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MDR for Microsoft Environments: 24/7 Managed Detection & Response

Microsoft-native MDR powered by Sentinel and Defender. 24/7 SOC monitoring, rapid threat response, and expert security operations for your Microsoft 365, Azure, and hybrid environments, without the complexity or cost of building your own SOC team.

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Trusted by organisations across the EU and UK | Sentinel & Defender certified specialists | 24/7 EU/UK SOC coverage

Why Falconer MDR for SMBs

Why Microsoft Environments Need Specialised MDR

Lose the Translation Layer

Generic MDR providers like Arctic Wolf and Rapid7 use platform-agnostic tools with translation layers that add latency and complexity. Microsoft-native MDR leverages Sentinel, Defender, and Microsoft threat intelligence natively, delivering faster detection, contextual response, and lower total cost.

Seconds Matter. Detect Faster

Organisations using Microsoft-native MDR detect threats 3x faster than those relying on generic SIEM platforms. When seconds matter during an active breach, native integration isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s critical.

Microsoft-Specific Expertise

Microsoft ecosystems have unique attack vectors. Entra ID credential attacks, Exchange Online phishing, and Azure resource misconfigurations. These threats demand Microsoft-specific expertise. Your environment runs on Microsoft, so your MDR should too.

The difference is measurable: We’ve helped clients reduce mean time to respond (MTTR) from 8 hours to 45 minutes by eliminating the translation layer between Microsoft security tools and MDR operations.

Related: Learn more about our Microsoft Sentinel SIEM platform foundation or how this starts with a security assessment.

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How Our Microsoft-Native MDR Service Works

Microsoft-first, SMB-ready

Our 24/7 SOC team monitors Microsoft Sentinel SIEM plus the full Defender suite: Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Cloud, Defender for Office 365, and Entra ID Protection. Every security signal from your Microsoft environment flows into a unified view.

TTP-Driven Detection & Threat Hunting

Automated threat detection runs continuously using Microsoft threat intelligence, custom KQL detection rules tailored to your environment, and behavioural analytics that understand normal vs. suspicious activity in Microsoft 365 and Azure.

Proven Analysts, Proven Process

Our SOC team brings 100,000+ hours of experience. Every incident feeds content back into detections, so your defenses continuously improve. You receive weekly threat reports summarising detected threats, response actions, and security posture trends.

Powered by Microsoft Sentinel and integrated across your 24/7 security operations.

Choose Your Protection Level

All plans include 24/7 monitoring of your Microsoft environment (endpoints, identities, email) with custom detection rules. Plans differ by human response coverage and protection depth.

MDR Essential

Threat detection and triage with guided remediation steps. For teams who can handle remediation in-house.

Analyst coverage: Mon–Fri, 09:00–18:00
Monitoring coverage: 24/7
First Response SLA: 1 business day

Technology

  • Endpoint Protection – Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 monitoring with business-hours analyst support
  • Email Security – AI-powered phishing and malware detection
  • Advanced Identity Protection – Sign-in monitoring with Conditional Access
  • Centralized Security Hub – All alerts in one platform

What you get

  • 24/7 automated monitoring & alerting
  • Human triage & response during business hours
  • Custom detection rules tuned to your environment
  • Alert investigation with step-by-step guidance
  • Weekly security report
  • Monthly detection tuning
  • Email & ticket support
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MOST POPULAR

MDR Professional

Full-service threat detection and response where we handle containment actions for you, plus extended coverage hours.

Analyst coverage: Mon–Fri, 07:00–22:00
Monitoring coverage: 24/7
First Response SLA: ≤ 4 hours (Mon–Fri)

Technology

  • Advanced Endpoint Protection – Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 with active threat response (we handle containment)
  • Enhanced Email Security – Multi-layer phishing protection & attack simulation
  • Risk-Based Identity Protection – Automatic blocking of suspicious logins & leaked credential detection
  • Intelligent Security Hub – AI-powered threat correlation across all services

What you get

Everything in Essential, plus:

  • Extended human response (15 hours/day)
  • Weekly proactive threat hunting
  • Custom automated response playbooks (isolation, revocation, containment)
  • Monthly security posture review
  • Quarterly tabletop exercise (60–90 min)
  • Dedicated Teams/Slack channel
🎯 Key Upgrade: Automatic risk-based blocking detects suspicious login attempts based on 30+ factors (location, device, behavior, leaked credentials). High-risk logins are blocked instantly—no human needed. Powered by Entra ID P2.
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ENTERPRISE-GRADE

MDR Elite

24/7 managed response with immediate containment, plus 10 hours/month IR retainer for deep investigations.

Analyst coverage: 24/7/365
Monitoring coverage: 24/7
First Response SLA: ≤ 2 hours (24/7)

Technology

  • Complete Endpoint Protection – Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2 with 24/7 threat hunting and immediate response
  • Email & Cloud App Security – Extends to SaaS apps like SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive
  • Full Identity Protection Suite – Just-in-time admin access & automated access reviews
  • Network-Level Security – DNS filtering blocks threats before they load
  • Extended Security Hub – 12-month log retention for compliance

What you get

Everything in Professional, plus:

  • 24/7 human triage & response (round-the-clock coverage)
  • Incident Response: 10 hours/month included (€2,500–3,000 value)**
  • Named security analyst assigned to your account
  • Priority escalation & dedicated IR team on-call
  • Regulator-ready incident reporting (GDPR, NIS2)
  • Quarterly strategic security review & roadmap
🚨 Elite Advantage: 10 hours/month incident response included (€2,500–3,000 value). Network-layer protection blocks threats at DNS level before they reach endpoints. 24/7 human response team ready for critical incidents. Complete forensics and recovery support included.
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Learn how we optimise Microsoft Sentinel deployment and operation, integrate Azure security monitoring, and provide comprehensive M365 threat detection.

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The Microsoft MDR Difference

Platform Integration & Response Speed

Platform Integration (Native vs Generic)

No third-party agents required. Sentinel and Defender are native Microsoft tools. No compatibility issues, no additional licensing overhead, no integration projects. Everything works out of the box because it's designed to work together. Unified threat telemetry provides a single pane of glass across Microsoft 365, Azure, on-premises Active Directory, and connected SaaS applications. When an attack spans email (Office 365), identity (Entra ID), and cloud resources (Azure), we see the full kill chain instantly. Generic MDR providers see disconnected alerts.

No translation layer Tenant-tuned analytics Direct Microsoft signals

Response Speed & Automation

Automated response through Sentinel playbooks and Logic Apps means threats are contained in under 2 minutes. A compromised user account? Instantly revoke sessions, block sign-ins, reset credentials. A malware-infected device? Automatically isolate from network, quarantine files, initiate scan. Manual response takes 45+ minutes. Automated response happens while the attacker is still in reconnaissance.

< 15 min MTTD ~ 1 hr containment Playbooks + human

Microsoft-Specific Threat Coverage

Entra ID credential abuse, Exchange Online phishing and mailbox rules, Azure misconfigurations. Microsoft ecosystems have unique attack paths. Our detections and playbooks cover these patterns first, then extend to third-party integrations as needed.

Entra & CA policies Exchange anti-BEC Azure misconfig coverage

Our Sentinel-powered MDR integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 security optimization for comprehensive protection.

Our Preferred Technology Partners

MDR Outcomes

Reduced Dwell Time, Faster Response, Lower Risk

< 15 min

Median Time to Detect (MTTD)

~ 1 hour

Critical Containment Window

+12–25

Secure Score (first 90 days)

Reduced Dwell Time

Native Microsoft signals (Defender, Entra ID, M365, Sentinel) plus ATT&CK-mapped analytics reduce noise and surface real threats fast. We tune detections to your tenant-naming conventions, CA policies, identity risks, so the SOC triages meaningful alerts in minutes, not hours. The result: dwell time drops and attacker opportunities shrink.

Faster Response

For confirmed critical threats, we initiate containment in roughly an hour using native controls and Sentinel playbooks (Logic Apps): device isolation, token revocation, account disable, mailbox quarantine, Conditional Access blocks, and more. Hands-on remediation then closes the root cause based on your plan (we guide or we fix).

Lower Risk Over Time

MDR isn’t just alerting. Every month you’ll see Secure Score gains, reduced false positives, and fewer incidents. We align hardening with your Microsoft roadmap (Intune compliance, identity protection, CA baselines), so risk drops while your team stops getting paged for noise.

Measured, not marketing: The MDR programme aims to cut dwell time from days to minutes and contain confirmed critical threats within ~1 hour
using native Microsoft controls and Logic Apps. Secure Score typically improves as hardening work is completed.
Figures are targets, not guarantees; your results depend on current posture and licensing.

Your MDR Journey

From Assessment to 24/7 Protection

Security Assessment

We baseline your current security posture, identify gaps in Microsoft 365 and Azure configurations, evaluate existing security tools, and define your specific MDR requirements.

1-2 weeks

Sentinel & Defender Deployment/Optimization

Deploy Microsoft Sentinel if needed, or optimize your existing deployment. Configure data connectors for Microsoft 365, Azure, Defender suite, and on-premises systems. Tune detection rules to your environment. Build automated response playbooks.

1-2 weeks

Security Hardening

Close critical security gaps identified in assessment. Implement MFA, conditional access, email security hardening, and Azure security policies. Establish security baseline that MDR monitors and protects.

2-4 weeks

MDR Onboarding

SOC team learns your environment, business processes, and escalation procedures. Test playbooks and alert tuning. Conduct dry-run incidents. Establish communication channels and reporting cadence.

1 week

24/7 Monitoring Begins

Full MDR protection activates. Continuous monitoring, threat detection, incident response, and ongoing optimisation. Your security improves continuously as we tune detection, add new threat intelligence, and adapt to evolving risks.

Ongoing

FAQ MDR

Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Simplified

What is MDR for Microsoft?

MDR (Managed Detection & Response) for Microsoft is a 24/7 security service that monitors your Microsoft 365, Azure, and on-premises environments using Sentinel and Defender, with expert SOC analysts responding to threats in real time. Unlike traditional security monitoring, MDR includes active threat hunting, incident investigation, and hands-on response to contain and remediate threats.

How is Microsoft-native MDR different from generic MDR?
Microsoft-native MDR leverages Sentinel, Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Office 365, and Microsoft threat intelligence natively – no third-party agents or translation layers. This delivers faster detection (native API access vs. polling), contextual response (understanding Microsoft-specific attack patterns), and lower total cost (using your existing Microsoft investments rather than overlaying expensive third-party tools).
What Microsoft security tools do you use for MDR?
Our MDR service is built on Microsoft Sentinel (SIEM), Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Cloud Apps, Defender for Office 365, Defender for Identity, and Entra ID Protection. These tools are fully integrated to provide comprehensive visibility across your entire Microsoft estate, from email to endpoints to cloud workloads.
Do we need to replace our existing Microsoft security tools for MDR?
No. Our MDR service enhances and operationalizes your existing Microsoft 365 and Azure security investments like Sentinel, Defender, Entra ID, by adding 24/7 expert monitoring, advanced detection tuning, and active response capabilities. We make your current tools work harder and smarter, not replace them with proprietary alternatives.
What's the path from assessment to full MDR service?
We start with a Security Assessment to establish your baseline security posture and identify gaps. Next comes Sentinel and Defender deployment or optimisation, followed by security hardening to close critical vulnerabilities. Finally, we onboard your environment to our 24/7 MDR service with continuous monitoring, threat hunting, and incident response. Typical timeline is 4-8 weeks from assessment to full protection.
Will this help us with ISO 27001, GDPR, or NIS2?

Yes. MDR supports many of the technical and operational controls auditors look for: continuous monitoring, logging, alerting, incident handling, access oversight, and forensic evidence. We provide audit-friendly reports and incident documentation.We help you meet controls – you still own policies, lawful basis, and governance work.

Will you flood us with alerts and false positives?

No. We triage alerts first and escalate only real threats. Expect concise, actionable updates – not noise.

Do you offer 24/7 response?

Yes, Elite provides full 24/7 response and containment. Essential and Professional include 24/7 monitoring, but human response is limited to business hours / extended hours.

How long do you retain logs?

Essential – Microsoft default retention (e.g., ~90 days)
Professional – Microsoft default retention
Elite – 12-month retention included (Sentinel/Archive)

Longer retention is available as an add-on.

What do you need from our internal team?

One main point-of-contact and basic approvals for containment actions. We handle the rest. If we need you (e.g., to reset a service account), we’ll tell you exactly what to do.

What does "containment" actually mean?

Containment means stopping the threat from spreading or causing more harm. This may include:

  • Isolating an endpoint
  • Disabling a compromised account
  • Revoking session tokens
  • Blocking malicious IPs/domains/hashes
  • Blocking a malicious sender in Microsoft 365

Essential: You perform containment with our guidance
Professional: We perform containment Mon–Fri, 07:00–22:00
Elite: We perform containment 24/7/365

What’s not included by default?

We don’t replace IT operations (patching, backups, identity lifecycle), write policies, or manage breach notifications, but we will guide and support you at every step.