Understanding XDR vs SIEM

For managed service providers (MSPs), cybersecurity visibility and assurance have become more complex and challenging at scale. Security information and event management (SIEM) and extended detection and response (XDR) are two of the most prominent solutions for adding visibility to attacks in progress and shortening their timelines. 

These approaches share many common ground, but there are clear distinctions and cases where specifically using one or the other—or both—is best.

Some of this confusion stems from vendors of one solution claiming that the other doesn’t stack up as well—XDR vendors saying SIEM is outdated or the SIEM camp pointing out discreet limitations in XDR. Below, we’ll provide a more objective overview of XDR vs SIEM and advise when to use either (or both).

What is security information event management (SIEM)?

SIEM is a holistic approach to security visibility across an organization. It centralizes monitoring across all company technology assets, indexing for security relevance and other end-uses, such as forensic or historical analysis. At its core, SIEM is a robust, secure way to log what is happening across a system to identify when a security issue occurs and help provide remediation guidance to contain or recover and prove what happened during an incident.

SIEM provides MSPs’ clients with a streamlined visibility channel to meet their security needs. Widely applicable regulatory frameworks, like the Center for Internet Security (CIS) controls and many National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publications, explicitly require a form of SIEM to be deployed.

However, SIEM alone (no SOC (Security Operations Center)) has drawbacks. Organizations need to navigate issues on their own and maintain the solution to ensure they effectively identify current threats properly, as SIEM does not happen without proper attention. Navigating SIEM false positives requires diligence, flexibility, and increased bandwidth on the part of security teams and IT professionals.

What is extended detection and response?

XDR is a relatively new approach to managed detection and response (MDR). Whereas SIEM is relatively use-agnostic and offers wide-ranging functionalities, XDR is more targeted toward hunting for and correcting issues specifically—often through automation.

XDR powers security event management through real-time detection. Rather than reporting on events to security analysts, who then need to access other tools and systems to resolve them, XDR enables resolution from the same unified platform.

In 2023, Forrester declared that endpoint detection and response (EDR) was out in favor of XDR, shifting the focus of its quarterly Wave reporting to the newer platform.

However, like SIEM, XDR is not without potential drawbacks. As a newer technology, MSPs might find resistance among clientele with more legacy systems or less tech literacy throughout their user bases. As mentioned above, it is less capable (though not incapable) of meeting long-term data retention and analysis needs.

Key differences between XDR and SIEM

In the simplest terms possible, SIEM is primarily about notification, whereas XDR is about solving problems. XDR is more immediately applicable to emerging threats, but SIEM is more capable of long-term log management with data analysis tools.

The biggest differences come down to three main categories:

• Scope of coverage: SIEM and XDR are system-wide, but SIEM empowers greater coverage over time for historical and other analyses.
• Integration capabilities: SIEM and XDR integrate across many ecosystems, favoring more legacy software. SIEM is often more compatible with legacy or complex networking environments, and XDR is more contemporary, with robust mobile and/or cloud components.
• Detection and response capabilities: XDR, by definition, connects monitoring functions to response capabilities. SIEM doesn’t by default.
• Endpoint protection: XDR includes endpoint protection as part of its solution, whereas an SIEM deployment would require an endpoint protection solution (EDR/MDR) as an additional layer of the security stack.

However, these approaches also share similarities in how and why they are used. Both offer MSPs and other organizations the ability to monitor and create alerts for threats, significantly speeding up response to security incidents.

Common use cases for SIEM and XDR

Many of the most common use cases for SIEM revolve around compliance needs for secure log and alert data storage and retention. For example, the IRS recommends SIEM for organizations that must comply with Publication 1075. 

XDR's use cases generally involve reactivity and problem resolution rather than visibility. They are often used in environments where advanced, persistent threats (APTs) are present. XDR has prevented living off-the-land (LOTL) attacks and other fileless, stealthy, or otherwise hard-to-track vectors.

For organizations that require both the responsiveness and issue resolution capabilities of XDR, as well as the advantages of SIEM, which include long-term log and alert storage, correlation, and the ability to handle legacy and complex environments, employing both XDR and SIEM can provide a more comprehensive cybersecurity solution.

Choosing the right solution for your organization

SIEM and XDR are used across various industries, so aligning them with specific business models and security operations is key. For example, businesses that are heavily cloud-based with basic infrastructure environments may benefit from XDR's immediacy.

Other considerations include the IT environment individually or collectively monitored by the platforms and the integrations they require. SIEM tends to work seamlessly with legacy software, whereas XDR is a good fit for more modern stacks.

Security and compliance need to be balanced with user-friendliness, too. Comparing UX features such as dashboards and remediation recommendations across specific SIEM and XDR solutions will help identify areas of automation or efficient workflows that can decrease response times and increase the number of issues that can be addressed.

See our SIEM buyers' guide for insights on how specific platforms compare.

How ConnectWise optimizes security

Both XDR and SIEM solutions power threat detection and security alerting for MSPs and their clients. ConnectWise understands that these stand-alone solutions can be impactful and effective, but responding to events that require security professional involvement will continue to be a challenge.  Adding a security operations center (SOC) to either SIEM or XDR will significantly increase the effectiveness and impact of the solution, making XDR and SIEM extremely competitive in almost every business. 

In summary, a SIEM might be best for MSPs seeking overall security information management and data analysis capabilities, particularly in heavily regulated industries. XDR will work for those looking for integrated monitoring and defense, especially across hybrid systems, and the addition of a SOC will help speed up response times and increase effectiveness of threat hunting and alert resolution. 

Many organizations may need a combination of SIEM, XDR, and SOC along with other security monitoring features, so understanding the specific requirements of a client, along with the detailed benefits of each solution will help drive the best possible outcome. ConnectWise's comprehensive cybersecurity support meets all these needs and more. Use our platform to efficiently meet your clients’ needs.

To see how ConnectWise powers security, book a demo or get in touch today!