Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Services

EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) and XDR (Extended Detection and Response) are technology tools that generate detection data but require a skilled security team to monitor, investigate, and act on it. Sophos MDR is a fully managed service that adds an AI-Native Cyber Defense System and a team of dedicated human experts on top of that technology layer. The model is designed so AI delivers the speed and scale — resolving 52% of cases end-to-end with no human intervention required, at an average of 89 seconds from alert to automated response — while Sophos Analysts supervise the AI, provide governance over its decisions, and focus on the cases that require human intervention, carrying full accountability for every response decision and outcome. This is fundamentally different from traditional managed SOC models where analysts are manually in the loop for every alert, which limits both speed and the quality of human attention. Organizations can start with Sophos EDR or XDR and add MDR as their needs evolve, or deploy Sophos MDR from the outset for immediate AI-accelerated, expert-led coverage.

Sophos MDR is designed for organizations of all sizes and all stages of security maturity, from those with no dedicated security team to those looking to augment an existing one with AI-powered capabilities and specialist expertise. It is particularly valuable for teams without a dedicated in-house security operations center, organizations with limited security headcount, and businesses that need to accelerate response times to advanced threats. Because Sophos MDR integrates with more than 350 third-party security and IT tools and operates nine regional security operations teams for global coverage, it benefits organizations that have already invested in their own technology stack and want to extract more value from those investments using AI-driven analysis and expert oversight.

Sophos MDR delivers an instant AI-accelerated security operations center without the time, cost, and complexity of building one yourself. The core architectural advantage is that AI handles detection at scale, continuously ingesting and correlating signals across your entire environment, filtering noise, and surfacing only confirmed, high-priority threats. 52% of Sophos MDR cases are resolved end-to-end by AI with no human intervention required, at an average of 89 seconds from alert to automated response. Sophos Analysts supervise the AI and provide governance over its decisions, while focusing on the cases that genuinely require human judgment — a fundamentally different model from traditional SOCs where analysts spend the majority of their time manually triaging alerts. Key benefits include 24/7 expert-led threat response, proactive threat hunting that uncovers adversary activity automated tools miss, and full-scale incident response with no caps or extra fees. Because Sophos MDR integrates with more than 350 third-party technologies, it also maximizes ROI from your existing security investments rather than replacing them.

Key features of Sophos MDR include an AI-Native Cyber Defense System that ingests and correlates security data from across your environment — including more than 350 third-party integrations — to analyze, prioritize, and filter threats at scale. 52% of cases are resolved end-to-end by AI with no human intervention required, at an average of 89 seconds from alert to automated response. Sophos Analysts supervise the AI and provide governance over its decisions, focusing attention on the cases that require human intervention — and carrying full accountability for every response decision and outcome. Capabilities include 24/7 expert monitoring, proactive threat hunting, and full-scale incident response with no caps or additional fees, including root cause analysis and a dedicated incident response lead. Sophos MDR is backed by a breach protection warranty and operates nine regional security operations teams for global coverage. In the Gartner Peer Insights Voice of the Customer report (March 2026), Sophos received a 4.8 out of 5.0 rating based on 290 customer reviews, and has been recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Managed Detection and Response Services. Sophos MDR operates nine regional security operations teams for global coverage. The service is trusted by 39,000+ organizations worldwide, with intelligence compounding across every defended environment to make each customer's defense stronger over time.

Yes. Organizations using MDR claim 97.5% less on cyber insurance than those relying on endpoint protection alone, according to the Sophos Quantifying ROI Report (February 2025). Cyber insurers increasingly require evidence of active threat monitoring, rapid incident response, and documented security controls, all of which Sophos MDR provides. The service delivers 24/7 expert-led monitoring, full-scale incident response with root cause analysis, and a breach protection warranty, giving insurers confidence that threats will be detected and contained quickly. Sophos MDR also supports compliance with frameworks including NIS2 and NIST by providing the continuous monitoring and response capabilities those standards require.

Sophos MDR differs from other MDR providers, including Arctic Wolf, CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, and others, in multiple areas, including scale, architecture, and accountability. As the world's largest Agentic SOC, Sophos MDR resolves 52% of cases end-to-end by AI with no human intervention required, at an average of 89 seconds from alert to automated response, while Sophos Analysts supervise the AI, provide governance over its decisions, and focus on the cases that require human intervention. Sophos MDR integrates with more than 350 third-party security and IT technologies, includes full-scale incident response with no caps or extra fees, and is backed by a breach protection warranty — features not universally offered by competing services. In the Gartner Peer Insights Voice of the Customer report published March 2026, Sophos scored a 4.8/5.0 rating based on 290 reviews — the highest review count of any MDR vendor. In addition to Sophos MDR, organizations requiring an enterprise-grade MDR service can also speak with a Sophos expert about Taegis MDR, powered by Secureworks and available as part of the Sophos portfolio.

Sophos vs. the competition