Microsoft Defender XDR and Huntress Managed EDR are both formidable competitors in the cybersecurity field. Microsoft Defender XDR appears to have the edge due to its comprehensive integration with the Microsoft suite and advanced intrusion detection capabilities.
Features: Microsoft Defender XDR offers comprehensive integration with Microsoft 365, featuring email scanning, threat management, and application integration. It provides a unified security view and effective threat prioritization through its user-friendly dashboard. Huntress Managed EDR, meanwhile, excels with human-curated alerts, SOC services, and strong integration with existing AV solutions. Its standout features include easy deployment and continuous monitoring, especially for SMBs.
Room for Improvement: Microsoft Defender XDR could be enhanced with improved machine learning, better integration with non-Microsoft products, and simplified licensing. User interface complexity and frequent dashboard updates are noted issues. Huntress Managed EDR could benefit from expanded integration capabilities with other solutions, more detailed reporting, and a more intuitive UI. Users would appreciate a more standalone EDR solution that includes antivirus capabilities.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Defender XDR allows deployment across various cloud environments, but its support varies, with Premier Support clients reporting better experiences. Huntress Managed EDR is appreciated for ease of use and deployment, particularly in SMB settings. Its 24/7 SOC service is a strong selling point, offering quick and responsive support.
Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Defender XDR's standalone pricing is typically high, yet competitive within bundles, offering comprehensive protection that minimizes the need for multiple tools, despite licensing complexity. Huntress Managed EDR provides attractive pricing for SMBs, offering strong value with minimal need for additional security tools, showing clear ROI through operational efficiency and increased security.
We can quarantine and isolate a device within minutes.
Microsoft Defender XDR has saved me at least 50% of my time.
Ever since we turned on the M5 feature set back in June, we have seen a reduced number of potentially malicious clicks and faster alerting when incidents occur.
I felt it was important to raise awareness about this new technique where attackers use legitimate applications to gain remote access and control of computers.
They are thorough and ensure the problem is addressed without pushing responsibilities onto me unnecessarily.
Their support team is excellent.
You get stuck in low-level support for way longer than you should, instead of them escalating the issue up the chain.
It's critical to escalate SEV B issues immediately to a domestic engineer.
Once issues are escalated to the second or third layer, the support is much better.
I know other techs with thousands deployed, so scalability isn't an issue.
Scaling Huntress is simple; I can manage up to a thousand devices without issue.
I can easily scale from one machine to thousands without any fuss.
Microsoft Defender XDR shows tremendous scalability, much more so than on-premises solutions.
Microsoft Defender XDR scales pretty well.
It is suitable for enterprise-level deployment but has room for improvement.
We have not experienced any issues with lagging, crashing, or downtime.
I never experienced issues, but once there was an instance with false positives with their Rio service, which was quickly resolved by customer service.
It barely takes up resources on the computer, and I have had no issues with lagging or crashing.
The service has remained consistently online, with any issues isolated to specific components, suggesting a well-designed and modular architecture.
The services within our ecosystem have been reliable, meeting their SLAs.
It provides high-fidelity signals.
A more transparent way for the support team at Huntress and our IT team to collaborate to make it faster and easier would be beneficial.
Since we support customers in different countries, expanding the language options for their training would be beneficial.
Their EDR is pretty mature in terms of what it does.
The licensing process needs improvement and clarification.
Improvements are needed in automated response capabilities.
Some inconsistencies exist between blades, which could be improved for a more seamless user and UI experience.
The savings from utilizing the included Windows Defender offset the cost of Huntress Managed EDR, making it an affordable solution overall.
It is not too expensive or too cheap. It is just right.
It can get expensive for small to medium businesses if large license quantities are not purchased.
There are certainly savings when using Microsoft Defender XDR, which can range from 30%, 40%, and even up to 50%.
I would rate the pricing as eight out of ten, indicating it is a reasonable cost for the product.
Microsoft purposefully obfuscates this through marketing ploys to hide costs.
What stands out most is their human element: when faced with an unknown threat, real people, not just automated processes, are investigating it, and they're people we trust.
They provide detailed remediation steps, explaining why an issue is a problem and what steps to take.
Previously, I could not modify it unless I had special Microsoft licensing, so it was beneficial to control Windows Defender through a central console to add policies and things like that.
With Microsoft threat intelligence information, it detects various types of threats, including insider attacks, malicious content, and data exfiltration.
This allows us to secure our systems in advance and proactively improve security, rather than waiting for incidents to occur.
Once we have it on the security dashboard, we can see a real-time storyline.
Huntress Managed EDR offers robust managed detection and response capabilities with 24/7 threat hunting, intuitive deployment, and proactive threat management for small to medium businesses.
Huntress Managed EDR provides essential cybersecurity services to businesses by integrating seamlessly with existing tools like Microsoft Defender. Around-the-clock SOC expertise, proactive alerts, and automatic remediation define its core offerings. It effectively monitors threats, detecting footholds and malicious IPs while providing quick isolation of suspicious activities. The platform simplifies security management, reducing reliance on multiple security solutions and enhancing threat response efficiency.
What are the key features of Huntress Managed EDR?Huntress Managed EDR is commonly implemented in industries requiring enhanced cybersecurity, including finance, healthcare, and IT services. Its ability to complement traditional antivirus tools and integration with remote monitoring supports a comprehensive defense strategy against advanced threats. Its deployment is simplified for diverse IT environments, ensuring automated and fast response to emerging security challenges.
Microsoft Defender XDR is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect against threats in the Microsoft 365 environment.
It offers robust security measures, comprehensive threat detection capabilities, and an efficient incident response system. With seamless integration with other Microsoft products and a user-friendly interface, it simplifies security management tasks.
Users have found it effective in detecting and preventing various types of attacks, such as phishing attempts, malware infections, and data breaches.
Watch the Microsoft demo video here: Microsoft Defender XDR demo video.
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