Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
Endpoint detection and response is security software on laptops, desktops and servers that watches for unusual activity, then lets a team investigate and stop a threat on the affected device.
Endpoint detection and response is software installed on the computers and servers your staff use for work. It records what those devices do and raises an alert when the pattern looks like an attack. The response part lets a technician isolate a machine, stop a process or lock an account from a central console, instead of waiting for someone to reach the desk.
In a typical SME, an agent sits on each managed device and reports into a console watched by your IT team or a managed provider. When ransomware starts encrypting folders, or a compromised account launches unexpected software, the console flags it. A technician reviews the trail and decides whether to isolate the device, stop the process or treat it as a false alarm. Alerts arrive outside office hours, so most businesses use a provider that already monitors 24/7.
EDR only covers devices with the agent installed and kept current. A personal laptop used for email, or a server missed at rollout, sits outside that view. Unattended alerts are another failure: the tool saw the activity, but nobody acted. Isolation can take a till or file server offline at a bad moment. It doesn't replace multi-factor authentication or email filtering, and it won't stop every phishing click. Device licences and overdue agent updates are the usual operational snags.
When it matters
- →Staff take company laptops home or onto client sites.
- →One infected device could spread across shared file stores.
- →Nobody on the payroll reviews security alerts overnight.
- →Insurers or clients ask what endpoint protection you run.
Related terms
Endpoint detection and response (EDR): common questions
Do small businesses need EDR?
Most UK SMEs should run EDR once staff use laptops, shared files or cloud email. A single infected device can encrypt a file server or spread through a shared mailbox. There's no need for an in-house security team. A managed provider installs the agent, watches the console and acts on alerts. If you only have a handful of desktop PCs that never leave the office, a simpler endpoint product may suffice until the estate grows.
Does EDR stop ransomware?
EDR can catch ransomware once it starts running, because mass file encryption is a distinctive pattern. It then lets someone isolate the device and stop the process. It does not prevent the malicious file arriving, and it can miss a variant that looks like normal software until damage has begun. Backups, email filtering and multi-factor authentication still matter. Speed of response is what limits how far the attack spreads.
Who watches EDR alerts if we have no security team?
The software produces alerts that need a person to interpret them. Without that, you're paying for a log nobody reads. Most SMEs put EDR under a managed IT or cybersecurity retainer, so a provider installs agents, reviews alerts and isolates devices when needed. Wanzo watches those alerts around the clock as part of managed cybersecurity. Your own staff still need to report lost laptops and unusual account behaviour.
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