuts down the time analysts need to manually piece together an attack story.
• Complete View: You get a full, easy-to-understand timeline of any attack. This shows exactly how the threat moved across your devices, network, and cloud services.
• Automated Action: XDR allows for decisive, automatic responses across your entire system. For example, it can instantly block a bad email or isolate an infected computer at the same time.
• More Efficient Security Teams: Security Operations Center (SOC) staff receive fewer irrelevant warnings and more reliable, urgent alerts. This makes them much more productive.

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The three core models of XDR

To start with, the XDR market organizes itself into three clear models, separated by the breadth of the underlying data source integration. Understanding these 3 models is much needed for organizations evaluating XDR platforms.

1. Native XDR (Single-vendor XDR)

Native XDR (Single-Vendor XDR) is a security solution built completely by a single vendor. It uses only security telemetry and correlation engines from the vendor’s own product collection, this includes their proprietary EDR, firewall, cloud, and email security tools.

• Key advantage: Native XDR offers the deepest, easiest integration and the highest level of pre-configured, built-in automation because the vendor controls the entire data stack.
• Limitation: It also restricts the organization to the vendor’s specific products, leading to vendor lock-in and potential gaps if the organization uses specialized, top-performing third-party tools.

2. Open XDR

Open XDR is a solution designed to consume, correlate, and analyze data from different third-party security tools like competitor EDR, firewall from a different vendor, third-party SIEMs alongside its own personal tools.

• Key advantage: Open XDR has flexibility, allowing organizations to have their existing, top-performing security investments and integrate them into unified detection and response.
• Limitation: The integration quality and depth of response actions can differ based on the prime and the API access of the third-party tool. It also requires a stronger focus on data normalization.

3. Hybrid XDR

Hybrid XDR is often used to describe solutions that begin as Native XDR but were expanded to include a limited, high-priority set of integrations with third-party tools. This bridges the gap between the two core models.

• Key advantage: Hybrid XDR balances the deep similarities and benefits of a native stack with the essential need to integrate a few critical external data sources like a legacy firewall or a specialized threat intelligence feed.
• Limitation: It offers less extensive third-party coverage than a true Open XDR solution.

XDR model comparison

This table summarizes the core differences between the primary XDR deployment models:

What unique value does Hexnode XDR offer in the XDR landscape?

Hexnode XDR stands apart because it is built upon the foundation of our award-winning, globally adopted Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) solution.

We’ve engineered Hexnode XDR to inherit the UEM platform’s most celebrated attributes: intuitiveness, a minimal learning curve, and IT admin-centric design. Unlike complex, siloed security tools, Hexnode XDR is truly built for the practitioner, simplifying enterprise-level security operations.

Furthermore, the integration is seamless. Hexnode XDR is tightly coupled with Hexnode UEM, enabling UEM-enrolled devices to be onboarded to the XDR platform quickly and easily.

Which XDR is best: Native, Hybrid, or Open XDR?

There is no single best type. The most suited XDR depends entirely on your organizational needs.

• Native XDR is best for organizations prioritizing operational simplicity, deep, seamless correlation, and unified vendor management. The drawback is vendor lock-in.
• Open XDR is best for mature SOCs and allows you to leverage existing security investments and avoid vendor lock-in, but requires higher internal security expertise for integration and maintenance.

Is an Open XDR better than a Native XDR?

Not necessarily. The choice depends entirely on your current security environment and strategy. Native XDR has deeper, easy correlation and simpler deployment. Open XDR is superior for organizations with many existing “best-of-breed” tools, as it allows you to unify telemetry without costly vendor lock-in or replacing your current investments.

If you prioritize integration depth, choose Native; if you prioritize flexibility, choose Open.

What is the biggest risk of using Native XDR?

The biggest risk of using a Native XDR solution is vendor lock-in. By committing to a single vendor, you rely on their roadmap, pricing, and specific product capabilities across endpoints, cloud, and network. If a single component of their stack underperforms, or if their pricing structure changes unfavorably, switching to a different provider becomes costly and operationally complex, as it requires replacing the entire stack.

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XDR is not a replacement for EDR; rather, it is the logical and necessary evolution of EDR. XDR takes the powerful threat detection and context-gathering capabilities of EDR and extends them across the entire IT ecosystem, integrating security data from email, cloud infrastructure, network, and applications.

What is EDR

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) continuously monitors an organization’s endpoints (laptops, desktops, servers, mobile devices) for malicious activity. EDR records endpoint data—such as file changes, process execution, and network connections—and uses analytics and automation to detect, investigate, and respond to threats on those specific devices. Its focus is deep visibility and action at the endpoint level.

What is XDR

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) is a unified security incident detection and response platform that automatically collects and correlates data from multiple security layers (endpoints, email, network, cloud, identity, etc.). XDR provides a centralized, holistic view of an attack, enabling security teams to see the full “kill chain” across the entire infrastructure, leading to faster, more effective threat response than EDR alone. Its focus is cross-domain visibility and coordinated response.

EDR and XDR: A comparison

Hexnode’s Unified Security Approach

Hexnode integrates XDR and UEM to provide a complete “full circle of security,” fundamentally solving the “too many tools” problem for IT and security teams:

• Single Unified Console: Manage all XDR incidents, alerts, and UEM device controls from one intuitive dashboard, eliminating tool-hopping.
• Proactive Defense (UEM): The UEM platform enforces security baselines (e.g., encryption, patching) to proactively harden devices and significantly reduce the attack surface.
• Context-Rich Detection (XDR): XDR correlates endpoint telemetry with rich UEM context (compliance, user status) for high-fidelity threat scoring and faster prioritization.

Commonly asked FAQs

Is XDR a product or a strategy?

XDR is primarily defined as a platform or a product category that implements a security strategy centered on cross-domain data correlation. It represents the industry trend toward vendor-consolidated, simplified security operations.

What is the main benefit of upgrading from EDR to XDR?

The main benefit is enhanced context and reduced noise. EDR can often generate siloed alerts that SOC analysts must manually piece together. XDR automatically connects these alerts into a single, comprehensive incident, reducing the time required for detection, investigation, and mean time to response (MTTR).

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Any organization that stores, processes, or transmits sensitive data and needs to protect against advanced cyber threats like ransomware, fileless malware, and Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) uses EDR.

EDR Use Cases by Organizational Type

EDR is a sophisticated cybersecurity technology that continuously monitors and records all activity on endpoints (such as laptops, servers, and mobile devices) to detect, investigate, and swiftly respond to threats that bypass traditional antivirus software.

For SMBs

• Necessity in Remote Work: SMEs often have less dedicated IT staff, making the comprehensive, automated nature of EDR vital for securing a remote or hybrid workforce that connects to less protected environments.
• Target of Opportunity: Cybercriminals increasingly target SMEs because they often have valuable data (supply chain access, customer information) but lack enterprise-grade defenses. EDR provides advanced detection to close this security gap.
• Compliance Support: Even small firms must meet industry regulations (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS). EDR provides continuous monitoring and detailed audit trails needed to demonstrate security compliance.

For Large Enterprises

• Scale and Complexity: Large organizations have vast, complex networks and thousands of endpoints, making manual investigation impossible. EDR’s automation and centralized analysis are essential for triggering a massive volume of security alerts.
• Advanced Threat Hunting: EDR tools enable dedicated Security Operations Center (SOC) teams to proactively search for subtle, pre-existing threats (threat hunting) that automated systems may have missed.
• Incident Response: EDR is critical for reducing “dwell time”—the period between a breach to start and its detection—by providing the forensic data required for rapid containment, root cause analysis, and effective remediation.

EDR Adoption by Industries

While all sectors benefit, specific industries face regulatory and threat environments that make EDR non-negotiable.

Hexnode’s Unique EDR Value Proposition: UEM-Integrated Security

Organizations that adopt EDR alongside a Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) platform achieve unparalleled efficiency. Hexnode delivers this combined capability, making it a critical choice for security teams. By integrating EDR features directly within the UEM console, Hexnode uniquely offers:

• Single Pane of Glass Control: IT and Security teams can perform a comprehensive device rollback or quarantine an infected device immediately after a threat is detected, all from the same console used for device provisioning and patch management.
• Breadth of Protection: Hexnode manages the broadest range of endpoints—from standard Windows PCs and Macs to specialized devices like digital signage and rugged kiosks—extending EDR’s deep protection to endpoints other solutions often miss.

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EPP vs. Antivirus

Core capabilities of an EPP solution

• Proactive Threat Prevention: This is the smart defense. It uses sophisticated computer analysis (machine learning) to check out files and their characteristics before they even start running, blocking dangerous programs before they can execute.
• Application Control: This simply lets you dictate exactly which programs are allowed to run on a device. By limiting unauthorized software, you significantly reduce the possible ways an attacker can gain entry.
• Centralized Management Console: This acts as the command center. It gives your security team one easy dashboard to manage policies, see all threat notifications, and control every protected device across your entire organization.

Relationship between EPP and EDR

EPP is the prevention tool (First Line). Its main job is to stop threats immediately—think of it as blocking the intruder at the door before they ever get inside your system.

EDR is the cleanup and investigation tool (Second Line). If a threat somehow slips past EPP, EDR constantly records everything happening on the device. This information is crucial for deep dives, actively searching for threats, and automatically fixing problems, such as isolating a device or figuring out exactly how the attack started.

How Hexnode XDR Elevates Security through UEM Integration

Hexnode XDR moves beyond traditional EPP by natively integrating with the UEM platform. This creates a “full circle of security” encompassing prevention, detection, and response in a single, unified console, providing unique advantages:

• Unified Management & Prevention: All XDR security alerts and UEM controls are managed from one dashboard. Hexnode uses UEM to enforce mandatory security baselines, reducing the attack surface before threats can even be detected.
• Contextual Detection: Hexnode XDR collects endpoint telemetry and combines it with crucial UEM context—device compliance, user identity, and location. This integrated view provides the cross-domain visibility needed for faster, more accurate threat prioritization.
• Dynamic Zero-Trust Enforcement: Hexnode instantly triggers UEM policy changes when a threat is detected. For example, a compromised device is automatically marked as non-compliant, immediately blocking its access to sensitive corporate resources via Conditional Access for a rapid, Zero-Trust response.

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Choosing XDR lets organizations to achieve a unified defense strategy that balances endpoints, cloud, network, and identity, going far beyond the endpoint-centric view of EDR alone.

What is EDR?

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is a security feature focused primarily on monitoring, detecting, and responding to threats on individual endpoints such as laptops, desktops, servers, mobile devices.

EDR tools provide deep visibility into endpoint activity, using behavioural analytics and automation to identify the malignant processes, alert analysts, and execute response actions like isolating the affected device.

What is XDR?

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) is a security system that integrates detection, investigation, and response across all major security domains. This includes endpoints, cloud, network, email, and identity.

This is also different from EDR’s endpoint-centric view because it consumes telemetry from multiple sources, uses correlation and advanced analytics to get together a complete picture of an attack across the entire digital infrastructure, and enables coordinated and automated responses.

EDR and XDR comparison: The scope difference

The fundamental difference lies in the scope of visibility and control. EDR operates within the confines of the endpoint and XDR operates across the entire security stack.

FAQs

Does EDR replace the need for an XDR solution?

No, EDR does not replace XDR. EDR is a foundational component that feeds high-fidelity endpoint data into an XDR platform. The value of XDR comes from the correlation engine that analyses the EDR data and data from other security tools to catch sophisticated, multi-stage attacks that an EDR tool alone cannot find.

How does Hexnode XDR uniquely address the EDR/XDR challenge?

Hexnode XDR is purpose-built to eliminate data silos and security blind spots often associated with legacy, disconnected tools. Hexnode’s UEM provides unique advantages like:

• Unprecedented, low-level visibility and control over all managed mobile, desktop, and IoT endpoints.
• Seamless integration with security telemetry from the cloud and identity layers.

This ensures that detection is not only broad but also highly specific to the modern, distributed workforce, minimizing false positives and drastically accelerating mean-time-to-respond (MTTR).

If I have an EDR solution, is the transition to XDR difficult?

The complexity of its transition completely depends on the XDR vendor. Many leading XDR platforms like Hexnode XDR, are designed to work with existing investments. But the greatest value is unlocked when you integrate detection and response into a single XDR form.

The post Do I Need Both EDR and XDR? appeared first on Hexnode Blogs.

• Expert Human Analysts – Expert cybersecurity professionals to monitor systems, investigate threats, and guide response efforts.
• Advanced Detection Technology – Sophisticated tools to gather and analyze deep telemetry from endpoints, networks, and cloud environments.
• Proactive Threat Hunting – A continuous effort to uncover hidden threats before they trigger alerts or cause damage.

MDR’s primary function is to drastically reduce “dwell time”; that is, the period between a breach occurring and its discovery.

How MDR Works?

MDR goes beyond simply detecting a threat. It ensures that the threat is invalidated immediately. Here is the three-step process –

• Gain Visibility – The process starts with continuous data collection from every endpoint and the network. MDR’s role is simple – eliminate blind spots. You cannot secure what you cannot see.
• Hunt and Verify – Analysts use tools like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) to proactively hunt for subtle attack patterns. This human intervention filters out noise, confirming only genuine threats and stopping fatigue of alerts.
• Rapid Response – When a threat is verified, the MDR team acts immediately: isolating infected hosts and terminating processes. This stops lateral movement and prevents a catastrophe, often leveraging tools like MDM software for containment.

EDR vs. MDR – A Comparison

Why Do You Need MDR?

MDR closes three critical security gaps that most mid-market organizations face –

• The Talent Gap- Building a 24/7 internal Security Operations Center (SOC) is prohibitively expensive and requires specialized, high-demand skills. MDR instantly provides access to a full team of experts.
• The Threat Sophistication Gap- Automated defenses are not equipped to handle Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) that use legitimate tools. Human threat hunters are required to spot these.
• The Remote Workforce Gap- With employees using devices outside the corporate boundaries, it expands the attack surface. MDR ensures continuous protection and response regardless of device location, which is crucial for modern mobile device management.

MDR is a solution that transforms your security frontier from reactive to proactive. It makes sure you’re not just recovering from breaches but preventing them from causing any damage. It’s the highest level of security available without the operational burden.

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Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPPs) serve as the first layer of defense, offering antivirus and antimalware protection. Adding EDR to your existing protection helps catch and respond to threats that slip past basic security tools.

Why is EDR Important?

The digital space has evolved drastically with new steps like cloud adoption, remote work, and the rapid increase in IoT devices. This has widened the attack surface. Today, attackers have access to advanced tools and techniques to overcome traditional defenses. EDR addresses these problems by offering –

• Continuous monitoring of endpoint activity
• Rapid detection of threats using behavioral analytics
• Automated and manual response capabilities
• Forensic tools for post-incident investigation

How EDR Works?

With small agents installed on endpoint devices, it continuously collects and analyzes data. Using AI and threat intelligence, it keeps track of activities and identifies unusual or suspicious patterns. When a threat is detected, EDR can trigger alerts, isolate the affected device, stop harmful actions, and support security teams in incident reporting, investigating, and resolving.

Core Capabilities of EDR –

• Threat detection and alerting
• Automated response and containment
• Threat investigation and root cause analysis
• Forensics and historical data analysis
• Threat hunting and proactive defense
• Integration with SIEM and SOAR platforms

Key Features in an EDR Solution

An EDR solution must be about how quickly and intelligently the team can respond. Here are some key features to look for –

• Real-time endpoint visibility – Instantly monitors device activity to detect threats as they happen.
• Behavioral protection and anomaly detection – Identifies suspicious behavior patterns that may signal an attack.
• Threat intelligence integration – Leverages global threat data to enhance detection accuracy.
• Cloud-based architecture for scalability – Easily expands protection across devices without heavy infrastructure.
• Fast and automated remediation – Quickly contains and resolves threats with minimal manual effort.
• Custom rule creation and alert prioritization – Tailors detection rules and ranks alerts based on severity.

Benefits of Implementing EDR

• Faster incident response and reduced dwell time – Quickly detects and contains threats before they spread.
• Improved visibility and control over endpoints – Offers real-time insights into device activity across the network.
• Enhanced threat detection and mitigation – Identifies and neutralizes advanced threats using behavioral analysis and intelligence.
• Better compliance and audit readiness – Helps meet regulatory requirements with detailed logs and reporting tools.

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How does XDR Work?

XDR operates by following a powerful process that centralizes security data –

• Data Ingestion: It automatically gathers raw telemetry and alerts from every available security sensor, including endpoints, firewalls, and identity providers.
• Correlation via AI: It uses machine learning to normalize this data and automatically stitch together low-level events across different domains.
• Prioritization & Context: The platform converts a flood of raw data into a handful of prioritized, high-risk incidents, showing the full chain of attack in a single timeline.
• Orchestrated Response: It facilitates or automates immediate security actions, such as isolating an infected device or revoking an identity session.

What are the Benefits of XDR?

The implementation of XDR delivers significant advantages to modern Security Operations Centers (SOCs). The key benefits include –

• Faster Incident Response: By correlating fragmented alerts and eliminating false positives, it enables analysts to focus on genuine threats, drastically reducing the Mean Time to Respond (MTTR).
• Comprehensive Threat Hunting: Security professionals can proactively hunt for complex threats across the entire attack surface, such as endpoints, cloud, and networks, from one unified console.
• Reduced Complexity: XDR consolidates the management, data storage, and investigation workflow of multiple security tools into a single platform, simplifying operations and reducing tool sprawl.

XDR vs. EDR – A Comparison

Why is XDR essential now?

Modern cyber threats aren’t standing still; they’re constantly moving across your digital landscape. That’s why it is no longer a choice. XDR is the future because modern attacks move laterally across your digital ecosystem.
Recent studies have shown that XDR adoption can reduce incident response times by up to 50%, providing IT teams with the critical speed advantage needed to secure modern endpoints.
XDR gives your team the complete, real-time update to defeat advanced attackers effectively. This makes sure your security strategy can stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape. Hexnode XDR streamlines this defense by unifying threat detection and remediation into a single platform.

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