5 Reasons to Replace your Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Service

Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services are a fantastic way to keep your business’ cybersecurity up to date and effective. However, there are a few reasons why you might want to consider replacing your MDR service. In this article, we’ll explore five of those reasons and see if they apply to your business.

1. Is your MDR expensive?

MDR services can be quite expensive. If you are on a tight budget, you may want to consider replacing your MDR service with a more affordable option.

As the economy shifts worldwide, many IT security teams find themselves having to contend with budget cuts, and need to find cost-efficient alternatives to their current tools and services.

Unfortunately, the cost of human analysts and talent in the cyber security field make it particularly hard for traditional MDRs to offer a cost-efficient solution as they rely primarily on the expertise of human analysts. 

2. Is your MDR ineffective?

If your managed detection and response (MDR) service is ineffective, it may be time to replace it. There are several reasons why an MDR service isn’t fully meeting your needs.

First, many MDRs conduct a very simplistic investigation process (such as just checking a hash in VirusTotal instead of leveraging advanced forensic techniques), which gives you surface-level context and no confidence that the actions taken are up to standard. In other words, due to their poor investigation process, you cannot count on them to be your ultimate line of defense. Ideally, you want to know every alert is getting deeply investigated and that you could get immediate access to the analysis reports for any confirmed threats.

Another reason to replace your MDR service is if you are not happy with the level of protection it is providing. If you have had several security incidents despite having an MDR service, you may want to consider switching to a different provider. A different MDR service may be able to provide better protection for your organization.

3. Is your MDR outdated?

One of the main reasons to replace your MDR service is because it is simply outdated. Some MDR services were designed for a different era of security threats and are no longer adequate for today’s threats.

The threat landscape is constantly changing and new threats are constantly emerging. In order to keep up with the latest threats, an MDR service must be constantly updated with the latest threat intelligence. If your MDR service is not being regularly updated, it will eventually fall behind and become ineffective.

4. Are you still left with a ton of work?

If you are using an MDR service, it is likely that your IT team is not able to work as efficiently as they could be. This is because MDR services typically require a lot of manual input from your IT or security team (for things such as ambiguous software) in order to function properly. This can lead to your team becoming bogged down and less productive overall.

In addition, MDRs might potentially flood your security team with too many escalated incidents, making the ROI for paying for the service very low. If they’re flagging threats but not giving you clear recommendations and indicators of compromise (IOCs), your team is still on their own figuring out how to remediate and find additional infections.

5. Do you experience bad customer support?

You may want to replace your MDR service if it is not meeting your expectations in terms of customer support. If you are not happy with the level of customer support you are receiving, or if you feel that your MDR does not meet the Service Level Agreements (SLA) you paid for, you may want to switch providers. 

How to find a replacement for your MDR

There are a few things to keep in mind when looking for a replacement for MDR. First, it is important to find a service that offers the same or better coverage as your current MDR service. This means finding a service that covers at least the same types of threats and the same level of protection. Second, it is important to find a service that is compatible with your current security infrastructure. This includes compatibility with your current security tools and systems. (Such as, do you need them to triage endpoint security alerts from CrowdStrike, or from SentinelOne?) Finally, it is important to find a service that fits your budget.

Once you have considered these factors, you can start looking for replacement MDR services. There are many different companies that offer MDR services, so it is important to do some research to find the best one for your needs. You can read online reviews, talk to other businesses that use MDR services, and compare pricing. By taking the time to find the right replacement MDR service, you can ensure that your business remains protected from threats.

Can technology replace your MDR service? 

Another option to consider is leveraging technology instead of human-based MDR services. Intezer provides a technology-based alternative to MDR services — providing automated alert triage, incident response, and threat hunting services for just a fraction of the price.

If you’re not happy with your provide, or if you’re looking for a better solution, consider replacing your MDR. Here are five reasons to do so: 1) You need more comprehensive detection and response; 2) You want to have the peace of mind that you are up to speed with the latest threats; 3) You want to reduce false positives and increase efficiency; and 4) You want to get more value for your money. When it comes to managed detection and response, don’t settle for anything less than the best.

Want to try out Intezer’s automated solution for automating triage, response, and hunting with CrowdStrike? Sign up free to see how it works for yourself.

Itai Tevet

Once led a government CERT. Now CEO at Intezer, changing the way we investigate and respond to cybersecurity incidents.