Cyber threats are constantly evolving, morphing their tactics to bypass traditional security defenses. Given that the rise of sophisticated malware and ransomware has continuously exposed the limitations of perimeter-based security solutions such as firewalls, the need for a more comprehensive approach to network security fueled the development of Network Detection and Response (NDR). NDR solutions and vendors incorporate advanced analytics, machine learning, and threat intelligence to deliver more sophisticated threat detection capabilities.
In this guide, we will explore what NDR is, how it works, and the benefits it brings. Most importantly, we will recommend the top 13 NDR software solutions to help you safeguard your network.
What Is NDR - Network Detection and Response?
NDR continuously monitors all network traffic, both incoming and outgoing (north/south) and internal (east/west), using sensors placed at key points on the network. These sensors analyze network activity for unusual patterns and take action when suspicious activity is detected. NDR also can link together different events on the network to provide security teams with a comprehensive view of what's happening.
How Do Network Detection and Response Solutions Work?
As solutions, NDRs employ a multi-layered approach to safeguard your network. First, they collect and analyze network traffic in real-time. Machine learning algorithms establish a baseline of normal network behavior, providing a benchmark for detecting anomalies. NDR then utilizes known threat signatures, security analytics, and behavior analysis to identify potential threats. When suspicious activity arises, NDR can take automated action or provide security teams with valuable insights for further investigation.
What Are the Benefits of Network Detection and Response (NDR) Software?
There are numerous benefits NDR offers as a solution, which include the following:
- Strengthening Security Defense: Traditional security solutions, like firewalls and EDR, have limitations. NDR fills this gap by providing a comprehensive security net. It monitors all network traffic and eliminates hiding places for threats, safeguarding your organization from even the most elusive attacks.
- Deep Visibility, Uncompromised Performance: Unlike firewalls and EDR, NDR utilizes out-of-band decryption, a method that doesn't drain system resources. This ensures clear visibility into encrypted traffic without impacting network performance.
- Streamlined Threat Hunting and Response: By correlating network traffic data, an NDR solution simplifies forensic investigations. Security teams can trace malicious activity step-by-step, identifying the attack's origin and eliminating vulnerabilities to prevent future breaches.
- IoT Security Champion: The growing popularity of IoT devices introduces new security challenges. Most lack the processing power for endpoint security software and often harbor vulnerabilities. NDR protects these devices by detecting their presence on the network and identifying anomalous activity to and from them.
Top 13 Recommended Network Detection and Response (NDR) Solutions
1. Sangfor Cyber Command - NDR Platform
Standing out for its ease of deployment and integration, along with its user-friendliness, Sangfor Cyber Command is a compelling choice for organizations seeking a powerful NDR solution without a steep learning curve. It provides an intuitive interface and an efficient onboarding process, particularly beneficial for security teams who may not have extensive NDR experience.
Beyond user-friendliness, Sangfor Cyber Command offers a comprehensive suite of features, including:
- AI-Powered Threat Hunting: Utilizes machine learning algorithms through the “Golden Eye” feature to analyze network traffic patterns and identify anomalies indicative of potential threats.
- Automated Incident Response: Streamlines the response process by automatically quarantining suspicious activity and initiating remediation workflows.
- Threat Intelligence Feeds: Integrates with real-time threat intelligence to stay ahead of evolving cyberattacks.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: 4.7
Pros: Easy to deploy and use, strong threat detection capabilities, automated incident response.
Cons: Limited presence outside of APAC & EMEA.
Pricing: Pricing varies based on deployment size, but you can request a demo to test the platform's capabilities.
Onboarding Training: Sangfor provides comprehensive onboarding training to ensure your team can leverage the platform effectively.
2. Cortex XDR
Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR goes beyond traditional NDR solutions, offering a unified platform for extended detection and response (XDR). This unique approach provides a holistic view of potential threats by seamlessly integrating network, endpoint, and cloud data.
Here's a closer look at Cortex XDR's key features:
- Unified Data Platform: Integrates network, endpoint, and cloud data to detect attacks accurately and simplify investigations.
- Automated Attack Detection: Uses machine learning to identify active attacks and detect abnormal behavior indicating threats like credential theft.
- Coordinated Response Across Enforcement Points: Enables security teams to swiftly contain and mitigate threats across networks, endpoints, and the cloud from one single console.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: 4.6
Pros: Unified XDR platform, excellent scalability to handle large datasets, advanced threat detection, ideal for complex IT setup.
Cons: The interface can be complex for users unfamiliar with XDR solutions.
Pricing: Subscription-based model with various tiers available.
Onboarding Training: Cortex XDR offers onboarding training to ensure smooth implementation.
3. Stellar Cyber Open XDR Platform
With a heavy emphasis on MITRE ATT&CK alignment, Stellar Cyber Open XDR offers comprehensive coverage against known attack techniques used by cybercriminals. The NDR solution is known for its ease of use and effectiveness in threat-hunting scenarios.
Some key features of Stellar Cyber Open XDR include the following:
- MITRE ATT&CK Framework Alignment: Maps detected threats to specific ATT&CK techniques for a clear understanding of attacker behavior.
- Cloud-Native: Allows deployment flexibly across on-premise, cloud, and hybrid environments with its microservices-based architecture.
- Normalized Data: Transforms data from all integrated security tools into a common model, enabling enrichment and correlation for AI-powered threat detection and response.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: 4.8
Pros: MITRE ATT&CK alignment, strong threat hunting capabilities, high scalability.
Cons: May require a lengthy training time due to the complexity of the platform.
Pricing: Only a single license is needed to access all the capabilities of their Open XDR platform.
Onboarding Training: Stellar Cyber offers free onboarding and online training for customers and partners.
4. Lumu NDR
Focusing on real-time compromise assessment, Lumu NDR solution utilizes a patent-pending illumination process that systematically analyzes network metadata to identify enterprise assets in contact with adversarial infrastructure. This allows organizations to identify and measure confirmed compromises quickly.
Here's a breakdown of Lumu NDR's key features:
- Real-Time Compromise Assessment: Continuously monitors network metadata to identify compromised assets and ongoing threats.
- Broad Network Metadata Analysis: Analyzes a wide range of network data sources, including DNS, firewalls, and spam logs, to build a comprehensive threat picture.
- Actionable Insights: Provides clear and actionable insights to help security teams prioritize and respond to threats effectively.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: 4.6
Pros: Full visibility, unique data analysis approach, comprehensive offerings.
Cons: May experience difficulties in analyzing encrypted traffic.
Pricing: A tiered pricing model that varies based on different plans and deployment size. Lumu also offers a free trial.
Onboarding training: Lumu provides guides, documentation, and support to ensure your team can leverage the platform effectively.
5. Muninn
With its cloud-native architecture, Muninn is a highly scalable and cost-effective NDR solution. This is ideal for organizations seeking a flexible and easy-to-deploy NDR platform.
Muninn offers the following key features:
- Real-Time Network Traffic Analysis: Continuously monitors network traffic to identify suspicious activity in real-time.
- Anomaly Detection: Leverages machine learning to detect deviations from normal network behavior patterns.
- Automated Incident Response: Provides automated workflows to isolate and contain threats quickly.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: N/A
Pros: Swift response to threat and strong monitoring capabilities.
Cons: May require a lengthy training time.
Pricing: Contact Muninn to get a quote.
Onboarding Training: Muninn offers online documentation and training resources to facilitate user adoption.
6. Rapid7 InsightIDR
Rapid7 InsightIDR is a cloud-based security information and event management (SIEM) solution with robust NDR capabilities. It possesses the ability to integrate with existing security infrastructure, allowing you to leverage your existing security investments.
Rapid7 InsightIDR consists of the below key features:
- User Behavior Analytics: Unmasks compromised accounts and attacker movement with user behavior analysis.
- Attacker Behavior Analytics: Identify attacker tactics using MITRE ATT&CK framework and a library of known malicious behaviors.
- Endpoint Detection and Visibility: Gain endpoint visibility for all devices, including remote and traveling users, to detect threats early.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: 4.4
Pros: Rapid integration with existing security infrastructure, strong correlation capabilities, comprehensive investigation tools.
Cons: Limited customization, cloud-only availability.
Pricing: Pricing model is subscription-based with a free trial.
Onboarding Training: Rapid7 offers extensive training resources to users.
7. Cisco Secure Network Analytics
Cisco Secure Network Analytics is a comprehensive behavior-based NDR solution designed for organizations using Cisco networking equipment. It leverages its tight integration with Cisco security products to provide a streamlined security experience.
Here are some key features of Cisco Secure Network Analytics:
- Network Traffic Analysis: Analyzes network traffic for suspicious activity and identifies potential threats.
- User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA): Monitors user and entity behavior to detect anomalies indicative of compromised accounts or malicious activity.
- Threat Intelligence Integration: Integrates with threat intelligence feeds to stay informed about the latest cyber threats.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: 4.4
Pros: Tight integration with Cisco security products, reduced false positives with its behaviorial modeling, and UEBA capabilities.
Cons: A more complex interface, sophisticated configuration process.
Pricing: Contact Cisco to get a quote.
Onboarding Training: Cisco offers various training options, such as self-paced or instructor-led, to help users.
8. Arista NDR
Designed to be a zero-trust security solution, Arista NDR stands out for its ability to handle high-volume data environments. It utilizes machine learning to detect anomalies in network traffic efficiently and automates incident response workflows.
Here's a closer look at Arista NDR's key features:
- Machine Learning-Powered Anomaly Detection: Analyzes vast amounts of network traffic data through EntityIQ security knowledge graph to identify deviations from normal behavior patterns.
- Automated Threat Hunting: Provides automated workflows through AVA, an AI-driven decision support system, to streamline threat containment and mitigation.
- Adversarial Modeling: Allows expressing complex attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to automate advanced threat hunting.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: N/A
Pros: Excellent scalability and performance, fast threat investigations, machine learning-powered detection.
Cons: May have a less extensive feature set compared to some competitors.
Pricing: Pricing available upon request.
Onboarding Training: Arista provides onboarding procedures and training to help users get started on the platform.
9. ManageEngine ADAudit Plus
While primarily a privileged account management and auditing solution, ManageEngine ADAudit Plus offers built-in NDR functionalities to monitor and detect suspicious activity related to privileged user accounts. This serves to eliminate insider threats or avoid compromised credentials.
Here's a breakdown of ManageEngine ADAudit Plus' NDR capabilities:
- User Activity Monitoring: Tracks privileged user activity across the network, identifying anomalies that may indicate malicious intent.
- Alerting and Reporting: Generates real-time alerts for suspicious activity and provides detailed reports for forensic analysis.
- End-to-End Visibility Across Environments: Provides comprehensive visibility into user activities and threats across on-premises, cloud, and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) infrastructures.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: 4.6
Pros: Easy to use, ideal for organizations that focus on privileged account security.
Cons: Too many options within the software.
Pricing: Subscription-based with different tiers available.
Onboarding Training: ManageEngine provides comprehensive training resources and documentation.
10. Darktrace DETECT
Darktrace DETECT adopts an AI-powered approach to NDR, leveraging unsupervised machine learning to detect anomalous network behavior in real-time. This allows it to identify and stop even novel threats that traditional signature-based detection might miss.
Some key features of Darktrace DETECT include:
- Unsupervised Machine Learning: Analyzes network traffic for deviations from normal behavior patterns, identifying potential threats.
- Self-Learning: Continuously improves its threat detection capabilities by learning from past incidents and network activity.
- Real-Time Threat Prevention: Automatically blocks or quarantines suspicious activity to prevent potential breaches.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: 4.6
Pros: AI-powered threat detection, real-time prevention capabilities
Cons: Lack of customization to tailor users’ needs, a higher number of potential false positives.
Pricing: Pricing available upon request.
Onboarding Training: Darktrace offers a variety of training options to ensure user proficiency.
11. Verizon Network Detection and Response
Verizon Network Detection and Response is a managed NDR service ideal for organizations seeking expert security guidance. It provides comprehensive network traffic monitoring, threat detection, investigation, and remediation services.
Verizon NDR solution includes the following features:
- 24/7 Security Monitoring: A dedicated security team monitors your network around the clock, identifying and responding to threats.
- Comprehensive Visibility and Forensic: Gains full visibility into network activity with comprehensive traffic capture for forensic analysis.
- Advanced Threat Detection and Response: Leverages machine learning and advanced analytics to proactively detect and respond to threats.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: 4.4
Pros: Intuitive data visualization, comprehensive threat detection and response, and 24/7 monitoring.
Cons: Lack of customization options, complex user-interface.
Pricing: Pricing available upon request.
Onboarding Training: Training is typically included as part of the service package.
12. ExtraHop Reveal(x) NDR
ExtraHop Reveal(x) NDR is a network traffic analysis solution that utilizes wire data to provide deep visibility into network activity. It leverages machine learning for anomaly detection and threat hunting.
Here are some key features of ExtraHop Reveal(x) NDR:
- Wire Data Analysis: Analyzes raw network traffic data to gain a comprehensive understanding of network activity.
- Machine Learning-Powered Anomaly Detection: Identifies deviations from normal traffic patterns and flags potential threats.
- Advanced Threat Hunting: Provides tools to search for specific indicators of compromise (IOCs) and investigate suspicious activity.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: 4.6
Pros: Deep network traffic visibility, cloud-scaled machine learning, advanced threat hunting capabilities.
Cons: Bucket storage limitations for payload data, lack of more comprehensive training documentation.
Pricing: Pricing and demos available upon request.
Onboarding Training: ExtraHop offers various training modules and materials on deployment.
13. Vectra AI Platform
Like the other NDR vendors and solutions, Vectra AI Platform is a network traffic analysis and NDR platform that utilizes AI and machine learning to detect and respond to cyber threats. It offers advanced capabilities such as threat hunting, behavioral analysis, and network segmentation.
Vectra AI Platform possesses the following features:
- Attack Signal Intelligence: Focuses on critical issues with AI, reducing false alarms through attack behavior analysis.
- Hybrid Cloud Coverage: Secures cloud, data center, SaaS, and IoT with comprehensive hybrid cloud protection.
- Automated Response: Automates response to minor threats, freeing analysts for critical incidents.
Customers' Ratings on Gartner: 4.7
Pros: Advanced threat detection, AI-powered analysis, network segmentation capabilities.
Cons: Can be complex to set up and manage for smaller organizations.
Pricing: Pricing and demos available upon request.
Onboarding Training: Vectra offers various training options to help users get the most out of the platform.
