Cyber criminals don’t work 9 to 5. They wait for evenings, weekends and bank holidays, when nobody is looking. Here’s why 24/7 protection matters, how it works, and what it means for your business.
And those are only the attacks businesses noticed. Many go undetected for weeks or months.
THE GAP
Why antivirus alone isn’t enough any more
Antivirus and firewalls are still important, but today’s attackers rarely break in with an obvious virus. Instead, they log in using a stolen password, often from a convincing phishing email. To your systems, they look like a normal member of staff.
Once inside, they move quietly: setting up hidden email rules, reading conversations and waiting for the right moment to send a fake invoice or launch ransomware. Software may raise an alert, but an alert at 3am is no use if nobody is there to act on it.
The key difference: traditional security tells you something has happened. Managed Detection & Response stops it from happening.
THE SOLUTION
What is Managed Detection & Response (MDR)?
In simple terms, MDR is a team of security experts watching your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and taking action the moment something looks wrong. It works alongside the Microsoft security tools you already have, adding the one thing software can’t provide on its own: real people making real decisions, in real time.
REAL LIFE
What happens at 3am?
Here’s how the same attack plays out with and without 24/7 response:
A real example: Earlier this year, an attacker signed into a businesses email account through a VPN service the user had never used before. Within minutes they set up a hidden rule to find and delete emails from one of the businesses contacts, a classic first step in invoice fraud. The security team spotted the unusual login, disabled the account and stopped the attacker before any emails could be forwarded outside the business. We then removed the rule and secured the account.
YOUR OPTIONS
Two levels of protection: Cloud Response and Full MDR
We offer Managed Detection & Response at two levels, so you can choose the protection that fits your business and budget.
Cloud Response protects where most attacks start: your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace accounts, email and the apps your team signs into. Full MDR includes everything in Cloud Response and extends the same 24/7 protection to every laptop and desktop in your business.
THE OUTCOME
What MDR means for your business
MDR isn’t really about technology. It’s about what doesn’t happen: the lost week, the fake invoice, the awkward call to your customers.
It supports your compliance too
Because MDR continuously monitors, blocks threats and reports clearly, it supports many of the controls required by the standards your clients and insurers care about.
| Standard | How MDR helps |
| GDPR | Detects suspicious access to personal data, stops breaches early and gives you incident reports to support your legal obligations. |
| Cyber Essentials | Strengthens key controls such as malware protection, access security and continuous monitoring. |
| ISO 27001 | Provides the ongoing monitoring and evidence-based reporting that shows you are actively managing security risk. |
The bottom line
Cyber attacks are no longer an IT problem. They are a business risk. With attackers working around the clock, your protection needs to as well. Whether you start with Cloud Response or go straight to Full MDR, you’ll know that someone is watching, even when you’re not.
Learn more about our 24/7 Managed Detection & Response service, or get in touch with our team for a no-obligation chat.
Find out which level of protection is right for you
Not sure whether Cloud Response or Full MDR fits your business? Our team will review your setup and give you a straight answer, with no jargon and no pressure.
Explore Managed Detection & Response ›
Or call us on 023 8038 6586