{"id":58078,"date":"2025-01-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"urn:uuid:1c344145-0371-acfb-8495-34000816ae77"},"modified":"2025-01-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T00:00:00","slug":"ndr-not-just-a-nice-to-have-anymore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/ndr-not-just-a-nice-to-have-anymore\/","title":{"rendered":"NDR: Not Just a “Nice to Have” Anymore"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Network Detection and Response (NDR) technology has become essential in today\u2019s cybersecurity landscape. If you ask most IT professionals or Incident Responders (IR) what NDR is and what it can do, they\u2019ll typically understand its purpose. This is no surprise, as billion-dollar companies have successfully leveraged this technology. However, there\u2019s a persistent issue: many IT administrators and even IR professionals still view NDR as a “nice to have” rather than a “need to have.”<\/p>\n

Having worked for several years in the IR space with Trend Micro, I\u2019ve seen firsthand how deploying an NDR solution can transform incident response, reducing response times from days to minutes. Despite this, resistance persists, often hinging on misconceptions about deployment speed and integration. Let\u2019s address these challenges and explore why NDR is indispensable.<\/p>\n

The Misconceptions Around Deployment<\/span><\/p>\n

A frequent argument I hear, even from within sales teams, is, “Are you saying we\u2019ll wait two days while a box gets shipped?” My experience running IR teams confirms that this concern is valid\u2014shipping hardware often introduces delays that compromise timely responses. The reality, however, is that modern NDR solutions are not limited to physical appliances. At Trend Micro, we recognized this challenge and prioritized the development of a virtual sensor. This lightweight, rapidly deployable virtual appliance comes preconfigured and ready to go, enabling organizations to stand up an NDR solution in minutes rather than days.<\/p>\n

NDR vs. EDR: Complementary Technologies<\/span><\/p>\n

While Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools are powerful, they have limitations. Deploying EDR agents takes time, especially when Active Directory (AD) computer lists are outdated or poorly maintained. Machines not on these lists often remain unprotected. Additionally, modern EDR tools struggle to support legacy systems or diverse Linux distributions. This gap underscores the need for network-based visibility.<\/p>\n

NDR solutions address these issues by:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Providing visibility into all devices on the network, including those unsupported by EDR.<\/li>\n
  2. Feeding critical data to edge and EDR technologies, enhancing their efficacy.<\/li>\n
  3. Identifying services or shadow IT events that shouldn\u2019t be active on the network.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    According to Trend Micro, “NDR is an essential addition to an organization\u2019s cybersecurity toolkit, one that complements EDR, ITDR, and ASM to cover off network vulnerabilities and provide full-fledged XDR[1]<\/a><\/sup>.”<\/p>\n

    Accelerating Deployment with Virtual Appliances<\/span><\/p>\n

    The concern that deploying an NDR appliance takes too long is outdated. Trend Micro\u2019s virtual appliance template can be downloaded and operational in minutes. While IT admins or responders configure the virtual machine, the network team can set up port mirroring to direct traffic from core switches to the new appliance. As soon as the system is live, traffic begins flowing to Vision One, enabling immediate analysis and threat intelligence correlation.<\/p>\n

    This rapid setup allows organizations to:<\/span><\/p>\n