Bitdefender MDR: managed detection and response on GravityZone

What Bitdefender MDR is

Bitdefender MDR is a managed security service: Bitdefender provides the technology and the people. Bitdefender describes it as round-the-clock defence delivered through its global security operations centres (SOCs), which work in shifts that follow the sun so customers get in-region coverage during their working hours with hand-overs between regions.

Bitdefender says the service includes the underlying GravityZone platform as well as the continuous monitoring and response on top. Rather than forwarding you every alert, Bitdefender's analysts manage the alert lifecycle themselves and bring you a short list of responses and recommendations.

It suits organisations that want detection and response but cannot staff a security team around the clock, which is most small and mid-sized organisations. For the general case for MDR, see managed detection and response on our Cloud Security site.

What the service includes

Bitdefender lists these components:

Bitdefender also offers MDR PLUS, which adds dark web monitoring, tailored threat modelling, brand and intellectual property monitoring and a dedicated Security Account Manager with quarterly reviews. Which service fits, and how it is packaged through us, is confirmed at quote.

Pre-approved actions: agreeing what Bitdefender can do

The part of onboarding that matters most is agreeing pre-approved actions. These are the responses Bitdefender's analysts can take on your behalf as soon as they confirm a threat, such as isolating an endpoint, killing a process or quarantining a file.

Getting the balance right is a business decision, not just a technical one:

• Laptops and desktops: most organisations are happy for analysts to isolate a compromised device immediately, because the cost of a user losing network access briefly is small
• Servers and line-of-business systems: isolating a server that runs payroll or production may need a conversation first, so many organisations restrict actions there
• Accounts: if XDR identity or productivity sensors are in place, decide whether analysts may disable or suspend accounts
• Contacts: who Bitdefender should notify, in and out of hours, and how

We can work through these with you before the service starts and review them after the first few incidents.

How Bitdefender MDR pairs with GravityZone EDR and XDR

Analysts can only investigate what the platform sees. Bitdefender MDR is built on GravityZone EDR, which correlates detections across endpoints into one incident, visualises the attack chain and maps it to MITRE ATT&CK.

Adding GravityZone XDR sensors widens what the MDR team can see:

For service providers, Bitdefender packages this as Secure Plus (EDR plus MDR) and Secure Extra, which adds the XDR Identity and XDR Productivity sensors so the MDR team sees beyond the endpoint. For many small businesses, EDR plus MDR gives more protection than extra sensors watched by nobody.

Getting started with Bitdefender MDR

Onboarding follows a familiar pattern:

1. Cover every device: we deploy or confirm the GravityZone agent on all workstations and servers and enable EDR, because MDR relies on its telemetry.
2. Agree pre-approved actions and contacts: what Bitdefender may do straight away, what needs your approval, and who it should reach.
3. Share context: we help you tell Bitdefender's team about legitimate admin tools, scheduled scripts and line-of-business software, so they are not mistaken for attacks.
4. Go live and review: incidents and recommendations start arriving through the MDR portal, and we review the first ones with you.

If you already run GravityZone with another provider, talk to us about moving your company across before adding the service.

What you still need to do

MDR takes the watching off your hands, but you stay responsible for your environment:

1. Keep the agent on every device: endpoints without GravityZone are invisible to the MDR team.
2. Keep contacts current so incidents reach someone who can act.
3. Act on recommendations such as patching, resetting credentials or changing configuration.
4. Review the monthly report and track whether the same issues keep coming back.

Good basics reduce how often analysts need to act: patching, full disk encryption and multi-factor authentication. GravityZone Patch Management and Full Disk Encryption run in the same console.

Who Bitdefender MDR suits

Bitdefender MDR fits:

• small and mid-sized organisations with an IT team but no security operations centre
• businesses whose cyber insurer, customers or auditors ask about 24/7 monitoring and response
• existing GravityZone users who are not looking at EDR incidents consistently
• organisations that want one vendor for the platform and the service

Comparing services? See other vendor-run MDR on our endpoint security vendors page, including WatchGuard MDR and SentinelOne Vigilance MDR, or read about EDR for small business.

How Forever Systems helps

We supply GravityZone from our multi-tenant console with EDR, XDR and MDR as add-ons, on Bitdefender's usage-based licensing for service providers. We can help you decide between EDR alone and EDR with MDR, agree pre-approved actions and contacts, check every device is covered before the service starts, and follow up on Bitdefender's recommendations with you. Bitdefender's analysts run the service; we make sure it is set up to work for you. Licensing detail is on our Bitdefender GravityZone EDR licensing page.

Contact us to talk about Bitdefender MDR for your organisation.