Choosing a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) partner is more challenging than ever. The market is more crowded, threats are more complex, and internal security teams are being asked to do more with less.
That’s exactly why we’ve revamped the 2025 edition of Rapid7’s MDR Buyer’s Guide to help you confidently navigate the noise and find the partner who can truly meet the needs of your business. The 2025 edition is more aligned with today’s buyer reality: hybrid environments, constrained teams, AI-augmented threats, and a growing demand for measurable outcomes.
Built on a foundation of customer feedback, analyst insight, and industry trends, we've put together a modern blueprint for how organizations can navigate MDR decisions with clarity and confidence.
What’s new for 2025?
While the challenges of building a 24/7/365 global SOC haven’t gone away, 2025 has brought new concerns: more sophisticated AI-generated attacks, even faster MTTE, and a widening skills gap. The ever-widening skills gap has exacerbated an already yawning workforce shortage. Some 60% of CISOs say the skills gap will cause problems in the coming years.
In the 2025 MDR Buyer’s Guide, we give you advice on choosing the right provider based on those perennial problems, but also the ones that make 2025 unique.
Here’s a snapshot of what’s been added and why it matters:
More Clarity Around MDR Provider Types
You’ll get a breakdown of the three leading models — Pure-Play MDR, BYO-Tech, and MEDR — so you can match your choice to your internal team’s maturity and goals.
An Eighth Critical Capability
We’ve expanded the core evaluation framework from seven to eight, introducing AI-powered capabilities as a must-have in your MDR evaluation. This reflects a growing need to understand how providers use AI, not just if they do.
New Questions for RFPs
Based on hundreds of real-world RFPs, we’ve added updated evaluation criteria and practical questions so you can cut through vague marketing claims and get to the real capabilities.
A Focus on AI Transparency and Human Oversight
With more vendors promising “AI-powered detection,” we break down what matters: transparency, human validation, and auditability. The right MDR partner shouldn’t just use AI; they should show you exactly how it’s making decisions on your behalf.
Why It Matters
MDR is more than a product, it’s a partnership. And in today’s landscape, you need a partner who can:
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Extend your team with true 24/7 coverage
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Detect threats across the full attack surface
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Respond fast and with precision
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Proactively hunt what others miss
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Help you stay ahead of attackers and evolving tech like generative AI
The 2025 guide empowers buyers to critically interrogate vendor claims. It reflects an understanding that many security leaders are navigating RFPs under pressure with limited resources, constrained budgets, and increasing executive scrutiny.
From defining pricing transparency to evaluating the depth of automation workflows, the guide arms decision-makers with the right conversation starters and red flags to watch for.
With the 2025 Buyer’s Guide, you will be able to evaluate providers with confidence and clarity. Whether you’re building your first detection and response program or re-evaluating your current vendor, this guide is built for today’s realities, not last year’s challenges. Get the guide and start your evaluation with the latest.
