Cortex XDR vs Microsoft

Learn why organizations choose Cortex XDR over Microsoft for attack prevention, detection, and response

Why Cortex XDR is the better choice to stop modern threats


Evaluating endpoint security solutions and Extended Detection and Response (XDR) vendors can be daunting, so we’re providing a comparison of key attributes and capabilities that you should expect from a true XDR solution. Compared to Cortex XDR, Microsoft delivers an incomplete solution, with complex licensing and the need to add-on as many as six different products to achieve XDR-like capabilities. Cortex XDR provides better prevention, better visibility, and better analytics and detection. Learn more about how Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR outperforms Microsoft.
 Comprehensive Prevention

Comprehensive Prevention

The Cortex XDR agent safeguards endpoints from malware, exploits, and fileless attacks with industry-best, AI-driven local analysis and behavior-based protection.

  • Organizations can stop emerging and zero-day threats with a single cloud-delivered agent for endpoint protection, threat detection, and incident response.

  • Cortex XDR is rated a Strategic Leader in the Endpoint Prevention and Response (EPR) Test by AV-Comparatives. With an overall active prevention score of 100%, Cortex XDR has received unbeaten scores two years in a row while also having one of the lowest Total Cost of Ownership scores.

Broader Visibility

Broader Visibility

By continuously collecting telemetry on all process, file, network, and registry actions that take place on an endpoint, Cortex XDR helps ensure that attacker activities do not remain hidden nor escape scrutiny.

  • All security events and alerts are correlated into a single view to provide a complete picture of each incident, helping to accelerate investigations much faster than the status quo.

  • Visibility is extended across all data sources to reveal the root cause and timeline of alerts, allowing analysts to easily expedite the triage process and contain threats across the entire infrastructure.

Superior Analytics & Detection

Superior Analytics & Detection

Cortex XDR is the industry’s first true Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platform. Advancing endpoint security beyond just endpoint data collection, Cortex XDR integrates across network, cloud and third-party data to effectively stop modern cyberattacks. Machine learning models analyze data from Palo Alto Networks and third-party sources, using behavioral analytics to uncover stealthy attacks targeting managed and unmanaged devices.

  • Cortex XDR has delivered top performance in the MITRE ATT&CK® evaluation - for the past 3 years. Most recently, we provided stellar enforcement to defend against the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by the Carbanak and FIN7 threat groups, leading the pack in preventions and detections in the round 3 of their evaluation.

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Compare Cortex XDR to Microsoft

Cortex XDR
Microsoft
Detection Visibility
Cortex XDR
  • Delivered 100% threat protection and 97% detection visibility in MITRE ATT&CK Round 3.
  • 100% overall active prevention score in AV-Comparatives evaluation
Microsoft
  • Underperformed in MITRE ATT&CK Round 3 with only 86% detection visibility and 23 misses.
SOC Experience and Workflow
Cortex XDR
  • One platform for detection and response across all data provides easier analysis and enable stitching of incidents
  • All data is consolidated to flow through the same database. Analytics can be applied on top of the data.
  • Single panel of glass management
Microsoft
  • Requires at least 6 different consoles for basic management. More consoles provide more complexity and less efficiency.
  • Several detection queues to manage becomes burdensome.
Analytics
Cortex XDR
  • Includes machine learning driven behavioral analysis to provide enhanced insight and analysis to identify potential attacker activity ahead of static rules
  • Includes Identity Analytics feature for comprehensive user behavior analytics (UBA)
  • Applies analytics on different data sources
  • Profiles every process being executed for a full analytics view.
Microsoft
  • Does not intuitively integrate UEBA/UBA into XDR platform.
  • Several different management consoles are needed.
  • Rules are black box and not open to editing by administrators
  • Does not profile processes
  • Requires additional add-on licensing and increased investment.
Data Collection and Integration
Cortex XDR
  • Can incorporate data from virtually any source to ingest, normalize, correlate, query, and analyze data. This includes network, cloud, and 3rd party data.
Microsoft
  • Cannot natively combine network, cloud, or 3rd party data sources. You must purchase more products to get more capabilities.
Licensing
Cortex XDR
  • Two package options (Prevent or Pro) with a few add-on capabilities. Pay per ingestion.
Microsoft
  • Complex packaging options and various add-ons become extremely expensive
  • Security E5 is a patchwork solution that requires the additional purchase of 5 products to receive the same function that Cortex XDR provides.
Response Capabilities
Cortex XDR
  • Instantly contain endpoint, network, and cloud threats from one console.
  • Flexible response options, including python scripting engines, ensure that administrators can launch a range of tailored actions across the ecosystem from a single interface
Microsoft
  • Incident response is limited to Windows endpoints
  • Considers “Quarantine” an incident response action, and it is not automated
  • Live terminal is only supported on Windows 10 (updated versions)
Incident Visibility and Management
Cortex XDR
  • Intelligent alert grouping and incident scoring reduces investigation time by 88%
  • Reduces the number of individual alerts to review by 98%
Microsoft
  • Lack of integration between threat prevention and detection screens increases investigation time.
  • No built-in ability to correlate alerts from multiple sources. You have to pay more for added functionality.
  • Too many moving parts makes management painful.
Investigation / Hunting
Cortex XDR
  • Log stitching eliminates need for manual analysis across data sensors
  • Enables custom correlation rules
  • XQL allows you to search through all your data sources
Microsoft
  • Heavy reliance on manual correlation to connect security events becomes time-consuming and inefficient.
  • Requires additional licenses and cost.
  • Defender for Endpoint alone cannot natively query other data sources; more add-ons needed.
Protection across Operating Systems
Cortex XDR
  • Supports all versions of Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Robust features available across all OS
Microsoft
  • Incomplete support lacks exploit and behavioral protection for Linux machines.
  • Incomplete support for Windows 7-8 and limited macOS versions.
  • Capabilities are reduced depending on OS used.
Sandbox analysis report for executed files
Cortex XDR
  • Analyzes any PE file (Linux, Mac, Windows) and generates a full behavioral report even if benign. All reports are available from the console.
  • The sandbox intel (Wildfire) can be used by 3rd party solutions.
Microsoft
  • No full report provided unless manually submitted.
  • Does not integrate with 3rd party solutions, only endpoint.

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Let's explore ways to find fewer alerts, build end-to-end automation, and enable smarter security operations.
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