How does Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) work in Cyber Security?
Category: News
Published: 13th January 2025

Most breaches start on an endpoint. Detecting and removing malware and stopping attacks before they cause harm is key to preventing downtime, lost revenue, and upset.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is a cyber security solution designed to detect, investigate, and respond to threats targeting endpoint devices such as laptops, desktops, servers, and mobile devices. EDR protects your network from threats such as ransomware, malware, malicious code, and sophisticated techniques to gain access to your systems by combing threat prevention and endpoint detection. It provides continuous monitoring, real-time threat detection, and automated response to mitigate security risks.
As hybrid working practices have become standard, there is more dependence on endpoints than ever before, enabling home working without adding cyber risk is key to recruiting and retaining a high calibre workforce.
These are the key methods in which EDR works to protect you and your organisation:
Continuous endpoint monitoring
EDR continuously collects and analyses endpoint data, including file activity, process execution, network connections, and user behaviour. This covers everything from file and network access, through to processes and system changes. Real-time monitoring helps detect unusual patterns that may indicate a security threat.
Threat detection using AI & behavioural analytics
EDR uses AI-powered behavioural detection and machine learning algorithms to proactively identify and prevent known and unknown threats, so we can detect malicious activities in real-time, stopping attacks before they can do any harm.
Incident investigation & threat hunting
Security teams can investigate alerts by analysing forensic data, tracking attack timelines, and identifying how a threat entered the system. EDR allows threat hunters to proactively search for hidden or undetected threats within the environment. This investigates the entire lifecycle of the threat, providing insights into what happened, how it got in, where it has been, what it is doing now, and what to do about it. By containing the threat at the endpoint, EDR helps eliminate the threat before it can spread.
Automated response & containment
Compromised devices are isolated from the network to prevent further spread of malware or cyber-attacks. It will automatically terminate malicious processes, delete harmful files, and block unauthorised access.
Integration with security tools
EDR technology integrates with Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Network Detection and Response (NDR) solutions to provide a broader security approach. This correlates data across multiple security layers (endpoints, cloud, email, and network).
Reporting capabilities
EDR provides security teams with detailed logs, attack timelines, and forensic data for analysis and compliance audits. Allowing security teams to analyse and investigate security incidents and prioritise effectively.
So, why is EDR essential for cyber security?
EDR enhances endpoint security by providing real-time visibility, rapid incident response, and proactive threat hunting. As cyber threats become more sophisticated, organisations need EDR to detect and stop advanced attacks before they cause damage.
EDR provides the necessary protection against a wide range of known and unknown cyber threats such as malware and ransomware, to prevent data breaches, financial loss, and the reputational damage associated with successful attacks.
In today’s security landscape, compliance is critical. Organisations can use the data EDR collates to meet regulations such as GDPR, and PCI-DSS. This is often essential to acquire cyber insurance as minimum protections needed to qualify are increasing year on year and cyber insurance has become much harder to obtain.
Managed Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
Managed EDR is a critical response to the current cyber security skills gap. The growth in attack volume and sophistication means that some companies are struggling to keep up with the threat landscape and manage the technology required to address it. Internal IT teams are often overwhelmed by the influx of monitoring and alerts. This diverts their attention away from daily operations.
Our Red Helix Managed Endpoint Detection & Response service eases the strain placed on in-house teams by combining the best EDR technology with our dedicated SOC analysts to deliver a vital, early detection and response service for companies small and large.
We support your company and IT Teams by removing the complexity of configuring your EDR platform to your requirements. We take care of the implementation and management of your EDR tools. As part of this management, we ensure your new endpoints are always discovered and protected with 24/7/365 SOC capabilities. As a result, we will alert you as soon as a potential threat appears on your endpoints. This extends to supporting your teams with responding to attacks and anomalies. We can tailor our Managed EDR service to your unique requirements, ensuring the optimal service for your organisation.