XDR vs EDR vs CDR: What’s The Difference?

Let’s discuss yet another acronym that is relatively new on the cloud security front: CDR. What is it? Why do we need it? How is it different from EDR and XDR?

EDR vs XDR vs CDR

Endpoint detection and response (EDR) focuses on monitoring endpoints (e.g., desktops and servers) for threats using endpoint-specific data and analytics. In contrast, extended detection and response (XDR) expands the scope of threat detection beyond endpoints by consolidating and correlating data from multiple sources that might include networks, cloud environments, and applications. XDR provides a more comprehensive view of the security landscape, enabling security teams to detect and respond to advanced threats more effectively.

CDR and XDR are related but distinct solutions. CDR focuses on the detection and response of security incidents in cloud environments. XDR is grounded in endpoint protection, detection, and investigation across various platforms, though augmented with other data sources. CDR specifically addresses security threats and incidents in cloud environments, while XDR focuses primarily on endpoints across multiple platforms.

Although some XDR solutions might include CDR functions, the focus is not the same. CDR and XDR target different aspects of an organization's security infrastructure. Together they are complementary components of a complete security strategy. It is essential to choose a solution that offers both CDR and XDR features for comprehensive protection.

What is CDR?

Cloud detection and response (CDR) is a security approach that protects cloud applications and infrastructure by providing visibility, analytics, and threat detection capabilities within cloud environments. CDR tools integrate with various cloud service providers and their native security services to detect and respond to cloud-specific threats and vulnerabilities.

Through advanced analytics and detection techniques, CDR identifies malicious activities, unauthorized access, and anomalous behavior in cloud environments. Once a threat is detected, CDR assists security teams in investigating and mitigating the issue.

These capabilities address the unique challenges and risks associated with cloud environments, ensuring a robust security posture for organizations leveraging cloud services.

Add CDR to your security strategy

Incorporating CDR into your security strategy is essential for comprehensive protection. As organizations increasingly adopt cloud services, ensuring the security of these environments becomes a critical aspect of a well-rounded security strategy.

To implement CDR without adding another tool, UI, or agent to manage, consider selecting a unified security platform that combines XDR capabilities with CDR. This way, you can manage your entire security infrastructure through a single pane of glass, thereby streamlining operations and reducing complexity.

About Uptycs CDR

Threat actors are increasingly becoming cloud security experts, making it crucial for businesses to establish a strong cloud security posture. Uptycs Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) offers a comprehensive solution for organizations looking to bolster their cloud security.

Uptycs CDR addresses key challenges in cloud security by detecting and alerting to malicious activities within your environment. Some categories of detections within the Uptycs CDR product include:

Privilege escalation – Identifying attempts to gain higher-level permissions within your cloud account. For example, an attacker might revert an account access policy
to a previous, more permissive version.
Enumeration – Detecting an attacker’s discovery activity, including the extraction
of usernames, machine names, network information, and other services to uncover potential attack vectors.
Persistence – Recognizing efforts to maintain access to an environment, avoiding interruptions, such as killed containers or changed credentials.
Exploitation – Spotting security flaws or vulnerabilities being taken advantage of within your cloud environment.
Data exfiltration – Detecting attempts to steal sensitive data (e.g., personal information, intellectual property) for malicious purposes, such as when copying and mounting a disk image to a different Amazon Machine Image (AMI) controlled by the attacker.

Uptycs CDR not only alerts you about these security threats, but also provides simplified explanations and actionable steps for remediation. By partnering with Uptycs, your business can be ensured of a robust cloud security posture without needing in-house expertise, thus enabling your teams to focus on core operations.