The transition from EDR to XDR is not always easy. How you take the first steps can make the difference between successfully adopting XDR or finding yourself with more security issues than before. What to do to ensure a smooth transition? These are some best practices.
✔ Assess readiness and the current security level. Start with an inventory of your EDR deployment—policies, use cases, integrations, and anything else that comes into play. Identify gaps and think about how XDR may cover them.
✔ Define your requirements and start designing the ideal architecture. Determine what the most important use cases for XDR are for your company and which data resources you’ll need to access.
✔ Select an XDR platform. There are many options to choose from, but factors to consider should include integration capabilities, ease of use, performance, compatibility with your existing systems, and even vendor reputation.
✔ Deploy incrementally. Don’t try to do it all at once or you’ll create more problems than solutions. First, use your XDR tool alongside the EDR one. This will give you better visibility and you’ll make sure your new tool doesn’t leave any blind spots. Then, start shifting towards exclusive XDR usage, one use case at a time, until you can safely retire your old EDR system.
✔ Before you can switch 100%, don’t forget to redefine any policies and procedures in place. Define the responsibility of each person on the team clearly, without leaving anything to chance.
Once everything is in place, don’t forget to monitor continuously, monitoring against KPIs, and providing sufficient training for your team.
On to you now. If you’re comfortable sharing, what type of threat detection tools do you currently use? Did you already make the switch to XDR or are you considering it?
