As organizations grow, they’ll need to acquire endpoint detection and response tools to monitor activity and secure endpoint devices. Carbon Black and CrowdStrike are two top EDR products with features that can help to improve an organization’s security posture.
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What is Carbon Black?
VMware Carbon Black is a security platform that uses analytics and machine learning to detect, investigate and respond to threats. The EDR tool uses streaming analytics to endpoint data to detect, predict, respond to and mitigate threats. In addition, the platform provides visibility into activity on endpoint devices and allows security teams to identify suspicious behavior quickly. Carbon Black also offers several features for incident response, including rolling back changes made by malicious actors.
What is CrowdStrike?
Falcon CrowdStrike is an endpoint security platform that provides real-time protection, detection and response. The platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) and behavioral analysis to identify new and unknown threats and to stop attacks before they occur. CrowdStrike also offers a cloud-based management console that makes deploying and managing the system easy.
SEE: Mobile device security policy (TechRepublic Premium)
Carbon Black vs. CrowdStrike: Feature comparison
| Feature | Carbon Black | CrowdStrike |
|---|---|---|
| Threat hunting | Yes | Yes |
| Single-agent design | No | Yes |
| Behavioral learning | No | Yes |
| Feature parity across OS | No | Yes |
| Cloud-based | Yes | Yes |
| Firewall management | No | Yes |
| API integration | Yes | Yes |
Head-to-head comparison: Carbon Black vs. CrowdStrike.
Threat hunting and remediation
Both Carbon Black and CrowdStrike offer powerful threat hunting and remediation features. However, CrowdStrike is a more robust solution based on MITRE Engenuity tests. Its alignment to the MITRE Framework saw it named a Leader in Gartner’s 2021 Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms for the second successive year. The product also held the top position for Completeness of Vision.
In contrast, Carbon Black missed some threat detections when tested against the MITRE Framework over the last four years.
Single-agent design
Using a single agent to centrally manage multiple endpoint devices ensures teams can deploy quickly and begin handling threats.
CrowdStrike uses a single universal agent design. The Falcon platform uses a single lightweight agent deployed on endpoint devices that collects data and sends it to the cloud for analysis.
On the other hand, Carbon Black is a complex security tool with a steep learning curve. It requires significant tuning and configuration. Moreover, its threat detection queries are overly complicated, and there are several manual processes to manage alerts and remediation.
Behavioral learning
EDR software can either be signature-based or signatureless. Signature-based EDR programs rely on a database of known threats, while signatureless EDR programs use machine learning and behavioral analytics to identify suspicious activity.
CrowdStrike offers advanced, signatureless protection through machine learning, behavioral analytics and integrated threat intelligence, while Carbon Black includes a signature-based AV engine. As a result, CrowdStrike can better protect devices from new and unknown threats.
Deployment
CrowdStrike comes as one platform for all workloads. It provides comprehensive protection coverage that you can deploy across Windows, Linux and macOS servers and endpoints. In addition, there is no on-premises equipment requiring maintenance, management, scans, reboots and complex integrations.
In contrast, Carbon Black comes as an on-premises or cloud solution. There may be a need for device restarts, including critical servers, as part of the sensor update process. In addition, there is a feature disparity between on-premises and cloud versions.
Device and firewall control
Carbon Black’s EDR software allows device control (no firewall management), but it is restricted to Windows OS and USB flash drives. It also lets you create your endpoint security policies, which is beneficial for businesses with specific regulatory or performance standards to meet.
By comparison, Falcon Firewall Management from CrowdStrike allows customers to move from legacy endpoint platforms to the company’s next-generation EDR software, which includes robust protection, better performance, and efficient management and enforcement of host firewall policies. In addition, Falcon Firewall Management offers simple, cross-platform management of host/OS firewalls from the Falcon console, allowing security teams to limit any risk exposure effectively.
Furthermore, the Falcon Device Control allows users to safely utilize USB devices by offering complete end-to-end protection and detection and response (EDR) capabilities. Its seamless integration with the Falcon agent and platform comes with device control features complemented with complete endpoint security. This provides security and IT operations teams insight into how devices are being used and the means to regulate and manage that usage.
API integration
API Integration ensures you get the most out of your EDR software.
Carbon Black’s EDR solution offers more than 120 out-of-the-box integrations.
Similarly, CrowdStrike’s Falcon Platform is developed as an API First Platform. As new features are released, corresponding API functionality is added to help automate and control any newly added operations.
Choosing between Carbon Black and CrowdStrike
CrowdStrike is the better choice if you need comprehensive coverage and protection against new and unknown threats that you can deploy across Windows, Linux, and macOS servers and endpoints. However, if you’re looking for an on-premises solution to provide you with protection against known threats, then Carbon Black may be better.
Ultimately, the decision comes down to your risk profile and specific needs and requirements.
Leading EDR Solutions
1 ESET PROTECT Advanced
Protect your company computers, laptops and mobile devices with security products all managed via a cloud-based management console. The solution includes cloud sandboxing technology, preventing zero-day threats, and full disk encryption capability for enhanced data protection. ESET Protect Advanced complies with data regulation thanks to full disk encryption capabilities on Windows and macOS. Get started today!
2 Alert Logic
Control threats and manage incidents from employee workstations, points of sale, servers, and more. With Alert Logic’s EDR, organizations can monitor and isolate endpoint attacks at the earliest opportunity before any damage is done. Our managed detection and response platform can work alongside any existing antivirus tools to provide an additional layer of defense.
3 SecurityHQ
SecurityHQ's Managed Endpoint and Response (EDR) service leverages the world’s best EDR tooling, together with 24/7 SOC analytics and 300+ security analysts, to detect otherwise concealed malicious behaviour. Get a fully managed service to reduce the cost of IR, with more effective remediation. Detect advanced threats with thorough forensics and rapid root cause analysis. Decrease dwell time from the start, without fine-tuning.
4 Heimdal Security
Heimdal Endpoint Detection and Response is a seamless EDR solution that consists of six of our top-of-the-line products working in unison to hunt, prevent, and remediate any cybersecurity incidents that might come your way. The products in question are Heimdal Threat Prevention, Patch & Asset Management, Ransomware Encryption Protection, Next-Gen Antivirus, Privileged Access Management, and Application Control.
5 ManageEngine Desktop Central
Using too many tools to manage and secure your IT? Desktop Central bundles different IT management and security tools in one unified view without cutting corners in end-user productivity and enterprise security. From keeping tabs on your enterprise devices, data, and apps to securing those endpoints against threats and attacks, Endpoint Central ticks all the boxes of a unified endpoint management solution. Try it for free on unlimited endpoints for 30 days.