Managed Detection Response Awards for Cybersecurity Leaders

The Managed Detection and Response (MDR) category covers services built around finding and stopping attacks for clients. Typical entries combine technology on endpoints, network, cloud and identity with analysts who watch alerts around the clock, investigate them and hunt for hidden threats. They take action, such as isolating a device or disabling an account, rather than only sending an alert.

A security operations center (SOC) run for the client, usually on a SIEM (a system that collects and analyzes security logs) and often managed together with the client's own staff (co-managed), fits SOC-as-a-Service. Monitoring and alerting without response fits Security Monitoring. Detection and response sold as a product fits Extended Detection and Response (XDR) or Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR). An MDR service can also enter Managed Security Service.

Related categories to enter

Each category is judged separately, so you can enter a service in every category that matches what it delivers, with a separate nomination for each. Tailor each nomination to that category's focus. The provider behind the service can also be recognized in Cybersecurity Service Provider of the Year or Best Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP).

SOC-as-a-Service — for a SOC run for the client on a SIEM
Managed Security Service — to compete with managed services of every kind
Security Monitoring — for monitoring and alerting without response
Incident Response — for incident response retainers
Threat Hunting — for searching for attackers already inside a network
Extended Detection and Response (XDR) — for the detection platform as a product

How entries are judged

An independent jury of security practitioners, analysts and CISOs scores each nomination on leadership, innovation and impact. Each nomination competes in its category against providers of similar size and region, so a small regional provider is not ranked against a global firm. Your entry package, any sponsorship and public votes do not affect the jury's scores.

Strong entries in this category show:

Leadership — the protection the service delivers: clients and endpoints covered, environments monitored, and the size and skills of the analyst team.
Innovation — a detection and response problem solved in a new way, such as response actions taken in minutes, coverage of cloud and identity as well as endpoints, or reports clients can act on.
Impact — results for clients: mean time to detect and respond cut, more threats contained before damage, fewer false alerts sent to clients, client retention rate. Give figures from clients, anonymized if needed.

The jury awards Gold, Silver or Bronze, or a Finalist badge, and results are published on this site and announced to the 600,000+ member Cybersecurity Insiders community. Every approved nomination also enters the separate Community Choice award, decided by public votes.

How to enter

A provider can enter its own service, and a PR agency can enter it on the provider's behalf. The nomination form has a confidential field for detail that is shared with the judges and not published, such as client names, contract figures or service levels. Deadlines, pricing and entry steps are on the How it Works page.