Do I need an EDR if I hire an MDR provider?

Usually, yes. MDR needs telemetry from your machines and the ability to act on them, and EDR is the main source for both. Some MDR providers include their own EDR and others work on the one you already have.

Is antivirus the same as EDR?

No. Traditional antivirus blocks known files by signature. EDR continuously records machine activity, detects suspicious behavior even when there is no known malware and lets you investigate and respond remotely. Many current solutions combine both functions in a single agent.

Is XDR a product or an architecture?

It depends on who is selling it. Some vendors call their integrated suite XDR; others use the term for a platform that correlates sources from different vendors. Ask which third-party sources it accepts and which response actions it can take on them.

Which is better, MDR or an MSSP?

It depends on what you need. If your problem is detecting and containing attacks at any hour, MDR is designed for that. If you need someone to manage your devices and security operations in general, an MSSP covers more, although you should confirm whether it responds to incidents or only alerts you.

What is NDR and where does it fit?

NDR (network detection and response) analyzes network traffic to detect lateral movement, exfiltration or communications with command-and-control servers. It complements EDR because it sees devices without an agent, such as printers, industrial equipment or legacy systems. Many XDRs integrate it as one more layer.

EDR vs XDR vs MDR: differences and comparison table

Which are tools and which are services?

The most common confusion is comparing things of a different nature. EDR, XDR and SIEM are technology: they generate alerts, store data and let you take actions, but someone has to operate them. MDR and MSSP are services: a provider's people and processes that work with that technology on your behalf. So the useful question has two parts: which tools do you have, and who is watching them?

Comparison table: EDR, XDR, MDR, SIEM and MSSP

Definitions vary between vendors. This table reflects the most widespread usage.
Concept	Type	What data it covers	What it does with an alert	Who operates it
EDR (endpoint detection and response)	Tool	Processes, files, registry and connections on each machine with an agent.	Detects suspicious behavior and lets you isolate the machine, kill processes or quarantine files.	Your team or a provider
XDR (extended detection and response)	Tool	Endpoint plus other layers (email, identity, network, cloud), depending on integrations.	Correlates signals from several layers into a single incident and coordinates response actions.	Your team or a provider
SIEM (security information and event management)	Tool	Logs from almost any source: firewall, servers, applications, cloud, identity.	Generates alerts from rules and correlations and stores the history for investigation. Response usually depends on other tools.	Your team or a provider
MDR (managed detection and response)	Service	The sources the provider integrates: from endpoint only to endpoint, network, email, identity and cloud.	Analysts who investigate, confirm and carry out containment 24/7.	The provider, within what you have agreed
MSSP (managed security service provider)	Service	Depends on the contract: firewalls, SIEM, vulnerabilities, devices.	Manages and monitors your security; depending on the contract, it alerts your team or takes action.	The provider

What is the difference between EDR and XDR?

EDR looks inside each machine: which process launched which, which file was written, where it connected. It is good at detecting malware execution, persistence and credential dumping on the endpoint. Its limit is whatever happens outside it.

XDR extends that logic to other layers and correlates them. An example: a sign-in from an unusual country (identity), followed by a forwarding rule created in the mailbox (email) and a mass download from SharePoint (cloud). Separately, each event may look minor; together they describe a compromised account. There are native XDRs, which only integrate products from the same vendor, and open XDRs, which accept third-party sources. Check which kind you have before assuming it sees everything.

Identity is the layer that most justifies looking beyond the endpoint. According to Sophos's 2026 Active Adversary Report, 67% of the root causes of the incidents it investigated were related to compromised identities, and in 59% of cases MFA was not enabled or not properly configured. An attacker who gets in with valid credentials can spend hours without running anything an EDR would consider suspicious.

What is MDR and how is it different from an MSSP?

MDR is a service focused on detection and response. The provider investigates alerts, rules out false positives and carries out containment (isolating a machine, disabling an account, blocking an indicator) within what you have agreed. Some MDR providers only work with one specific vendor's EDR; others are vendor-agnostic and operate on the tools you already have.

An MSSP has a broader scope that has traditionally been more management-oriented: administering firewalls, maintaining the SIEM, managing vulnerabilities. Many MSSPs notify you of the incident and leave the response to your team. The lines are blurring and some MSSPs offer an MDR service, so read what the contract says happens when something goes wrong at 3 a.m.

Does XDR replace a SIEM?

Not necessarily. The SIEM is still the tool for centralizing logs from heterogeneous sources, keeping history for months or years and running retrospective searches. XDR prioritizes detection and response across a narrower set of sources. Many organizations use both: XDR to act fast and the SIEM for broad correlation, retention and investigation. The decision depends on how many sources fall outside the XDR's reach and how much history you need.

Which one does your company need, based on its maturity?

General guidance. Your real starting point depends on your assets, your exposure and what you already have deployed.
Situation	Reasonable starting point	Why
No security team; IT handles everything	EDR on every workstation and server, plus an MDR service	A tool with nobody watching it generates alerts nobody reads.
One or two security people during business hours	EDR or XDR, properly configured MFA and an MDR service that covers nights and weekends	Your team focuses on projects and the provider on continuous monitoring.
In-house team with a SIEM and processes	SIEM and XDR, threat intelligence and an MDR service or hybrid SOC to scale	The priority shifts to detection quality and response time.
In-house 24/7 SOC	SIEM, XDR, automation (SOAR or AI agents), threat hunting and intelligence	The challenge is volume: automating triage and looking for what does not generate alerts.

What mistakes are common when choosing?

Buying an XDR or a SIEM and having nobody to watch the alerts at night.
Hiring a service that only alerts you, believing it also contains threats.
Assuming the EDR protects Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace accounts.
Switching EDR just because the chosen MDR provider only works with its own product.
Evaluating the provider by the number of alerts handled instead of by time to containment.

How Ciberia helps

Ciberia MDR detects and responds 24/7 on the tools you already have. It integrates with more than 600 sources, including EDR/XDR, SIEM, firewall, email, identity and cloud, and does not replace your EDR or your SIEM. Proprietary AI agents, built on our own architecture, investigate every alert in seconds and automate about 90% of triage, and an analyst validates decisions with impact. The managed service is included. For critical alerts, the contractual SLA is 15 minutes to initial containment.

EDR vs XDR vs MDR: the differences (and where SIEM and MSSP fit)