Why Your Zero-Trust Security Is Incomplete Without Detection and Response

Zero trust is a cybersecurity model that operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” This means that no entity, whether inside or outside the network, is trusted by default.

The zero-trust architecture takes several IT components into account such as networking, identity, data, apps and devices. To ensure the security of these components, a variety of policies are used.

For instance, multifactor authentication (MFA) adds a layer of security to the “identity” component, ensuring that malicious actors can’t bypass account passwords.

In the following chart, we see that the percentage of companies using MFA, least privilege and other policies has grown between 2023 and 2024.

But a sign of concern is that the proportion of organizations with threat detection and response policies has decreased. As per the 2024 study, less than one-third (29.2 percent) of organizations have a policy that mandates security monitoring for threat detection.

A similar trend is visible for security technologies that support zero trust. The study found that the percentage of companies deploying threat detection and response technologies such as SIEM, SOAR and XDR fell from 43.9 percent in 2023 to 39.8 percent in 2024.

An incomplete zero-trust strategy can leave your organization vulnerable to a range of cybersecurity threats. By neglecting threat detection and response, you risk prolonged exposure to insider threats, delayed breach responses and a general lack of visibility into your network.

The following risks depict how an incomplete zero-trust strategy can affect your cybersecurity posture:

Insider threats remain unchecked

An employee with malicious intent or compromised credentials can bypass initial access controls. Without ongoing threat detection, these activities can go unnoticed, leading to data breaches or internal sabotage.

Delayed response to breaches

A sophisticated attacker might eventually find a way to breach the perimeter. Without an effective threat detection system, the breach could remain undetected for months, causing extensive damage.

Limited visibility into network activity

Without continuous monitoring, abnormal activities such as unusual data transfers or access patterns might not be flagged. This lack of visibility can result in undetected data exfiltration.

Inadequate incident response planning

In the event of a security incident, organizations without a defined response strategy often struggle to contain and remediate the threat, leading to prolonged downtime and higher recovery costs.

Sophisticated attackers can bypass outer defences

The 2023 study noted that 7 to 8 percent of all cyberattacks became cyberincidents, and this figure rose to 9 to 10 percent in the 2024 study. The slight rise in the infection rate might indicate that sophisticated cyberattacks have become better at breaching defences and pose greater risks to organizations without threat response capabilities.

However, when an organization leverages threat detection and response technologies, they can potentially identify threats before these threats cause significant damage.

Detection and response (D&R) essentially refers to the mechanisms by which you can catch threats and remediate them while keeping systems safe. These solutions can help enhance security by reducing the risk of sophisticated cyberattacks going unnoticed.

To help realize the benefits of zero-trust implementation, organizations can introduce D&R into their security posture in the following ways.

Modern detection and response tools are essential for identifying and mitigating threats quickly and efficiently. There are five broad categories for D&R tools:

Endpoint detection and response (EDR)

EDR tools monitor and analyze endpoint activities to detect and respond to threats.  These tools continuously collect data, providing real-time analysis and automated responses to identified threats.

EDR tools offer enhanced visibility into endpoint activities, quick threat detection and automated response capabilities, reducing the burden on your IT team.

Network detection and response (NDR)

NDR tools focus on monitoring network traffic to detect anomalies and potential threats. NDR solutions are integrated with your existing network infrastructure. These tools analyze network traffic patterns, identifying suspicious activities and generating alerts.

NDR tools provide comprehensive network visibility, helping to detect threats that might bypass endpoint defences. They also facilitate faster threat detection and response at the network level.

Security information and event management (SIEM)

SIEM systems aggregate and analyze logs from various sources to identify and respond to security incidents. A SIEM solution can collect data from endpoints, servers, network devices and other security tools.

SIEM also provides centralized visibility, correlation of events from multiple sources and advanced threat detection capabilities. It helps in identifying sophisticated attacks and compliance reporting.

Extended detection and response (XDR)

A solution that combines the value of EDR, NDR and other security technologies, XDR leverages advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and automation to correlate data from multiple sources, such as endpoints, servers, network devices, email, cloud applications and security tools.

By integrating and enriching data from different sensors, XDR can provide more context and visibility into the attack surface and the threat landscape. This helps in reducing false positives, speeding up investigations and enhancing remediation actions.

Managed detection and response (MDR)

Some organizations lack the resources or skillsets to leverage the power of XDR and SIEM platforms. To address that gap, organizations can leverage managed detection and response (MDR) services from a managed security services provider (MSSP).  MDR is a service that provides continuous monitoring, analysis, investigation and remediation of security incidents that have been detected by XDR and SIEM platforms.

MDR enables organizations to augment their internal security capabilities with external expertise and resources, reducing the complexity and cost of managing security operations.

CDW offers MDR services on multiple platforms including Microsoft Defender XDR and Sentinel, Palo Alto Cortex XDR, CrowdStrike Falcon XDR, Cisco XDR and Splunk Enterprise Security, and Exabeam LogRhythm.

Developing a robust detection and response strategy is fundamental for effective threat management. The process begins with conducting thorough risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities within the organization.

Regular risk assessments and vulnerability scans should be performed to prioritize areas that require enhanced detection and response measures, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to address the most critical risks.

Following the risk assessment, creating a comprehensive incident response plan (IRP) is essential. An IRP outlines the steps to take in the event of a security incident, including identification, containment, eradication, recovery and lessons learned.

All stakeholders must be familiar with their roles and responsibilities within the IRP to ensure a structured and efficient response to incidents, which can help minimize damage and recovery time.

Additionally, conducting regular training sessions and drills is crucial to prepare the team for real-world threats. Scheduling periodic training and simulation exercises helps test the IRP and improves the team’s readiness, ensuring they are well-prepared to handle incidents effectively and reducing the likelihood of errors during an actual event.

Organizations without prior D&R capabilities may struggle to plan, implement and operationalize D&R security objectives. In such cases, leveraging the expertise of seasoned professionals can help them better deal with uncertainties.

Engaging experts to assess the current D&R posture through comprehensive assessments and audits is a critical first step. Experts can identify areas for improvement and provide valuable insights and recommendations tailored to the organization’s specific needs, helping to strengthen its security posture.

Working with advisors to develop customized D&R solutions can help ensure that the measures implemented fit seamlessly within the organization’s existing infrastructure. Regular check-ins and updates with advisors keep the organization informed about the latest threats and best practices, ensuring that the D&R measures evolve with the changing threat landscape.

CDW’s Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services operate around the clock, ensuring continuous monitoring of networks, endpoints and cloud environments. Our robust MDR capabilities enable advanced threat detection through automated event correlation, resulting in swift incident qualification, response and containment.

With 24/7/365 threat monitoring, triage, investigation and security incident remediation, CDW provides comprehensive protection against cyberthreats.