XDR is not a direct replacement for EDR. It builds upon EDR by combining endpoint security with additional telemetry from network, cloud, and email systems. Organizations often start with EDR and scale up to XDR when they require broader visibility and centralized security analysis across their entire environment.

• EDR: Provides a focused response, such as isolating compromised endpoints, killing malicious processes, or quarantining files, using data collected only from the endpoint.
• XDR: Offers a coordinated response across multiple layers (e.g., endpoints, networks, cloud) by leveraging integration and telemetry. For example, if a compromised email account leads to endpoint malware, XDR can detect and respond to both issues simultaneously.

XDR suits organizations needing unified visibility and automated threat response across endpoints, networks, and cloud environments, especially those with complex, multi-vector attack surfaces that surpass traditional endpoint-focused monitoring.