What is Network Detection and Response?

Network Detection and Response (NDR) is a cybersecurity solution that uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and data analytics to continuously monitor and analyze network traffic to detect and respond to suspicious and malicious activity.

Why do Organizations Need an NDR Solution?

Traditional security solutions, such as firewalls and intrusion prevention systems (IPS), have blind spots and are no longer enough to protect organizations from today's sophisticated cyber threats. NDR solutions provide a more comprehensive and proactive approach to security by performing network traffic analyses using AI and ML to identify and respond to threats that traditional solutions miss.

How Does NDR Work?

NDR solutions work by collecting and analyzing data from a variety of sources, including:

• Network traffic flows
• Security logs
• User and device activity
• Cloud activity

This data is then utilized to conduct network traffic analysis using AI and ML to identify anomalies and suspicious patterns that may indicate a threat. Once a threat is detected, the NDR solution can take steps to mitigate the threat, such as blocking malicious traffic, isolating infected devices, or notifying security teams.

How Does NDR Enhance an Organization's Security Posture?

NDR enhances your security by providing:

• Visibility: NDR solutions provide visibility into all network traffic, including encrypted traffic and traffic between devices on the same network. This visibility helps to identify threats that traditional security solutions miss.
• Proactive threat detection: NDR solutions use AI and ML to proactively identify threats before they can cause damage. This contrasts traditional security solutions, which are primarily reactive and can only detect already known threats.
• Automated response: NDR solutions can automate the response to threats, which helps reduce the workload on security teams and improve the organization's overall security posture.

Why is NDR Critical?

NDR solutions provide a holistic view of network traffic, which allows them to understand normal network behavior and identify potential threats or anomalous behavior that traditional security solutions miss. For example, an NDR solution can identify a threat using multiple techniques to evade detection and track lateral movement.

What are the key benefits that an NDR solution can offer?

NDR offers several benefits, including:

• Behavioral analytics and AI for advanced threats detection: NDR solutions use behavioral analytics and AI to detect advanced threats and suspicious traffic patterns that would be difficult or impossible to detect using traditional signature-based methods.
• Improvement of security operations center (SOC) operational efficiency: NDR solutions can help to improve the operational efficiency of SOCs by automating the detection and response for security incidents. This allows SOC teams to focus on more complex tasks.
• Ability to automatically respond and shut down attacks in real-time: NDR solutions can automatically respond to threats in real-time, which helps to mitigate the damage caused by attacks.

Where does NDR fit into a SOC's toolset?

NDR solutions can be used with other security solutions and network infrastructure, including firewalls, IPS, and security information and event management (SIEM) systems. NDR solutions can provide these security tools additional visibility and threat detection capabilities by utilizing raw traffic to detect suspicious behavior and additional indicators of compromise from normal network activity.

Why is NDR so important?

NDR is important because it provides comprehensive coverage and a proactive approach to security. NDR solutions can quickly identify normal and abnormal behavior to help organizations quickly uncover threat actors to detect and respond to the most sophisticated attacks.

What Key Threats Does an NDR Solutions Identify?

NDR solutions can identify a wide range of threats, including:

• Advanced persistent threats (APTs)
• Malware
• Data breaches
• Ransomware
• Insider threats
• Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks
• Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks

What are Some Key NDR Features?

NDR solutions should have the following key features:

• Non-signature-based threat detection: NDR solutions should be able to detect threats using non-signature-based methods, such as behavioral analytics and AI.
• Threat identification and alerting: NDR solutions should be able to identify and alert security teams to threats in real-time.
• Threat detection engines: NDR solutions should have multiple threat detection engines to improve threat detection accuracy.
• Easy management and reporting: NDR solutions should be easy to manage and use. They should also provide comprehensive reporting capabilities.

NDR vs EDR

NDR solutions are similar to endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, using AI and ML to detect and respond to threats. However, NDR solutions focus on network traffic, while EDR solutions focus on endpoint devices.

NDR vs. MDR 

NDR and MDR (managed detection and response) are cybersecurity solutions that can help organizations detect and respond to threats. However, there are some critical differences between the two solutions.

• NDR is a technology solution, while MDR is a service. NDR solutions are sold as software or hardware appliances, while a team of security experts provides MDR services.
• NDR focuses on network traffic, while MDR can focus on various security data sources, including network traffic, endpoint data, and security logs. This means that MDR solutions can provide a more comprehensive view of security threats.
• NDR solutions are typically more expensive than MDR services. However, MDR services can be more cost-effective for organizations that need more in-house resources to manage their security operations.

NDR vs. XDR

NDR and XDR (extended detection and response) are security solutions that can help organizations detect and respond to threats. However, there are some key differences between the two solutions.

• NDR is a focused solution that focuses on network perimeter traffic, while XDR is a more comprehensive solution that integrates data from various security solutions. This means that XDR platforms can provide a more unified view of security threats and improve the accuracy and efficiency of threat detection and response.
• NDR solutions are typically less expensive than XDR platforms. However, XDR platforms can be more cost-effective for organizations that need a more comprehensive security solution.

What Should Organizations Look for When Evaluating an NDR Solution?

When choosing an NDR solution, there are a few key factors to consider:

• Non-signature-based threat detection: NDR solutions should be able to detect threats using non-signature-based methods, such as behavioral analytics and AI. This is important because signature-based methods can only detect already known threats.
• Threat identification and alerting: NDR solutions should be able to identify and alert security teams to threats in real-time. This is important because it allows security teams to respond to threats quickly and mitigate the damage caused by attacks.
• Threat detection engines: NDR solutions should have multiple threat detection engines to improve threat detection accuracy. This is important because it helps to reduce the number of false positives and false negatives.
• Easy management and reporting: NDR solutions should be easy to manage and use. They should also provide comprehensive reporting capabilities. This is important because it allows security teams to quickly and easily identify trends and patterns in security data.

Why is An NDR Platform Core To A Security Strategy?

An NDR platform can play a vital role in your security strategy. By providing visibility into all network traffic and using AI and ML to detect and respond to threats, Network Detection, and Response solutions can help you protect your organization from the most sophisticated cyber threats.

If you are looking for a comprehensive and proactive threat detection and response solution, an NDR platform is an excellent option to consider.

How do network detection and response solutions work in cloud environments?

Digital transformation has increased cloud adoption for most enterprise organizations. Network detection and response (NDR) solutions can provide threat detection and investigation capabilities in cloud environments in a few key ways:

• Integration with Cloud Traces & Flow Logs - NDR solutions ingest and analyze virtual network logs from cloud providers like VPC Flow Logs on AWS and Azure Network Watcher to gain visibility into east-west traffic between cloud workloads.
• API Integration with Cloud Platforms - NDRs connect via APIs to cloud provider activity logs, security events, asset inventory data, etc., to feed detection of issues like compromised accounts, unusual data flows, and suspicious network activity.
• Sensor Integration - Some NDR vendors offer lightweight network sensors that can be deployed on cloud virtual networks and resources to capture and analyze intra-cloud traffic for threats.
• Host Integration - Endpoint detection capabilities may be built into NDR solutions or integrated via partners to gain network visibility into activity within cloud workloads at the process and host levels.
• Behavioral Analytics - Applying advanced behavioral models to cloud event data and network flows can detect malicious activities such as command and control, data exfiltration, or cryptojacking that may be missed by traditional rules or signature-based tools.
• Cloud Forensics - NDR solutions reconstruct cloud incident timelines, event relationships, and lateral movement trajectories to accelerate cloud threat investigation.
• Automated Response - NDRs can trigger automatic response actions in the cloud, like isolating compromised resources, stopping unauthorized data transfers or disabling accounts, integrating with other cybersecurity tools, and making it easier for incident responders.

So, while they don't have traditional on-prem network access, NDRs can still provide value in cloud environments by detecting anomalous activity via logs, APIs, and integrations.

What does Gartner say about NDR Platforms?

Gartner defines network detection and response (NDR) as a cybersecurity solution that uses machine learning and analytics to detect and respond to suspicious activity on enterprise networks. NDR solutions collect and analyze network traffic to identify anomalies and patterns that may indicate a threat. Once a threat is identified, NDR solutions can automate the response, such as isolating the affected devices or blocking malicious traffic.

Gartner says network detection and response (NDR) solutions are critical to a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. NDR solutions can help organizations detect and respond to the most sophisticated cyber threats, including advanced persistent threats (APTs), ransomware, and data breaches.

Gartner also says that NDR solutions should be able to:

• Collect and analyze data from various sources, including network traffic, security logs, and user and device activity.
• Use machine learning and analytics to identify anomalies and patterns that may indicate a threat.
• Automate the response to threats, such as isolating the affected devices or blocking malicious traffic.

Gartner recommends that organizations use NDR solutions with other security solutions, such as firewalls, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and security information and event management (SIEM) systems. NDR solutions can provide additional visibility and threat detection capabilities to these solutions.

Gartner also says that the NDR market is growing rapidly and expects NDR solutions to become an increasingly important part of the cybersecurity landscape in the coming years.

Here are some of the key benefits that Gartner sees in NDR solutions:

• Improved visibility into network traffic: NDR solutions can provide visibility into all network traffic, including encrypted traffic and traffic between devices on the same network. This visibility helps to identify threats that traditional security solutions miss.
• Proactive threat detection: NDR solutions use machine learning and analytics to proactively detect threats before they can cause damage. This contrasts traditional security solutions, which are primarily reactive and can only detect already known threats.
• Reduced workload on security teams: NDR solutions can automate the detection and response to threats, which reduces the workload on security teams and allows them to focus on more complex tasks.
• Improved security posture: NDR solutions can help organizations improve their overall security posture by detecting and responding to threats before they can cause damage.

Overall, Gartner believes that NDR solutions are valuable for organizations looking to improve their cybersecurity posture.

Click here to learn more about MixMode's Network Detection and Response solution.