Choosing between Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting and Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR

Introduction

In today’s cybersecurity landscape, organizations face increasingly complex and sophisticated threats. Microsoft offers two robust solutions designed to enhance your security operations: Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting and Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR.  While both services aim to protect your organization against threats, they are tailored for distinct use cases. This guide will help you understand when to utilize Defender Experts for Hunting and when Defender Experts for XDR might be the right choice for your organization.

What Is Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting?

Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting is a proactive threat hunting service designed for organizations with a well-established security operations center (SOC) that want additional assistance in unearthing hidden novel attacks. This service utilizes Microsoft Defender data to hunt across multiple domains, including endpoints, Office 365, cloud applications, and identity.  

Defender Experts for Hunting:

• Provides proactive threat hunting beyond just the endpoint, analysing signals across your digital environment. 
• Leverages extensive threat intelligence, security experts, and AI/ML tools, the proactive hunting service operates by developing hypotheses, analysing contexts, and observing behaviours to detect novel attacks. 
• Provides contextual alerting by investigating findings and delivering actionable remediation instructions to your SOC. 
• Is ideal for organizations that want to maintain full control of incident response while benefiting from Microsoft’s expertise in threat detection. 

For more details, refer to What is Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting offering - Microsoft Defender XDR | Microsoft Learn

What Is Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR?

Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR is a managed extended detection and response (XDR) service that extends beyond threat hunting to include detection, investigation, and response. Tailored for organizations that use Microsoft Defender XDR services, this offering not only identifies threats but also manages incident response, enabling security teams to focus on high-priority incidents. 

Defender Experts for XDR: 

• Provides complete incident lifecycle management, combining automation with Microsoft’s expert analysts to detect, investigate, and respond to threats. 
• Supports multiple Microsoft Defender solutions, including Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender for Office 365, Microsoft Defender for Identity, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, and Microsoft Entra ID. 
• Is a great choice for organizations that want a fully managed SOC-like experience without the need for extensive in-house resources. 
• Includes Defender Experts for Hunting built in for proactive threat hunting 

For more details, refer to What is Microsoft Defender Experts for XDR offering - Microsoft Defender XDR | Microsoft Learn

Which Service is best for your organization

When deciding between Defender Experts for Hunting and Defender Experts for XDR, it’s essential to evaluate your organization's current capabilities, resources, and security objectives. 

Defender Experts for Hunting

This service is ideal for organizations that:

• Already have a robust SOC and dedicated incident response team. 
• Need proactive threat hunting to uncover hidden threats across diverse domains that are novel or not yet covered by existing detections. 
• Want to maintain in-house control of incident response while receiving expert insights and remediation instructions. 

Defender Experts for XDR

This service is ideal for organizations that:

• Want a fully managed detection and response solution to complement their existing security measures.  
• Lack the resources or expertise to manage a 24/7 SOC. 
• Need extended detection and response capabilities across the entire Microsoft Defender for XDR ecosystem. 

Recommendation based on scenarios

Conclusion

Modern cybersecurity threats are increasingly complex and continually evolving. It is not sufficient to merely detect and highlight these threats; it is also critical to identify novel threats and respond to them with speed and precision. 

Both Microsoft Defender Experts for Hunting and Defender Experts for XDR offer substantial benefits to organizations looking to defend against threats and catch emerging threats before they escalate into issues. Choosing the right service depends on your specific needs: whether you require proactive threat hunting to complement an existing SOC or a 24/7 fully managed detection and response solution that operates continuously to handle the complexities of modern threats, thereby alleviating the burden on internal teams. With Defender Experts for XDR, bolster your SOC with around the clock protection from dedicated security professionals.   

By understanding these options, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your security goals and ensures your organization is well-protected in today’s threat landscape.