Beyond Traditional MDR: Why Modern Organizations Need Advanced Threat Detection

You Don’t Have to Settle for MDR That Sucks

Frustrated with the conventional security measures provided by your Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service? The good — and bad — news is that you’re not alone. An increasing number of security leaders feel let down by MDR solutions that overpromise and underdeliver, leaving critical gaps in their security posture. For the 2024 Critical Start Cyber Risk Landscape Peer Report, 83% of respondents reported experiencing a cyber breach requiring attention despite traditional security measures in place — a 21% increase from the previous year. This surge isn’t just a statistic; it’s a wake-up call for security leaders worldwide.

Why is this happening, and what can you do about it? Read on for a look at why traditional MDR isn’t working and how you can implement more comprehensive threat detection for your organization

The Current State of MDR: A Critical Analysis

Understanding Traditional MDR

MDR became a cybersecurity mainstay in response to several critical challenges faced by security practitioners. In addition to 24×7 monitoring by security experts, it brought together managed services, threat detection, and, most importantly, response capabilities. But predictably, when the threat landscape evolves (and it always does), this legacy or traditional MDR fails to fully protect organizations in the real world.

What do we mean by traditional MDR?

• Basic 24×7 monitoring
• Standard alert response
• Limited scope of coverage
• Reactive-only threat management
• One-size-fits-all approach

Key Challenges with Traditional MDR Solutions

Incomplete Signal Coverage

Traditional MDR providers often miss critical threats because they don’t capture the full range of data across your environment. This incomplete signal coverage means threats can go undetected if they happen to slip through unmonitored assets or untracked endpoints. Think about it: if your provider isn’t capturing everything, how can they protect you from everything? Partial visibility leaves blind spots — exactly what attackers look to exploit. We don’t just wait for alerts; we work proactively to identify and mitigate threats before they happen.

Reactive vs. Proactive Approach

Most traditional MDR providers operate in a reactive “detect and respond” mode, which proves increasingly inadequate because it focuses primarily on responding to alerts after threats have already entered your network. This “wait and see” mentality can lead to slow response times, especially if your MDR provider doesn’t have processes in place for rapid containment. Security leaders don’t want to hear about a threat after it’s already caused damage — they want it prevented in the first place. Unfortunately, the reactive nature of traditional MDR leaves companies one step behind, playing catch-up instead of staying ahead.

One-Size-Fits-All Service Models
No two businesses have the exact same security needs, but traditional MDR solutions often offer cookie-cutter services that fail to adapt to each organization’s unique challenges. When MDR providers use a one-size-fits-all approach, they miss the nuances of your specific environment. For example, manufacturing firms with Operational Technology  (OT) environments have very different risks than a financial services company focused on data protection. Without tailored responses, you end up with generic threat responses that might not actually address your most pressing risks. Today’s businesses need customizable response rules, business-defined priorities, and context-aware alert management for comprehensive protection that works the way they do.

Over-Reliance on Automation
While automation is crucial, over-reliance creates new vulnerabilities:

• False positive fatigue
• Missed context in alerts
• Cookie-cutter responses
• Delayed human intervention
• Limited learning capability

Traditional MDR providers often rely too heavily on automated systems, leading to incomplete or inaccurate threat assessments. Automated tools are limited in their ability to understand the context around alerts, which is essential for discerning real threats from false positives. When your MDR provider prioritizes automation over human expertise, critical nuances are missed, leading to delayed responses and unchecked vulnerabilities.

The Critical Start Difference: MDR That Works for You

Complete Signal Coverage

• Endpoint
• Identity
• Email
• Cloud
• OT Systems
• Network
• Applications

At Critical Start, we identify and help customers mitigate coverage gaps (hidden assets and unmonitored infrastructure) for a resilient MDR service that can tackle today’s challenges. We ensure that your Security Operations Center (SOC) receives all the expected threat signals necessary for comprehensive monitoring. Our approach focuses on complete signal coverage, eliminating the blind spots that attackers exploit — ensuring every aspect of your environment is accounted for, giving you a real-time, accurate view of your threat landscape.

Proactive Threat Detection and Prevention

Through the Cyber Risk & Response^Ô platform, Critical Start empowers users to identify security gaps and see where proactive mitigation is needed so they can address vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. By focusing on prevention, our approach ensures that only critical alerts that require your immediate attention reach you, while unnecessary noise is minimized. For additional preventative measures, Critical Start MDR leverages the MITRE ATT&CK® framework to provide mitigation recommendations to help prevent the same alert from recurring.

Human-Driven Expertise

Even with the proven importance of automation, we know human expertise remains irreplaceable in cybersecurity. Our SOC analysts review every alert to apply context and ensure no threat goes unnoticed. Combining automation and skilled security professionals, we provide nuanced threat detection that traditional, automation-heavy MDR providers just can’t match. Our people are trained to think critically and adapt to complex situations, ensuring your security remains agile and effective. More importantly, if you need to get in touch with a real human at any time of day or night, our SOC analysts are available for direct communication via desktop or MOBILESOC®.

Tailored and Flexible Service

Critical Start doesn’t force your security to fit our MDR — we build our MDR services around how you do business. We understand that security needs vary across industries, and we adapt accordingly by letting you:  

• Define asset criticality based on your business impact
• Set response protocols that match your operations
• Eliminate alert noise based on your business context

Our tailored approach helps eliminate alert fatigue by focusing on what matters most to you, ensuring that alerts are relevant and actionable. Our MDR integrates seamlessly into your operations with flexible deployment models, giving you the control you need.

You Don’t Have to Settle for MDR That Sucks

If your MDR experience is or has been disappointing and frustrating, now’s the time to take a different approach. You shouldn’t have to settle for a service that only partially protects you, reacts slowly to threats, and offers little in the way of customization. Critical Start’s MDR solution solves the problems plaguing traditional MDR by incorporating proactive and reactive detection capabilities for complete signal coverage, human-driven expertise, and tailored services.

Key Differences: Traditional vs. Modern MDR

Ready for MDR That Works?

With Critical Start, you’ll experience an MDR solution that doesn’t just talk about risk reduction — it delivers it. Don’t let your MDR provider be a weak link in your security strategy. Let us show you how our approach transforms MDR from a “nice-to-have” into a critical component of your organization’s cyber resilience. You don’t have to settle — choose an MDR provider that actually works.