Today's cyber security technological evolution milestones in the context of effective detection and response are the endpoint detection and response (EDR), Manage Detection and Response (MDR), and Network Detection and Response (NDR). However, these all solutions are running independently and missing the correlated high level processed alert to which Extended Detection and Response (XDR) is a solution that emerged, rather than adding another tool, XDR aims to change this security landscape and enable a more compelling activity of the security stack. What problem does XDR solve? Attackers often target endpoints, but they also target other layers of the IT domain in the corporate network, such as email servers and cloud systems, and they may bounce between layers or hide in the interface between them to evade detection. XDR solves both problems at once.

Machine learning is automating the more manually-based, routine incident analysis, and escalation tasks that are overwhelming security analysts today. Capitalizing on supervised machine learnings' innate ability to fine-tune algorithms in milliseconds based on the analysis of incidence data, endpoint security providers are prioritizing this area in product development. Performing real-time scans of all processes with an unknown or suspicious reputation is another way how machine learning is improving endpoint security. Commonly referred to as Hunt and Respond, supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms are being used today to seek out and resolve potential threats in milliseconds instead of days. Machine learning is accelerating the consolidation of endpoint security technologies, a market dynamic that is motivating organizations to trim back from the ten clients they have on average per endpoint today.

To intervene with optimum efficiency, response team needs to zero in on the most potentially dangerous endpoint anomalies first. And according to Harish Agastya, VP of Enterprise Solutions at Bitdefender, machine learning-assisted EDR can help you do exactly that.

If you've been to a security conference in the last year you've probably seen more than 20 different vendors all talking about endpoint security. Some might be talking about next generation anti-virus, endpoint detection and response, and even the much lauded machine learning. How do you cut through the clutter and noise to find what you are looking for? Next generation endpoint security (NGES) is the convergence of multiple technologies. When I talk to customers about what's missing in their AV, they say it doesn't do a good job of showing anything after the fact, so they picked up an endpoint detection and response (EDR) tool.