What If Someone Is Attacking Your Business Right Now?

Cyber attacks don't only happen during office hours.

An attacker could be attempting to compromise your business at 2am on a Sunday morning, when your IT team isn't working.

Traditional antivirus can generate an alert.

Your firewall can generate an alert.

Microsoft 365 can generate an alert.

But who is watching those alerts, determining what is a genuine threat and taking action?

That's where Managed Detection & Response (MDR) comes in.

Soltech IT's MDR service provides continuous security monitoring, threat detection, investigation and response, helping identify and contain cyber threats before they become a major business incident.

What Is Managed Detection & Response?

MDR combines advanced cyber security technology with human security expertise.

Rather than simply installing security software and waiting for an alert, MDR continuously analyses activity across your environment to identify suspicious behaviour.

When a potential threat is detected, security specialists can:



Detect → Investigate → Contain → Respond → Recover

This provides an additional layer of protection between your business and cyber criminals.

Why Businesses Need MDR

Modern cyber attacks are increasingly difficult to detect.

• Attackers may:
• Steal legitimate credentials
• Exploit vulnerabilities
• Use legitimate Windows tools
• Compromise Microsoft 365 accounts
• Move laterally through networks
• Disable security controls
• Remain undetected for extended periods

Simply having antivirus installed isn't enough.

You need to know when something unusual is happening—and have someone capable of investigating it.

24/7 Security Monitoring

Cyber criminals don't work 9–5.

MDR provides continuous monitoring of security events, helping identify threats outside your normal working hours.

This is particularly important for businesses that don't have their own:

• Security Operations Centre
• Security analysts
• Incident response team
• 24/7 IT department

MDR effectively gives smaller organisations access to capabilities that would otherwise be difficult and expensive to build internally.

What Does MDR Monitor?

Depending on the service and technology deployed, MDR can monitor activity across areas such as:

• Endpoints
• Servers
• Microsoft 365
• User identities
• Cloud services
• Network activity
• Security applications
• Authentication events

This provides a broader view than monitoring a single security product.

Detecting Ransomware

Ransomware can spread rapidly once attackers gain access to an organisation.

MDR can identify suspicious activity associated with ransomware, including:

• Unusual file activity
• Suspicious processes
• Malicious scripts
• Credential abuse
• Attempts to disable security controls
• Abnormal network behaviour

Where appropriate, affected systems can be isolated while the incident is investigated.

The objective is simple: Stop the attack before it spreads.

Detecting Account Compromise

An attacker doesn't necessarily need malware to compromise your business.

They may simply steal an employee's Microsoft 365 credentials.

MDR can help identify suspicious activity such as:

• Unusual sign-ins
• Abnormal authentication
• Suspicious account activity
• Unusual access patterns
• Privilege escalation

This can help identify compromised accounts before attackers have time to cause significant damage.

Human-Led Threat Investigation

One of the key differences between MDR and basic security monitoring is human investigation.

A security alert doesn't automatically mean your organisation has been hacked.

Security analysts can investigate:

• What happened?
• Which device was involved?
• Which account was involved?
• How did the activity begin?
• What happened immediately before it?
• What systems were accessed?
• Is the threat still active?
• Has it spread?

This reduces the risk of important threats being buried among thousands of routine alerts.

Automated Response

Where supported by the technology and service configuration, MDR can respond rapidly to threats.

This can include actions such as:

• Isolating a compromised endpoint
• Blocking malicious activity
• Disabling compromised accounts
• Quarantining malicious files
• Preventing further communication

Rapid containment can be critical during ransomware and account compromise incidents.

What Happens When MDR Detects a Threat?

1. Detect

Suspicious activity is identified.

2. Analyse

Security specialists investigate the activity.

3. Determine

The team establishes whether the activity represents a genuine threat.

4. Contain

Where appropriate, affected devices or accounts are isolated.

5. Respond

The threat is removed and systems secured.

6. Report

Relevant information is provided to the customer.

7. Learn

The incident is reviewed and additional security improvements recommended.

MDR Is Part of a Complete Cyber Security Strategy

MDR shouldn't operate in isolation.

A strong security strategy combines multiple layers.

• Prevent
• Cyber Essentials
• Microsoft 365 Security
• Email Security
• MFA
• Secure Configuration
• Protect
• EDR
• Firewalls
• Endpoint Security
• Vulnerability Management
• Detect
• MDR
• Dark Web Monitoring
• Security Monitoring
• Test
• Penetration Testing
• Cyber Security Auditing
• Phishing Simulation
• Educate
• Security Awareness Training
• Recover
• Backup & Disaster Recovery
• Incident Response
  

Why Choose Soltech IT for MDR?

MDR is most effective when it is integrated with the rest of your IT and security environment.

Soltech IT can provide a complete cyber security service including:

• Managed Detection & Response
• Managed Security Risk
• Endpoint Detection & Response
• Microsoft 365 Security
• Email Security
• Cyber Essentials
• Cyber Essentials Plus
• Penetration Testing
• Cyber Security Auditing
• Vulnerability Management
• Phishing Simulation
• Security Awareness Training
• Dark Web Monitoring
• Incident Response
• Backup & Disaster Recovery

This means your security isn't a collection of disconnected products.

It's a managed security strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MDR?

Managed Detection & Response is a cyber security service that combines security technology with security specialists who continuously monitor, investigate and respond to potential threats.

Is MDR the same as antivirus?

No. Antivirus is an important preventative security control. MDR provides ongoing detection, investigation and response across your security environment.

Do I need EDR before getting MDR?

MDR commonly uses EDR as an important source of security telemetry, although the exact technology requirements depend on the MDR service.

Does MDR really monitor 24/7?

MDR services can provide continuous monitoring, but the precise hours, response arrangements and service levels depend on the service package.

Soltech IT can explain exactly what is included in your MDR service.

Is MDR the same as antivirus?

No. Antivirus is primarily designed to prevent and detect malicious software. MDR provides broader threat detection, monitoring, investigation and response.

Do I need MDR if I already have Microsoft Defender?

Microsoft Defender provides powerful security capabilities, but configuration, monitoring and response are equally important. MDR can add managed monitoring and expert investigation to your existing security technologies.

Is MDR suitable for small businesses?

Yes. MDR can be particularly valuable for smaller organisations that cannot justify the cost of employing a dedicated 24/7 cyber security team.

Does MDR prevent every cyber attack?

No security solution can guarantee that an organisation will never be attacked. MDR is designed to improve the likelihood of detecting and containing threats quickly, reducing their potential impact.

Can Soltech IT manage our existing security systems?

In many cases, yes. We can assess your current security environment and determine where your existing technology can be used, improved or supplemented

Can MDR stop ransomware?

MDR can help detect and contain ransomware attacks, potentially limiting their spread and impact. No security service can guarantee that every attack will be prevented.

Don't Wait Until Someone Discovers an Attack

By the time an employee notices something is wrong, an attacker may already have been inside your environment for hours—or longer.

MDR gives your business an additional security team watching for the warning signs.

Detect threats earlier. Respond faster. Reduce the impact of cyber attacks.



Contact Soltech IT Ltd today to discuss Managed Detection & Response for your business.

Meet the team

Richard founded Soltech IT in 2009. Today the company works with an extensive range of clients throughout the UK, including globally recognised organisations, such as, The University of Oxford, Taylor Wimpey and Costa Coffee.

Richard has over 30 years experience working within the IT industry and having previously worked for UK and international accountancy software and IT firms,