In short
EDR for small business means endpoint detection and response chosen for a small team: one agent and one console, clear explained detections, automatic containment and, ideally, a vendor-run managed detection and response service to watch alerts out of hours. Options we supply include ThreatDown, Bitdefender, WatchGuard, SentinelOne and CrowdStrike, with Sophos available through our sister site.
Get a quote for small business EDR
Tell us roughly how many users or sites you have and we will reply by email with options and a quote.
Why small businesses need detection and response
It is tempting to think attackers only go after large organisations. In practice, much ransomware and business email compromise is opportunistic: attackers scan for exposed remote access, buy stolen passwords and phish whoever responds. A small firm with a few dozen laptops can be as easy a target as anyone, and often has less resilience to recover.
Antivirus remains essential, but it is designed to block malicious files. Attackers who sign in with a stolen password and use legitimate remote access or admin tools do not trip it. Endpoint detection and response records what happens on each device and flags the patterns of an attack in progress, such as unusual PowerShell, credential theft or a process encrypting files in bulk, so you can step in before the damage is done. Our guide to EDR vs antivirus explains the difference in more detail.
There are business reasons too. Cyber insurance questionnaires can ask about EDR, multi-factor authentication and backups, and some larger customers ask suppliers what security they run.
The out-of-hours problem
EDR raises alerts. In a small business, the person who would read them is usually also running IT, or doing another job entirely, and goes home at the end of the day. Attacks do not wait for office hours, and an alert raised on a Friday evening may not be read until Monday.
There are three realistic ways to handle it:
- Automatic response only. Set the EDR to isolate a device or kill a process automatically on high-confidence detections, and review alerts during working hours. This is better than nothing, but someone still has to investigate.
- A vendor-run managed service. The EDR vendor's own analysts monitor alerts, including out of hours, investigate and take agreed actions such as isolating a device, then tell you what happened. This is usually the best fit for small firms without a security team.
- Your IT provider plus the vendor service. The vendor handles out-of-hours detection and containment, and your IT provider or in-house person deals with clean-up.
We do not run a security operations centre ourselves. We help you choose a platform with the right vendor service and set up the response policy so the right people are told. Our Cloud Security site explains managed detection and response in depth.
What to look for in small business EDR
- One agent and one console for prevention and EDR, so there is less to manage and nothing to conflict.
- Explained detections that a generalist can follow: what happened, where, under which account and what to do.
- Automatic containment you can switch on with confidence, such as isolating a device on ransomware behaviour.
- Ransomware rollback where available, as a fast recovery route alongside backups.
- A vendor-run MDR option on the same agent, so you can add managed cover without reinstalling.
- Sensible licensing: per device or per user, with the option to start on key devices and extend.
- Cloud management, so there is no on-premises server to build and look after.
- A good fit with Microsoft 365, including deployment through Microsoft Intune if you use it.
EDR with a vendor-run MDR option
These are the platforms we supply where the vendor runs its own managed detection and response service on top of its EDR. Packaging and coverage are confirmed at quote.
| Vendor | EDR | Vendor-run managed service | Worth knowing | Licensed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ThreatDown | ThreatDown EDR | ThreatDown MDR, or the lighter Managed Threat Hunting | Explained detections and seven-day ransomware rollback; designed with small IT teams in mind | Endpoint |
| Bitdefender | GravityZone EDR | Bitdefender MDR | Correlates related detections into one incident with an attack-chain view | Endpoint |
| WatchGuard | Endpoint Security Prime, 360 or Elite | WatchGuard Core MDR | Prime is the entry point for WatchGuard MDR; a separate Core MDR for Microsoft service monitors Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | Endpoint |
| SentinelOne | Singularity Complete | Wayfinder MDR (formerly Vigilance) | Rollback on supported systems; SentinelOne lists its MDR as an add-on to its Commercial and Enterprise packages, so packaging is confirmed at quote | Endpoint |
| CrowdStrike | Falcon platform | Falcon Complete Next-Gen MDR in the Falcon Complete Defend bundle | CrowdStrike's team investigates and remediates for you | Endpoint |
| Sophos | Sophos EDR | Sophos MDR | Covered on our Sophos specialist site | User and server |
For a wider comparison, including platforms where you would run detection yourself, see best EDR solutions.
Not sure which option fits? Ask us
Tell us what you need and we will recommend the right option for your organisation, with a quote.
What about Microsoft Defender?
If you have Microsoft 365 Business Premium, you already have Microsoft Defender for Business, which includes endpoint detection and response. For some small firms that is the right answer, especially if someone will watch its alerts. The same question applies, though: who responds at night?
If you want to keep Defender, WatchGuard's Core MDR for Microsoft is designed to monitor Microsoft Defender for Endpoint; we check whether it fits the Defender licences you hold before you commit. If you would rather use a different platform, most deploy cleanly through Microsoft Intune. Our Cloud Security site covers Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and forever-group.co.uk covers Microsoft Intune.
Getting started without overspending
You do not have to do everything at once. A sensible order for most small businesses:
- Get the basics right: patching, multi-factor authentication, no day-to-day local admin rights and backups you can restore from. See our endpoint security best practices.
- Put one platform with EDR on every laptop, desktop and server, and remove the old antivirus.
- Decide who responds, and add the vendor's managed service if that is not you.
- Turn on automatic containment for high-confidence detections once alerts are tuned.
- Review coverage regularly so new devices are not missed.
Our EDR deployment guide covers the rollout in detail. Endpoint protection and antivirus for small businesses is covered on our sister site endpointprotection.uk.
Is small business EDR the right fit for you?
We will check it against your systems and requirements and recommend the right option.
How we help
We help small organisations choose an EDR platform and, where it fits, the vendor's managed service, then plan the rollout and response policy with you. We keep the recommendation proportionate to your size and risk, and pricing is confirmed at quote.
Contact us to talk about EDR for your business.
How Forever Systems helps with endpoint security
We are an independent UK IT and cyber security provider. We supply and support endpoint security from several vendors, so we can recommend what fits your devices, your people and your budget rather than one vendor's answer to everything.
- Start with what you have: we can review your current antivirus, EDR and Microsoft 365 licences before suggesting anything new
- Vendor-aware advice on EDR, XDR and managed detection and response, including CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, WatchGuard, Bitdefender, Sophos and Check Point Harmony
- Deployment help: planning a rollout, replacing an existing product and setting sensible policies for device control, encryption and patching
- Policies and compliance: we help you map your controls to Cyber Essentials and the NCSC's device guidance
- Ongoing support options, such as policy tuning, renewals and regular reviews, agreed and confirmed at quote
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations. Tell us about your devices and we will suggest a sensible next step.
Frequently asked questions
Does a small business need EDR?
If you hold customer data, rely on your systems to trade or are asked about EDR by an insurer or customer, it is worth having. Antivirus blocks malicious files, but attackers using stolen passwords and legitimate tools can get past it. EDR helps you spot and contain those attacks.
What is the best EDR for small business?
The best fit is usually a platform with one agent, clear detections, automatic containment and a vendor-run managed service for out-of-hours cover. ThreatDown, Bitdefender, WatchGuard, SentinelOne, CrowdStrike and Sophos all offer that combination. We can recommend what fits, confirmed at quote.
Is MDR worth it for a small business?
If nobody can watch EDR alerts in the evening and at weekends, a vendor-run MDR service fills that gap. The vendor's analysts investigate and take agreed actions such as isolating a device, then report what they did.
Is Microsoft Defender for Business enough?
Microsoft Defender for Business, included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium, provides EDR. Whether it is enough depends on who will act on its alerts. If nobody can, a managed service may help: WatchGuard Core MDR for Microsoft, for example, is designed to monitor Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and we check how it fits your licences at quote.
How is EDR priced for small businesses?
Most platforms are licensed per device, and Sophos per user and per server, on monthly or annual terms, with managed services licensed on top. Costs depend on numbers, options and term, so ask us for a quote.
Still have a question about small business EDR?
Ask us and a member of our team will reply by email.