Microsoft is launching in preview its Defender Experts for XDR offering a managed extended detection and response (MXDR) service that goes beyond endpoint protection across Microsoft 365 using both automation and security experts to respond to incidents.
This comes as many organizations are enlisting the help of managed services to augment their security operations, and after Microsoft demonstrated what it calls “industry-leading results” against simulated attacks during the MITRE Engenuity ATT&CK® Evaluations for Managed Services. The company leveraged its recently released Defender Experts for Hunting service along with Microsoft 365 Defender.
“Many organizations are making the move to managed services to augment their security operations, and along with comprehensive security coverage across all attack vectors, broad industry agendas are further impacting their selection criteria,” the company says in a blog. “According to an ESG Research Report, more than nine in ten organizations identify MITRE ATT&CK support as critical or very important and nearly three-quarters report extended detection and response (XDR) security technology was considered in their selection process.”
Defender Experts for Hunting is a managed threat hunting service that is included in Defender Experts for XDR.
According to Microsoft, Defender Experts for XDR expands on the company’s threat hunting services to provide its own security analysts and support from Microsoft security-focused delivery managers. Features include managed detection and response leveraging Microsoft experts, live dashboards and reports, proactive check-ins for continuous security improvements and around-the-clock threat hunting services with Defender Experts for Hunting built in.
Essentially, Defender Experts for XDR is designed to extend the capacity of an organization’s security operations center, the company says.
Microsoft bills the service as a way to help organizations prioritize incidents and alleviate alert fatigue. In addition, organizations can better manage response to security incidents with detailed guidance and on-demand expertise when IT security professionals need extra assistance.
By proactively hunting for threats, Microsoft says the Defender Experts for XDR will help organizations stay ahead of emerging threats.
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