Microsoft Defender XDR

What is Microsoft Defender XDR?

Microsoft Defender XDR (Extended Detection and Response) is a unified pre and post breach enterprise defense suite that coordinates detection, prevention, investigation, and response across endpoints, identities, email, and applications. It integrates various Microsoft security products like Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Office 365, Defender for Identity, and more to provide comprehensive protection against sophisticated attacks.
In addition to Microsoft security products, Defender XDR also integrates with 3rd party security products such as Splunk, Elastic, Infoblox and Okta.

 

What does this actually mean?

 

Defender XDR is a unified, single pane of glass for comprehensive management of the entire attack surface of your enterprise environment; providing ease of access, navigation and action to your cybersecurity teams in the protection of your environment.

 

Why choose Microsoft Defender XDR?

In today’s complex cybersecurity landscape, cybersecurity teams are tasked with safeguarding their organisations against increasingly sophisticated threats. To address these challenges, organisations have furnished their Security Operations Centres (SOC) with a myriad of security toolsets and specialist security personnel to manage them, often collating the quantum of security information in a SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) or XDR solution from which to commence threat detection and response.
There are many available vendors and products on the market to fulfil this need such as Splunk, CrowdStrike, Sophos and SentinelOne just to name a few. So why choose Microsoft Defender XDR?
Microsoft Defender XDR, when combined with Microsoft Sentinel, offers a comprehensive and unified security solution that reduces both breadth and complexity of SOC activities, providing an opportunity for less personnel and product knowledge to maintain a best in class security posture. Here are some of the key features of Microsoft Defender XDR that simplify security operations:

 

1.Unified Security Operations Platform

Microsoft Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel together create a unified security operations platform that integrates extended detection and response (XDR) with security information and event management (SIEM). This integration provides a single pane of glass for security teams to prevent, detect, investigate, and respond to threats across the entire digital estate. By consolidating multiple security tools into one platform, organizations can streamline their security operations, reduce complexity, and improve efficiency.

2. Microsoft Security Copilot

One of the standout features of this unified platform is the inclusion of Microsoft Security Copilot. This generative AI-powered tool enhances the capabilities of security teams by providing intelligent insights, automated threat detection, and guided response actions. Security Copilot leverages advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and recommend proactive measures, enabling security teams to stay ahead of emerging threats. Watch the demo video here Microsoft Defender XDR | Microsoft Security

3. Comprehensive Threat Intelligence

The integration of Microsoft Defender XDR with Microsoft Sentinel brings together the best of both worlds: the threat-driven approach of XDR and the extensive visibility of SIEM. This combination provides comprehensive threat intelligence, enabling security teams to correlate incidents across endpoints, identities, emails, collaboration tools, cloud apps, and workloads. By having a holistic view of the threat landscape, organisations can detect and respond to threats more effectively.

4. Enhanced Automation and Orchestration

Microsoft Sentinel’s security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) capabilities, combined with Defender XDR, enable organisations to automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and accelerate incident response. This automation reduces the burden on security teams, allowing them to focus on more strategic activities and improving overall security posture.

5. Cost Efficiency and Scalability

By integrating Microsoft Defender XDR with Microsoft Sentinel, organisations can achieve significant cost savings. The unified platform eliminates the need for multiple standalone security solutions, reducing licensing and maintenance costs. Additionally, the cloud-native architecture of Microsoft Sentinel ensures scalability, allowing organisations to handle large volumes of data and adapt to changing security needs without incurring additional infrastructure costs.

6. Seamless Integration with Existing Tools

Microsoft Defender XDR supports integration with various third-party tools, enhancing its capabilities and allowing organizations to leverage their existing security investments. This seamless integration ensures that organisations can achieve a comprehensive security posture without the need for a complete overhaul of their current infrastructure.



Ease of Implementation

Integrating Microsoft Defender XDR into an existing IT environment is a straightforward process, thanks to its compatibility with a wide range of third-party tools. This approach is significantly simpler and more efficient than replacing all existing systems with Microsoft products in a single, large-scale implementation.
Microsoft Defender XDR supports integration with various Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems such as Splunk, IBM Security QRadar SIEM, ArcSight, and Elastic Security. These integrations allow organisations to ingest alerts and supporting information seamlessly into their existing SIEM solutions, providing centralised visibility and intelligent security analytics without the need for a complete overhaul of their current infrastructure.
Additionally, Microsoft Defender XDR integrates with Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) solutions like Microsoft Sentinel, as well as Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) platforms such as AttackIQ. These integrations enable organisations to automate threat detection and response processes, enhancing their security posture while leveraging their existing tools.
Furthermore, Microsoft Defender XDR supports integration with third-party threat intelligence platforms like ThreatConnect, network security solutions such as Infoblox, and identity security providers like Okta. These integrations enhance the capabilities of Microsoft Defender XDR by providing additional layers of security and intelligence from various third-party tools.
By integrating Microsoft Defender XDR with existing systems, organisations can achieve a comprehensive and robust security posture without the complexity and disruption associated with a complete system replacement. This approach allows for a more seamless and efficient implementation, ensuring that security measures are enhanced without compromising operational continuity.

 

Opportunities for cost savings

Transitioning to Microsoft Defender XDR offers several opportunities for cost savings, making it an attractive option for organisations looking to enhance their security posture while optimising their budget.
One of the primary benefits is the reduction in licenses and professional service costs. By consolidating security tools and leveraging the comprehensive capabilities of Defender XDR, organisations can eliminate the need for multiple standalone solutions, resulting in substantial cost savings.
Additionally, the efficiencies gained in internal IT and security teams can save up to 50% in additional headcount.
The unified security operations platform experience provided by Defender XDR eliminates the need to ingest data into Microsoft Sentinel for correlation or threat hunting, leading to potential cost savings.
By transitioning to Microsoft Defender XDR, organisations can achieve a more streamlined and cost-effective security environment, reducing the complexity and expenses associated with managing multiple security tools. This approach not only enhances security but also provides significant financial benefits, making it a compelling choice for organisations looking to optimise their security investments.

250 +

Successful Projects

30 +

Years of Experience

50 +

Service Offerings

testimonials

See what our
Clients are Saying.

What stood out for us with B2Six is consistent quality of people (proficient in the domain and has significant Customer environment knowledge) and deliverables. Everyone from B2Six demonstrated a ‘can do attitude’ and you have been focused on delivering a good outcome over the commercials. Often this meant, you maintained flexibility, with strategic partnership in mind.

Large Australian Retailer

B2Six has been a NAB delivery partner for more than 5 years, providing project and professional services. Their deep technical expertise has allowed NAB to move at pace in its simplification journey.

NAB
Customer

We engaged B2Six Team to provide the technical expertise and automation tools to migrate one of our strategic customers. They were incredibly knowledgeable and flexible, and their automation tools made the entire process seamless.

Oreta
Customer