Endpoint detection and response explained
The term endpoint typically includes user devices, servers, and workloads that run operating systems and applications. Threat detection and response reflects the focus on identifying suspicious behavior and responding quickly to limit impact. EDR refers to a category of security capabilities that:
- Monitor endpoint activity to identify threats, support investigations, and enable response actions.
- Help security teams understand what is happening on their endpoints and take action when something goes wrong.
Endpoints such as laptops, desktops, servers, and cloud workloads are frequent entry points for attackers. As organizations adopt remote work, cloud services, and SaaS applications, endpoint activity has become more distributed and harder to monitor. EDR addresses this challenge by collecting and analyzing endpoint data to uncover threats that traditional security controls may miss.
Unlike legacy endpoint protection tools that rely primarily on signatures, EDR is built to detect behaviors that indicate compromise. This makes it especially effective against modern attacks that use legitimate tools, stolen credentials, or fileless techniques to evade prevention-based defenses.
How does EDR work?
EDR works by continuously collecting telemetry from endpoints and analyzing that data to identify patterns associated with malicious activity. This telemetry can include process execution, file activity, network connections, and user authentication events. By capturing this information over time, EDR creates a detailed record of what has occurred on each endpoint.
Detection is driven by behavioral analysis rather than signatures alone. Instead of asking whether a file is known to be malicious, EDR evaluates whether activity looks suspicious or out of place. For example, an unusual command-line process, an unexpected outbound network connection, or a sequence of actions associated with lateral movement may trigger an alert.
When suspicious activity is detected, EDR tools provide investigation capabilities that help analysts understand what happened, how the activity started, and what else may be affected. This often includes timelines, correlations across multiple events, and contextual information about users and devices. Once a threat is confirmed, response actions such as isolating an endpoint or stopping malicious processes can be taken to contain the incident.
What threats does EDR detect?
EDR is designed to detect a broad range of threats that target endpoints, including attacks that bypass traditional antivirus tools. It is particularly valuable for identifying activity that occurs after an attacker gains initial access.
Common use cases for EDR include detecting ransomware behavior before widespread encryption occurs, identifying credential misuse or privilege escalation, and uncovering lateral movement within an environment. EDR can also help surface insider threats or compromised accounts by highlighting abnormal user behavior on endpoints.
Because EDR focuses on behavior rather than specific malware files, it can detect threats even when attackers use built-in operating system tools or custom scripts designed to avoid detection.
EDR vs. antivirus: What’s the difference?
Traditional antivirus software is primarily designed to prevent known threats from executing on an endpoint. It relies heavily on signatures, reputation services, and predefined indicators of compromise (IOCs). While antivirus remains useful for blocking common malware, it is less effective against sophisticated or unknown attacks.
EDR takes a different approach. Rather than focusing only on prevention, it emphasizes detection, investigation, and response. EDR assumes that some threats will get through and provides the visibility needed to identify and contain those threats quickly. In many environments, EDR complements antivirus by adding post-compromise detection and investigative capabilities.
EDR vs. XDR and MDR
As detection and response technologies evolve, organizations may encounter related concepts such as extended detection and response (XDR) and managed detection and response (MDR). While these approaches build on similar ideas, they serve different purposes.
EDR focuses specifically on endpoint activity. XDR expands visibility to include signals from other domains such as networks, cloud infrastructure, and identity systems. MDR refers to detection and response capabilities delivered by a managed security service, often using EDR as a foundational data source.
Choosing between EDR, XDR, or MDR depends on factors such as team size, security maturity, and operational capacity. EDR is often a starting point for organizations looking to strengthen endpoint visibility and response.
Why EDR matters for modern security teams
Modern security teams operate in environments where attackers move quickly and visibility gaps are common. Remote work, cloud adoption, and identity-based attacks have expanded the attack surface and reduced the effectiveness of perimeter-based defenses.
EDR helps address these challenges by providing continuous visibility into endpoint activity and enabling faster detection of suspicious behavior. This is especially important for responding to ransomware, where early detection can mean the difference between a contained incident and a widespread outage. For teams facing staffing shortages or alert fatigue, EDR also provides context that helps prioritize investigation and response efforts.
Common challenges with EDR
While EDR provides valuable capabilities, it is not without challenges. Large volumes of endpoint telemetry can be difficult to manage, and poorly tuned detections may generate excessive alerts. Effective use of EDR often requires skilled analysts who can interpret behavioral data and investigate complex incidents.
Integration with other security tools and workflows can also be a challenge, particularly in environments with fragmented security stacks. Addressing these issues typically involves careful configuration, clear operational processes, and alignment with broader security operations practices.
Related reading
What is managed detection and response (MDR)?
What is extended detection and response (XDR)?