Five years ago, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) was an enterprise tool. It required dedicated analysts, a Security Operations Centre, and six-figure budgets. Today, EDR is available for £5–£15 per endpoint per month, with managed detection and response (MDR) included.
For SMEs, this is a significant shift. EDR provides visibility into endpoint activity that antivirus alone cannot offer. But it also adds complexity. At Metaluxo we advise SMEs on EDR selection and deployment. This post covers what you need to know.
What EDR does that antivirus does not
| Capability | Traditional Antivirus | EDR |
|---|---|---|
| Signature-based detection | Yes | Yes |
| Behavioural analysis | Limited | Yes |
| Real-time process monitoring | No | Yes |
| Threat hunting | No | Yes |
| Incident investigation | No | Yes |
| Forensic timeline | No | Yes |
| Remote isolation | No | Yes |
EDR records endpoint activity — process creation, file modifications, network connections, registry changes — and uses behavioural analytics to detect suspicious patterns. When a threat is detected, EDR can isolate the endpoint from the network to prevent lateral movement.
EDR options for SMEs
| Product | Price (per endpoint/month) | Key feature |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender for Business | £2–£4 | Integrated with Microsoft 365, minimal setup |
| CrowdStrike Falcon Pro | £6–£10 | Cloud-native, strong threat intelligence |
| SentinelOne | £8–£14 | Autonomous response, rollback capability |
| Sophos Intercept X | £5–£9 | Integrated firewall and encryption |
| Malwarebytes EDR | £4–£7 | Simple interface, good for small teams |
For most SMEs, Microsoft Defender for Business is the starting point. It is included with many Microsoft 365 subscriptions, integrates with Azure AD, and requires minimal configuration.
Managed Detection and Response (MDR)
The challenge with EDR is not deployment — it is response. When an alert fires, someone needs to investigate, determine whether it is a true positive, and take action. Most SMEs do not have staff available 24/7 to do this.
MDR services solve this by providing:
- 24/7 monitoring of EDR alerts
- Investigation and triage by security analysts
- Incident response guidance
- Monthly reporting and threat briefings
MDR typically adds £10–£30 per endpoint per month to the EDR cost. For a 20-person company, total EDR + MDR cost is £300–£700 per month.
Implementation checklist
- Start with a pilot. Deploy on 5–10 endpoints for 30 days. Tune alert thresholds before rolling out company-wide.
- Exclude known-good processes. Development tools, backup software, and internal scripts will generate false positives. Document exclusions.
- Define escalation paths. Who gets alerted at 2 a.m.? What is the threshold for isolating an endpoint?
- Test isolation. Verify that isolating an endpoint does not break critical business processes.
- Review weekly. EDR generates alerts. Someone needs to review them. If alerts are ignored, EDR becomes expensive antivirus.
At Metaluxo we help SMEs select, deploy, and manage EDR solutions. If you are considering EDR and are not sure which product fits your size and budget, book a free 30-minute consultation and we will recommend the right approach.