In the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape, businesses must be prepared to handle threats proactively and reactively. Two key approaches to handling cyber threats are Incident Response (IR) and Managed Detection and Response (MDR). While both are essential, they serve different purposes and are often misunderstood.
Understanding their distinctions – and how they complement each other – can help organisations make better decisions about securing their digital environments.
What is Incident Response (IR)?
Incident Response (IR) is a structured approach to addressing and managing the aftermath of a security breach or cyberattack to limit damage, recover quickly, and learn from the incident to prevent future occurrences.
Most organisations follow an IR framework, such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, which typically includes:
- Preparation – Developing an incident response plan, training staff, and setting up tools.
- Identification – Detecting and confirming an incident.
- Containment – Preventing further damage by isolating affected systems.
- Eradication – Removing the threat from the environment.
- Recovery – Restoring affected systems and verifying security.
- Lessons Learned – Analysing the incident to improve future responses.
Example of Incident Response in Action
A large financial institution detects unusual activity in its network. Employees cannot access certain systems, and ransom notes to appear on infected devices. The company engages its Incident Response team, which follows its predefined plan:
- Identification: Security analysts confirm it’s a ransomware attack.
- Containment: The team isolates compromised machines, preventing lateral movement.
- Eradication: Investigators determine the entry point was a phishing email, and the malware is removed.
- Recovery: Backups are restored, and operations resume.
- Lessons Learned: The company implements stronger email filtering and employee training to reduce future risks.
This reactive approach minimises damage and restores normal operations after an attack.
What is Managed Detection and Response (MDR)?
While Incident Response focuses on handling security breaches after they occur, Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is a proactive cybersecurity service designed to detect, analyse, and respond to threats before they escalate into full-blown incidents.
MDR providers offer:
- 24/7 monitoring of an organisation’s networks, endpoints, and cloud environments.
- Threat detection and analysis using advanced tools like SIEM, EDR, and AI-driven analytics.
- Threat hunting to proactively search for potential attackers within the network.
- Guided response and remediation to contain threats before they cause major disruptions.
Example of MDR in Action
A global retail chain relies on MDR services to protect its operations. One night, an MDR team detects anomalous login attempts from a foreign IP on an employee’s account. Instead of waiting for an incident to unfold, they take proactive steps:
- Threat Detection: The MDR system flags unusual login patterns.
- Threat Analysis: Analysts investigate and confirm credentials were compromised.
- Response & Containment: The compromised account is locked, and access is revoked.
- Remediation: The user is notified, passwords are reset, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enforced.
The company avoided costly downtime and reputational damage because the threat was stopped before data was stolen or systems were encrypted.
Final Thought
Cyber threats are evolving rapidly, and relying solely on reactive security isn’t enough. With MDR, businesses can stay ahead of attackers and reduce the likelihood of major breaches. However, Incident Response remains a crucial last line of defence when attackers manage to slip through.
By integrating MDR for proactive defence and Incident Response for crisis management, businesses can build a resilient cybersecurity strategy that minimises both risks and disruptions.