What Defines a Top-Tier MDR Solution?

• Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solutions are critical for modern cybersecurity, offering 24/7 human-led expertise to actively disrupt threats.
• Understand what truly defines a top-tier MDR provider and how to differentiate effective MDR security services from basic alert systems.
• Explore key insights on the MDR landscape, emphasizing the need for proactive threat containment and integration with your business.

Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solutions have been available for more than 20 years, but despite this level of longevity, there remains confusion about what programs qualify as true MDR.

Despite having a long track record of widespread use and success, there is still a great deal of confusion among current and potential MDR clients about what an MDR provider should deliver to keep an MDR client secure.

Let's unpack Gartner's perspective on the MDR landscape using the contents of Gartner's 2024 Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response to better understand the service and what it should provide. This report includes the core requirements for effective MDR and guidance on how to evaluate providers based on real business and risk needs.

A basic description has an MDR security service provider offering a "turnkey" approach to threat detection, investigation, and response, underpinned by human expertise and rapid threat containment capabilities. However, as the market grows, so does neatly defining the qualities of a true MDR solution. This information is needed so organizations know what to look for and what to avoid.

Gartner's Key Takeaways on the MDR Landscape

Here are several critical dynamics Gartner sees shaping today's MDR vendor market:

• Technology-led offerings masquerading as MDR are muddying the waters for buyers. True MDR is not just about automation or a flashy platform, but it must be human-led, outcome-driven, and capable of actively disrupting threats.
• Buyers are no longer satisfied with just detection and alerting; they require proactive services, such as threat exposure identification, vulnerability scanning, and digital risk monitoring.
• Then there are those organizations that want MDR providers to remotely contain and disrupt threats, but this area is still has a low adoption rate as regional regulatory requirements, trust levels, and internal security maturity limit clients.

What Buyers Should Require from MDR Providers

To ensure your organization gains the full value from an MDR service, Gartner recommends security and risk leaders assess the following:

1. 24/7 Human-Led Security Expertise – MDR security services should act as a fully operational SOC, available around the clock. Providers must offer real-time detection and response — not just monitoring.
2. Turnkey Threat Detection, Investigation & Response (TDIR) - Look for providers with a predefined, continuously evolving detection stack that includes automation and human analysis. These services should be quick to deploy, with minimal setup required from your side.
3. Remote Threat Containment - Providers should be able to quarantine hosts, disable accounts, or block network traffic remotely — actions that go beyond alerting and actually disrupt the attack in progress.
4. Integration with Your Business - Consider how the MDR solution will connect to your existing infrastructure, ticketing systems, compliance protocols, and workflows. Alignment with your business priorities and regulatory obligations is key.
5. Proof Through Results - Use RFPs and proof-of-concept (PoC) engagements to test a provider's claims. Validate whether they provide clear, actionable insights — not just raw alerts with minimal analysis

The MDR Market Today: A Rapidly Evolving Sector

According to Gartner, MDR services are increasingly seen as critical extensions of internal SOC capabilities, especially for organizations lacking 24/7 coverage or deep threat hunting expertise.

Mandatory MDR Capabilities

• A provider-hosted, shared technology stack that enables real-time threat detection and response.
• 24/7 expert staffing that understands customer-specific risk and provides customized threat monitoring.
• Immediate, remote mitigative actions (such as isolating infected devices or disabling user accounts).

Common (but Not Always Included) Features:

• Broad telemetry collection, including IoT, OT, identity, SaaS, and cloud environments.
• Breach and attack simulations (BAS), vulnerability assessments, and exposure risk monitoring.
• Digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) capabilities.
• Advanced, hypothesis-driven threat hunting — based on business questions, not just routine TTP analysis.

Gartner predicts that by 2028, 50% of MDR findings will include threat exposure data, up from just 10% today, signaling a shift from reactive defense to proactive or preemptive security management.

What to Prioritize in 2025 and Beyond

As the MDR market matures, the gap between true, human-led, outcome-focused services and automated "alert factories" will only grow, Gartner noted. The stakes are high: partnering with a Managed Detection and Response provider that cannot actively contain threats or fails to deliver contextual, actionable intelligence could leave your organization exposed.

When evaluating MDR services, prioritize providers who:

• Deliver real-time human insight — not just platform dashboards.
• Provide remote threat disruption, not just alert notifications.
• Align their detection strategies with your unique risk profile and infrastructure.
• Continuously improve your security posture through exposure management and guided remediation.

The final takeaway is that managed detection and response is no longer a nice-to-have but a strategic necessity. As Gartner makes clear, not all MDR offerings are created equal. By understanding the true scope of MDR and focusing on providers that offer turnkey, human-led threat disruption, organizations can build a resilient, modern security operation capable of staying ahead of today's dynamic threat landscape.