Managed Detection & Response (MDR)

Cybersecurity / Detect & Respond

Managed Detection & Response (MDR)

A 24/7 outsourced security service where the provider’s analysts use EDR, network telemetry, and threat intelligence to detect, investigate, and respond to threats on your behalf. Equivalent to running your own SOC — for a fraction of the cost of building one.

Get Matched to MDR Providers Talk to an Advisor

48
MDR providers vetted

24/7
analyst coverage

15 min
response SLAs available

$0
cost for our guidance

When should you be evaluating Managed Detection & Response?

Rubber Duck has worked extensively with our Managed Detection & Response providers to understand where they have seen the most success and the biggest ROI for clients adopting the solution. Here is what the data reflects.

  • You can’t justify hiring 8+ analysts for a 24/7 SOC but need round-the-clock coverage
  • A cyber insurer or auditor requires monitored detection-and-response
  • Your IT team is too small to triage security alerts at 2am on a Sunday
  • You’ve deployed EDR/SIEM tools but lack the expertise to act on alerts
  • You want a contractual response SLA — “contained within 15 minutes” — instead of best-effort

What you actually get with MDR

MDR is a service, not a box. This is what a properly scoped engagement includes — and what we hold providers to before you sign.

24/7 eyes-on-glass SOC

Named analysts watching endpoint, network, log, cloud, and identity telemetry around the clock — not an alert-forwarding service.

Containment authority

Providers act, not just notify: host isolation, account suspension, and session kills executed under pre-agreed rules of engagement.

Contracted MTTD / MTTR

Detection and response times written into the SLA with credits attached — we benchmark them across providers before you commit.

Threat hunting and intel

Hypothesis-driven hunts and original threat research feeding new detections continuously — included, not upsold.

Onboarding and tuning plan

A 30-60-90 deployment schedule covering sensor rollout, log-source onboarding, and alert-tuning milestones.

Pricing benchmark and redlines

Side-by-side per-endpoint pricing from 3-4 finalists, plus contract redlines on auto-renewal, data egress, and exit terms.

2,000+

organizations protected by eSentire, the MDR category pioneer

99.9%

SOC closure rate published by 360 SOC

6

global SOCs behind Cipher’s xMDR platform

24/7

human-led monitoring in every package we shortlist

Figures as published by the named providers or typical of advisor-led procurements; verify current specifications during evaluation.

Providers delivering MDR

Every provider below has been vetted for detection quality, response SLAs, and post-sale accountability. Want the three best fits for your environment? That’s one conversation.

17 providers with published profiles shown — every logo links to the partner’s full profile, including products, certifications, and coverage.

Browse the full directory → · Or get matched in 10 minutes →

Products & platforms

Deep-dives on the specific platforms our partners deliver in this category.

eSentire

Atlas XDR platform + 24/7 SOC

  • Cloud-native Atlas platform correlates endpoint, network, log, and cloud signals in real time
  • 24/7 SOC analysts, threat hunters, and incident responders on every account
  • Gartner-recognized MDR Leader and the largest pure-play MDR provider
View partner profile →

BlueVoyant

MDR + Microsoft Sentinel / Defender XDR management

  • Full management of Microsoft Sentinel and Defender XDR estates
  • Supply Chain Defense monitors thousands of third-party vendors
  • Operations in 17+ countries serving mid-market through Fortune 500
View partner profile →

LevelBlue

Managed security with AT&T Cybersecurity heritage

  • One of the world’s largest MSSPs, formed from AT&T Cybersecurity in 2024
  • USM platform backed by the Threat Intellect intelligence lineage
  • 24/7 SOCs operating across multiple continents
View partner profile →

Proof in the field

Shortlist the right MDR provider in one conversation

48 vetted options, three that fit you, zero cost for the guidance. Bring your questions.

Start a Security Assessment Schedule a Consultation

The Process

How your Managed Detection & Response (MDR) engagement runs

The same disciplined path every time — so you always know what happens next and who is accountable for it.

1

Day 1

Assess

We map your environment, contracts, and goals. No pitch — an honest read on where you stand and what it should cost.

2

Week 1

Shortlist

You get 3–4 fits from 475 vetted providers, with the reasoning attached — capabilities, pricing leverage, trade-offs.

3

Weeks 2–3

Evaluate

We run the demos, reference checks, and side-by-side pricing benchmarks so your team doesn't have to.

4

Weeks 3–4

Negotiate

Terms, SLAs, and pricing negotiated with portfolio-level leverage — anchored to real market rates, not list price.

5

Ongoing

Manage

We oversee implementation and stay your escalation point for the life of the service, through every renewal.

Typical timeline for mid-market engagements. Complex builds — colocation, dark fiber, custom AI deployments — carry longer evaluation and delivery windows, and we set that expectation on day one.

The Economics

Why source Managed Detection & Response (MDR) through Rubber Duck

No retainers, no hourly billing, no markup on your contract. Here is how that works:

Same or better pricing

Your contract is signed directly with the provider at rates we benchmark against comparable deals — you pay the same or less than going direct.

$0 advisory fee

Providers fund our advisory through their partner programs, and every provider compensates us the same way — so recommendations are based on fit, never commission.

One escalation point

After go-live we stay accountable: implementation oversight, billing disputes, outage escalations, and renewal strategy all route through your advisor.

Common Questions

What buyers ask before their first call

Does the guidance really cost nothing?

Yes. Our advisory is supplier-funded: providers pay us through the same partner programs they fund for all technology advisors, and every provider compensates us the same way. You pay the provider directly, at rates we benchmark — the same or less than going direct.

How are you different from a reseller or an MSP?

We don't carry inventory, quotas, or a house brand to protect. A reseller earns more when you buy what they stock; we earn the same regardless of which vetted provider you choose — so the recommendation is driven by fit. Where a managed service is the right answer, we source and oversee it rather than sell you our own.

Do we keep a direct relationship with the provider?

Yes. Your contract, billing, and SLAs sit directly with the provider you select. We sit on your side of that relationship — running the evaluation and negotiation up front, then acting as your escalation point after go-live.

What if we're already under contract?

That's the most common starting point. We benchmark your current rates now, flag billing errors worth disputing immediately, and build the renegotiation plan around your renewal window — including co-terming services so future decisions happen on your schedule, not the vendors'.

How fast do we get to a shortlist?

For most categories you'll have a reasoned shortlist of three or four providers within a week of the first assessment call. Complex infrastructure — colocation, dark fiber, large contact-center builds — takes longer, and we tell you that up front.