Guide
EDR, XDR and MDR explained for South African MSPs
A practical guide to detection and response terminology — what each term means, when it matters, and how to communicate it to customers.
Detection and response is one of the fastest-growing areas in cybersecurity — and one of the most jargon-heavy. MSPs selling these capabilities need to explain them clearly to customers who may not know the difference between a tool, a service and a buzzword. This guide cuts through the acronyms.
EDR: seeing what happens on endpoints
Endpoint Detection and Response monitors what happens on individual devices — laptops, desktops, servers. It records activity, identifies suspicious behaviour, and enables response actions like isolating a device, killing a process or rolling back changes.
EDR is the foundation of detection and response for most MSPs. It gives deep visibility into endpoint activity and provides the forensic data needed to investigate incidents.
XDR: connecting signals across layers
Extended Detection and Response widens the aperture beyond endpoints. It correlates signals from multiple sources — email, identity, network, cloud workloads — into a unified view. The goal is to see attacks that move across surfaces, not just within a single device.
XDR adds value when threats start in one place (a phishing email) and move to another (a compromised identity, then lateral movement to a server). Correlating those signals reveals the full attack chain that endpoint data alone might miss.
MDR: who watches the alerts?
Managed Detection and Response is a delivery model, not a technology category. It combines detection and response tools with people who monitor, triage, investigate and act on threats — typically around the clock.
MDR answers the operational question: "We have the tools, but who is watching them at 2 a.m.?" It is relevant for MSPs and organisations that lack the in-house capacity to staff a security operations function.
Talking to customers about it
When explaining detection and response to customers, avoid leading with acronyms. Instead, frame it around three questions:
- Can we see threats? — EDR provides visibility on endpoints; XDR widens it.
- Can we stop them quickly? — response actions isolate, contain and remediate.
- Who is watching? — internal SOC, MSP-delivered or managed by a third party (MDR).
Where Soteria Cloud fits
EDR and XDR capabilities are available within Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud through Soteria Cloud. They are managed alongside backup, disaster recovery and endpoint management in the same console, giving MSPs a single view across security and data protection. For the decision framework on when to use which, see the dedicated EDR, XDR and MDR solutions page.
Frequently asked questions
Is this guide different from the EDR, XDR and MDR solutions page?
Yes. The solutions page focuses on what Soteria Cloud delivers through Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. This guide is a broader educational resource explaining the concepts, the industry context and how to communicate them to customers — regardless of which platform you use.
Do MSPs need all three?
Not necessarily. Many MSPs start with EDR, add XDR when cross-layer correlation adds value, and consider MDR when they lack the capacity to monitor and respond around the clock. The right combination depends on your practice size, customer expectations and operational capacity.
Add detection and response to your MSP stack
Explore EDR and XDR through Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud with Soteria Cloud.