What Most Smaller Organizations Get Wrong When Choosing Managed Cybersecurity

For smaller organizations and municipalities, 92% of data breaches are due to system intrusions, clever social engineering tricks, and common unpatched vulnerabilities. This sprawl across the attack surface makes it difficult to protect an entire network. 

Traditional defenses — EDR, firewalls, and maybe something like a SIEM — can prove complex and unwieldy for smaller teams, and using these tools in isolation creates security gaps that sophisticated attackers can exploit. So after these traditional tools, where do you look next?

Beyond Traditional Defenses: Why EDR and Firewalls Aren’t Enough

Most SMBs rely on a combination of Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and firewalls as a fundamental approach. EDR solutions detect and respond to threats—such as phishing, malware, or ransomware—on individual devices. At the same time, firewalls protect the network perimeter by managing access and filtering incoming and outgoing traffic. These basic cybersecurity tools protect against most threats – but not all of them.

EDR solutions are reactive, addressing threats only after they have already breached a device, while firewalls focus on the perimeter and offer limited visibility into East/West network activity. This leaves organizations with blind spots in their networks, allowing attackers to perform malicious activities—such as lateral movement or data exfiltration —without the security team noticing.

NDR: The Third Dimension of SMB Security

Firewalls and EDR represent a two-dimensional approach to cybersecurity, but we live in a three-dimensional world. Modern attackers are more than capable of evading traditional defenses, so small and midsize organizations need a “third dimension” to give them visibility into their entire network, not just their perimeter and endpoints.

By leveraging a view of the network traffic itself, Network Detection and Response (NDR) solutions illuminate the blind spots left by EDR and firewalls. They offer comprehensive visibility into the network, and detect and respond to threats that an EDR and firewall cannot.

While SIEM tools can also offer this type of visibility, these solutions are often too cumbersome, complex, and costly for small and midsize organizations. Frankly, they’re even becoming too unwieldy for the big guys. That’s why so many smaller organizations are going SIEMless with NDR.

How to Choose a Network Detection and Response Solution

When selecting a Network Detection and Response solution, you must consider your:

• Current Security Posture: Evaluate your existing security tools to identify gaps, such as limited visibility into East/West traffic.
• Budget Constraints: Cost will likely be your key consideration so look for a solution that offers enterprise-grade protection, without the eyewatering costs of traditional SIEM systems. Managed network security services are typically more cost-effective because you don’t have to shell out on an in-house security team to handle alerts and responses.
• Available Technical Expertise: Most smaller organizations won’t have a dedicated cybersecurity team or the expertise to manage these tools. But a managed team can be there to update and curate threat feeds, and provide a team of security analysts available 24/7/365 for event analysis and troubleshooting.
• Integration Requirements: A managed NDR solution must integrate into your current network without disrupting your existing EDR and firewall products; providing comprehensive visibility and protection of your entire network, not just your endpoints and perimeter.

Try the Nomic MNDR Solution Today

And now for the sales pitch :)

Want to see Nomic’s MNDR solution in action? Schedule a demo today to see what your current solutions might be missing, walk through our entire solution, and see the benefits we can provide for your organization.

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