Symantec on Tuesday rolled out enhancements to its endpoint security portfolio. They combine automation, artificial intelligence (AI), endpoint hardening and a managed endpoint detection and response (MEDR) service designed to help alleviate the skills gap and simplify endpoint security.

Symantec MEDR detects stealthy attacks and examines suspicious activity for faster incident validation and response. A combination of Symantec EDR 4.0, the security operations center (SOC) technology platform, and the Global Intelligence Network allows Symantec analysts to provide around-the-clock expertise, the company said.

Symantec also has incorporated advanced protection and hardening into its endpoint security solution which delivers a coordinated, adaptive endpoint defense that is “simple for security teams to manage.” This defense framework reduces the attack surface and delivers protection from unauthorized access, known vulnerabilities, zero-day attacks and everything in between, it said.

Symantec’s Sri Sundaralingam

Sri Sundaralingam, Symantec’s head of marketing for enterprise security products, tells us the combination of MEDR and EDR 4.0 will provide partners an opportunity to sell into existing Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) customers as well as new ones.

“Our existing SEP customers are looking to invest in incident-response tools and scale their SOC teams,” he said. “Partners can benefit during renewal engagements to add on EDR 4.0 and MEDR offerings. For new customers, partners now have the ability to sell SEP along with EDR 4.0 and MEDR offerings. Partners can also add their services along with Symantec endpoint security offerings to help our customers successfully deploy, manage and defend against emerging threats.”

Symantec has been briefing its channel partners in the past 30-45 days on its expanded endpoint-security portfolio, Sundaralingam said. The company will enable new sales plays and programs for its partners per the “feedback and excitement we have received for these new offerings announced today,” he said.

“There are several opportunities for MSSPs and other cybersecurity providers to package our EDR solution (tools and services) as part of their overall service offerings,” he said. “In addition to the EDR solution area, they can also benefit from the broader Symantec product portfolio such as security analytics for SOC teams and incident responders.”

Symantec provides complete endpoint defense that incorporates endpoint protection, EDR, managed EDR service, mobile security (SEP Mobile) as well as advanced protection and hardening options, Sundaralingam said.

“We have also introduced endpoint suites for easier consumption by packaging and licensing our innovations,” he said. “Symantec is in a unique position to provide comprehensive endpoint security along with our integrated cyber defense platform to all customer segments and our partners benefit by selling the expanded portfolio along with their added services.”

“At Telit we are always on the lookout for new, exciting and effective solutions,” said Mor Asher, Telit’s global IT and information security manager. “This is why we were highly interested in Symantec Endpoint Threat Defense for Active Directory. After several short days of a proof of concept we saw the value of the solution which made the decision very easy. We quickly covered the company endpoints with a unique and effective security layer. At almost zero impact in performance and productivity, we gain an important capability of addressing advanced attacks with much better tools in our arsenal and reduce dramatically man hours required to respond to incidents.”