Page 84 - Cyber Defense eMagazine Annual RSA Edition for 2024

EDR vs XDR: The Key Differences

By Aimei Wei, Chief Technical Officer and Founder, Stellar Cyber

While Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR) both
represent crucial tools in today’s cybersecurity arsenal, it can be hard to distinguish between them.
EDR is older – primarily focused on the endpoint level, it monitors and collects activity data from
laptops, desktops, and mobile devices. This was a considerable advancement from the antivirus
program. EDR primarily uses end-user behavior analytics (EUBA), which spots potentially
threatening suspicious patterns.

XDR, on the other hand, is much newer than EDR, and extends beyond just endpoints. It integrates
data from multiple security layers – including email, network, cloud, and endpoints – providing a
more comprehensive view of an organization’s security posture. Alongside this, a unified response
approach allows security teams to address threats across the entire IT ecosystem rather than in
isolation. This article will address the key differences between modern EDR and XDR solutions –
and whether the newer XDR is worth the price.

What is EDR?

Keeping employees and workflows connected is integral to the day-to-day success of your
organization. As more and more businesses seek to unlock greater degrees of efficiency, the
number of internet-connected devices continues to skyrocket – estimated to hit 38.6 billion by 2025.
The growing quantity of devices has already had severe ramifications on enterprise security,

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