Let’s be honest. Security teams love technical terms. But cyber awareness starts when we strip the buzzwords back and define them in human language. That way, leaders can make faster, better decisions and measure what matters.
Here is the simple framing we use with boards and execs: SOAR is the automation engine. SIEM is the data layer. MDR handles endpoints. MXDR unifies it all. If you want measurable, end-to-end response across endpoint, identity, cloud and SaaS, choose human-led, AI-augmented MXDR with clear authority to act.
Why the confusion persists: security has evolved fast. Log collection became monitoring, then response, then extended response. New acronyms arrived but the gap between detection and action often stayed the same. Teams still chase noise while attackers move on.
So we start by defining the models in plain English, then we show how they work together in the real world. The aim is simple: turn signals into decisive action, reduce time to contain and give your board clear evidence that risk is going down.
The Four Models in Plain English
SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)
The Data Collector
- Core function: Collect and correlate logs for visibility and investigations.
- Where it helps: Compliance, audit, forensics.
- Where it fails: No built-in response. Needs tuning and skilled analysts to avoid alert fatigue.
- Bottom line: SIEM is a platform, not a protection service.
MSSP (Managed Security Service Provider)
The Managed Security Provider
- Core function: A provider that delivers managed security services. This can range from alert monitoring to full MDR or MXDR plus advisory and project work.
- Where it helps: Extends capacity and brings 24x7 coverage.
- Where it fails: If scope stops at watch-and-escalate you still carry investigation and fix.
- Bottom line: MSSP describes the provider. You must define the specific services and authority you are buying.
SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response)
The Automation Engine
- Core function: Orchestrate and automate response workflows across tools using playbooks.
- Where it helps: Speeds containment, reduces manual toil, enforces consistent actions.
- Where it fails: Not a service. Needs good detections, sensible guardrails and ongoing engineering. Poor playbooks create risk.
- Bottom line: SOAR amplifies your team or provider. It does not replace one.
MDR (Managed Detection and Response)
The Focused Responder
- Core function: Endpoint-centric detection and response on EDR/XDR.
- Where it helps: Rapid containment on device threats.
- Where it fails: Gaps across identity, cloud and SaaS.
- Bottom line: MDR fights the fires you can see.
MXDR (Managed Extended Detection and Response): The Unified, Human-led and AI-Augmented Defender
- Core function: Correlate signals across endpoint, identity, SaaS, cloud and network, then act with pre-agreed authority.
- Human-led: Senior analysts, threat hunters and incident commanders own the outcome. They triage high-fidelity alerts, decide containment, brief your execs in plain English and tune detections so performance improves every week.
- AI-augmented: Automation enriches every alert with context; links related signals and prioritises real risk. Playbooks execute repeatable steps at machine speed, such as isolating devices, revoking tokens or blocking malicious apps. Analysts use AI to accelerate investigation but keep the decision rights.
How MXDR works in practice:
- MXDR ingest signal from your entire technology stack: identities, endpoints, servers, firewalls, applications, networks and EDR.
- Microsoft-native telemetry lands first from Defender XDR, Sentinel and Entra, then we fuse it with the rest of your stack.
- AI correlates and ranks threats, auto-collects evidence and proposes the next action.
- Playbooks run within agreed guardrails. Humans approve edge cases, handle complex threats and brief stakeholders.
- Post-incident, we harden the system by updating detections and playbooks so the same issue is faster next time.
- What you measure: MTTD, MTTR, time to contain, false positive rate and automation coverage.
- Bottom line: Machines do the heavy lifting at speed. Humans lead, decide and stay accountable for outcomes.
- What you measure: MTTD, MTTR, MTTC, false positive rate and automation coverage.
- Bottom line: Machines do the heavy lifting at speed. Humans lead, decide and stay accountable for outcomes.
Quick Comparison Table
|
Model |
What it is in practice |
Typical scope |
Strength |
Watch outs |
Best fit |
|
SIEM |
Platform for log collection and correlation |
On-prem and cloud logs, dashboards, rules |
Visibility, investigations, audit readiness |
No response, high tuning effort |
In-house SOC building a pipeline |
|
SOAR |
Automation and orchestration playbooks |
Cross-tool actions, tickets, notifications, containment steps |
Speed, consistency, reduced toil |
Needs mature detections and guardrails |
Teams or providers automating standard responses |
|
MSSP |
Provider delivering managed security services that may include MDR, MXDR and projects |
From alert triage to full managed response plus advisory |
Added capacity, 24x7 coverage |
Scope varies widely, risk of watch-only service |
Firms needing a partner with clarity on outcomes |
|
MDR |
Managed detection and response focused on endpoints |
EDR or XDR, isolation, malware remediation |
Fast device containment |
Limited identity, SaaS and cloud coverage |
Modern endpoint estate, defined device risks |
|
MXDR |
Unified service that is human-led and AI-augmented with authority to act |
Endpoint, identity, SaaS, cloud, network |
End-to-end outcomes with speed, consistency and improvement |
Needs integration maturity and a clear authority model |
Organisations seeking measurable risk reduction and board-ready reporting |
Questions To Ask Any provider (especially if they call themselves an MSSP)
Use these to cut through labels and get to outcomes.
- Scope of service: Exactly which services are in scope today - SIEM monitoring, MDR, MXDR, incident response, threat hunting, advisory?
- Data sources: Which signals do you ingest and act on - endpoints, identity, SaaS, cloud, network, data protection?
- Authority to act: What can you automate or do without approval - isolate devices, disable accounts, revoke tokens, block IPs?
- SLAs and measurements: What are the targets for MTTD, MTTR, containment time and false positive rate, and how are these reported?
- Playbooks: Show the playbooks we will use, how they map to our environment and who approves changes.
- Investigation ownership: Who performs root cause analysis, eradication and recovery, and who briefs the board during an incident?
- Tuning and upkeep: Who owns rule tuning, detection-as-code updates and continuous improvement?
- Integration footprint: How do you integrate with Microsoft Defender XDR, Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Entra in our tenant?
- Pricing clarity: What is included in the monthly fee, what is surge or out-of-scope, and how do incident hours work?
- Exit posture: If we leave, how do we retain detections, dashboards and runbooks with minimal disruption?
What MXDR changes
- Unified visibility: One view across Microsoft Defender XDR, Sentinel and Entra plus the rest of your estate — EDR, firewalls, servers, SaaS apps, cloud platforms and network telemetry.
- Signal to action: AI reduces noise, correlates what matters and triggers playbooks that isolate, block or revoke access.
- Human judgement: Threat hunters and responders make the right call fast, 24x7.
- Accountability: Track MTTD, MTTR, MTTC and false positives in plain English.
What This Means for Your Business
- Fewer tools, more outcomes: Consolidate on Microsoft to cut overlap and reduce operational drag.
- Proof for the board: Reports that show risk is going down and resilience is improving.
- Coverage that matches your attack surface: Identity, endpoint, SaaS and cloud in scope.
- 24x7 response you can trust: Delivered by a Microsoft-focused partner with defined SLAs.
Two Short Scenarios
1) Account takeover stopped at 02:13
Before: Sentinel alerts fired overnight. No on-call analyst saw them until 09:00.
After MXDR: Entra risk and Defender signals correlate, tokens revoked, device checked, access reset. MTTD under 3 minutes, MTTR under 20.
2) Ransomware precursor contained
Before: EDR flagged suspicious PowerShell. Ticket raised to IT, no containment.
After MXDR: Process blocked, device isolated, credentials reviewed, shares locked down. Executive summary delivered with root cause and actions.
Objections and Straight Answers
- “MSSP means they will handle everything.” Maybe. Clarify scope. An MSSP can deliver watch-only, MDR or full MXDR. Use the question set to confirm.
- “We already have a SIEM.” Keep it. MXDR turns data into action with tuned detections and response playbooks.
- “We use an MDR on endpoints.” Good start. MXDR closes identity, SaaS and cloud gaps to stop lateral movement.
- “We lack people to integrate this.” A well-run MXDR includes onboarding, tuning and ongoing improvements, not just alerting.
How CyberOne helps
CyberOne MXDR unifies Microsoft Defender XDR, Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Entra, then agrees with playbooks and authority up front. Our analysts and automation act within that authority to contain threats fast. You get 24x7 coverage, clear reporting and proof that risk is going down.
Book a 30-minute 1:1 consultation to map your tools and coverage, quantify risk in plain numbers and agree board-ready success metrics.