The Modern Network Reality
Not that long ago, the “network” was easy to picture: data centers and campus environments with a defined perimeter. That world no longer exists. Today, the modern network spans data centers, remote workforces, SaaS platforms, cloud workloads, IoT and OT devices, and—most critically—identities that bind it all together.
This expansion has transformed the attack surface into one giant, hybrid, interconnected ecosystem. And attackers have adapted. They don’t think in silos like “endpoint,” “cloud,” or “identity.” They see one big, unified surface to infiltrate, move through, and exploit.
That’s why 40% of breaches now span multiple domains, and ransomware actors achieve lateral movement in less than 48 minutes. The takeaway is simple: if we keep defending in silos, defenders will always be behind.
The SOC Challenge
Most organizations have invested heavily in tools: EDR for endpoints, SIEM/SOAR for log correlation and workflows, and now XDR for “platformization.” These investments are necessary, but they’re not sufficient. Why?
Because SOC teams are drowning in alerts. Teams receive nearly 4,000 alerts per day, yet fewer than 1% are actionable. Analysts spend almost three hours per day just managing alerts, while adversaries move laterally in under an hour.
This is the “defenders’ dilemma.” The tools are noisy, siloed, and tuned for compliance or prevention—not for real-time detection of stealthy attacker behavior. That’s why so many SOC leaders tell me: “It’s only a matter of time before we miss something.”
Why EDR Isn’t Enough
EDR remains foundational. But it was never designed to cover everything. Consider:
- Coverage gaps: EDR agents can’t run on unmanaged devices, IoT, OT, or third-party contractor systems. Yet attackers deliberately target those blind spots.
- Bypass and evasion: EDR is routinely disabled or evaded. CISA Red Team assessments have shown how attackers use driver tampering, VM disk mounting, or hook removal tools to blind endpoint agents.
- Identity abuse: When attackers “log in” instead of “hack in,” EDR often sees nothing malicious. Privilege abuse, OAuth token theft, mailbox delegation—these don’t look like malware, but they’re attacker gold.
- Network blind spots: EDR sees what happens on the host. It doesn’t see east–west traffic between systems, encrypted tunnels, or lateral pivots across domains.
Simply put: if you rely solely on EDR, you’re blind to a large portion of how modern attacks unfold.
Why SIEM and SOAR Fall Short
SIEMs and SOAR platforms promise centralized visibility and automated workflows. But they depend on the quality of the data ingested. Garbage in, garbage out.
- Volume vs. value: SIEMs ingest thousands of log events daily, but most lack the context to separate benign from malicious.
- Latency: Log-based correlation is reactive and slow. By the time signals are stitched, attackers have already moved on.
- Complexity: Maintaining rules and playbooks is labor-intensive. SOCs often spend more time tuning than investigating.
SIEM/SOAR are necessary for compliance and orchestration. But they are not substitutes for real-time, behavior-based detection.
Where XDR Fits
XDR has emerged as an answer to tool sprawl. Done right, it promises integration across endpoint, network, cloud, and identity. But most “XDR” offerings today are simply vendor ecosystems extending their core EDR or SIEM capabilities. That means the same blind spots and silos persist.
XDR without high-fidelity network and identity signal is just EDR with a new name. And without that signal, XDR is still chasing alerts instead of seeing attacks.
Why NDR Is Essential for Modern SOCs
This is where Network Detection and Response (NDR) comes in. Modern NDR platforms, like Vectra AI, are purpose-built to assume compromise and detect what other tools miss:
- Agentless coverage: NDR provides visibility into unmanaged devices, IoT/OT, cloud workloads, and identities—anywhere endpoint agents can’t go.
- Behavioral detection: Instead of relying on signatures, NDR uses AI to detect attacker methods like hidden tunnels, privilege abuse, and lateral movement—even when attackers use valid credentials.
- East–west traffic visibility: NDR inspects internal communications where attackers live post-compromise, surfacing reconnaissance, persistence, and exfiltration activity.
- Noise reduction: Vectra AI’s NDR filters out up to 99% of alert noise, so analysts focus only on validated, prioritized attack progressions.
- Integrated response: NDR integrates with SIEM, SOAR, and EDR, triggering host isolation, credential resets, or firewall blocks in real time.
Think of it this way: EDR tries to stop attackers from getting in. NDR stops them once they’re already in. Together, they form the two sides of modern defense.
Combining NDR, EDR, and SIEM: A Hybrid SOC Visibility Approach
The SOC Visibility Triad—SIEM, EDR, and NDR—remains the best model for complete coverage. Each tool has a role:
- SIEM/SOAR for compliance, aggregation, and orchestration.
- EDR for detailed endpoint telemetry and containment.
- NDR for real-time detection across network, cloud, and identity—where attackers actually live post-compromise.
The difference today is that NDR is no longer optional. It’s the missing layer that completes the SOC’s detection architecture.
Real-World Outcomes with NDR
Organizations that add NDR alongside their EDR, SIEM, and SOAR stacks consistently report measurable improvements:
- 391% ROI with six-month payback.
- 52% more threats identified in 37% less time.
- 99% reduction in alert noise and 40% SOC efficiency gains.
- Reduced MTTD and MTTR from days to hours.
These aren’t marketing claims. They’re outcomes from real customers who’ve learned the hard way that endpoints and logs alone aren’t enough.
The Bottom Line: Why NDR Is No Longer Optional
Modern networks demand modern defenses. Attackers move fast, live off the land, and exploit blind spots in ways traditional tools weren’t built to catch.
EDR is necessary, but it’s not sufficient. SIEM/SOAR are valuable, but they’re not detection engines. XDR promises integration, but without NDR it’s incomplete.
NDR is the only technology that provides the coverage, clarity, and control needed to see and stop modern attacks across the entire hybrid network.
If you want to protect your organization from becoming the next breach headline, you can’t afford to view NDR as optional. It’s essential.
Sources
- Vectra AI, 2024 State of Threat Detection and Response: The Defenders’ Dilemma
- Vectra AI, 2024 Threat Detection and Response Efficiency Report
- Vectra AI, Research Brief: Reducing Noise, Elevating Threats (2025)
- Vectra AI, The Case for Network Detection and Response (2025)
- Vectra AI, 5 Reasons EDR is Not Enough (2025)
- CrowdStrike, 2025 Global Threat Report
- IBM, 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report
- IDC, The Business Value of Vectra AI (2025)