Cyber threats have never been more relentless, and businesses of all sizes are feeling the pressure. That’s where Managed Detection and Response (MDR) comes in—a lifeline for overburdened security teams navigating a threat landscape that’s growing more sophisticated by the day.
At its core, MDR is about augmenting, complementing, and upskilling internal security operations. It’s not just about tools—it’s about the expert humans behind those tools. MDR providers bring battle-tested security practitioners and capabilities with:
- Global visibility into threats and threat actors.
- Detection engineering expertise to uncover what others might miss.
- Strong threat hunting capabilities, working 24/7 to stay ahead of adversaries.
- Seamless integration across diverse security tools and logging ingestion from all corners of the organization’s infrastructure.
What started as an emerging offering has quickly grown into a cornerstone of modern cybersecurity strategy. Today, MDR is a thriving, competitive market. As Forrester notes: “MDR continues its ascent as an established, growing service with expansion, innovation, and an abundance of competition.”
But with maturity comes diversity of capabilities. For Managed Service Providers (MSPs), the challenge isn’t just keeping pace with the evolution of MDR—it’s about understanding what truly matters to their customers and delivering solutions that make an impact.
So, what exactly drives adoption, and which capabilities resonate most with MSPs in supporting their customers?
When it comes to endpoint detection and response (EDR) compatibility, MSPs are split almost evenly—52% of respondents rated native compatibility as moderately or very important, while 48% viewed it as less critical.
This near-even divide underscores an important trend: for many MSPs, the ability to support a range of EDR products is becoming just as crucial as having native EDR integration. Since many MSPs support a variety of EDR products across their customer base, the ability of an MDR solution to seamlessly integrate with multiple tools is often prioritized over a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.
For MSPs, this flexibility means they can:
- Tailor MDR services to fit the unique needs of each SMB client
- Avoid being locked into a single EDR vendor, maintaining freedom of choice
- Future-proof their offerings by ensuring compatibility with emerging EDR tools
Ultimately, while native EDR compatibility is still a desirable feature, MSPs are clear: an MDR solution’s real value lies in its versatility across diverse environments.
Cloud-based SIEM—The backbone of MDR
The survey revealed that 81% of respondents rated cloud-based SIEM (security information and event management) as important—whether slightly, moderately, or very—to be included in their MDR solution. This emphasizes the shift toward scalable, centralized solutions designed to enhance visibility and efficiency in managing threats across the full breadth of the MSP customer’s environment.
This highlights how cloud-based SIEMs empower MSPs to:
- Scale with ease as their SMB customers grow and threats evolve
- Stay connected with anywhere-accessible platforms
- Streamline operations by correlating andcentralizing threat management and response
For MSPs, incorporating cloud-based SIEM into their MDR offerings is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s a competitive differentiator.
SOAR capabilities—Automation in MDR services takes center stage
In the world of Managed Detection and Response (MDR), security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) capabilities are rapidly becoming game-changers. For MSPs, the most valuable benefit from SOAR is clear: automation. When asked to identify the most valuable benefit from SOAR, the results revealed key insights:
- 30%—Automation of common tasks
Automating routine tasks significantly via workflows reduces the time spent on manual processes, leading to faster, more efficient incident resolution and freeing up teams to focus on higher-value activities. - 27%—Improved 24/7/365 protection
Enhanced after-hours response capabilities are critical for ensuring continuous protection, especially for SMBs that need around-the-clock vigilance. - 24%—Reduced alert fatigue
Prioritizing actionable alerts enables more accurate threat detection, helping MSPs build greater confidence in their systems and focus on the threats that truly matter.
This prioritization reflects a preference for efficiency and proactive threat management in MDR workflows. For MSPs, SOAR isn’t just a tool for automation—it’s a critical enabler of better resource management, helping them reduce the burden on their teams while offering enhanced, after-hours response to their customers.
The survey highlights key priorities for MSPs in the MDR landscape: flexibility, scalability, and efficiency. These qualities are critical for MSPs to meet the diverse and evolving needs of their SMB customers. For both MSPs and their customers, this focus translates into enhanced access to advanced threat detection and response capabilities, even when resources are constrained.
Up next—Deep dives into MDR’s most Important capabilities
This blog kicks off a four-part series exploring key insights from our OpenText MDR survey. Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a deeper look at the essential capabilities MSPs need to stay ahead of the curve and provide maximum value to their customers.
We’ll dive into:
- EDR compatibility: Why it’s crucial for your MDR offering—and when flexibility wins.
- Cloud-based SIEM: Why it’s a must have for MSPs in an MDR offering.
- SOAR benefits: How SOAR is elevating MDR services and improving efficiency.
Stay tuned for actionable insights that will help MSPs navigate the rapidly evolving world of MDR.
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