Test EDR, MDR, SEG, and SOC Against Real-World Attacks
The Challenge
Prevention, Detection, & Response Failures
You’ve deployed best-in-class EDR, MDR, SEG, and SOC tools and teams, but can you prove they’ll detect, prevent, and respond to real-world attacks?
Secure Email Gateway
On average 24% of malicious emails bypassed a customer's secure email gateway
Threat Detection Tools
7 out of 10 threat detection assessments identify exploitable security tool gaps.
Threat Response Teams
5 out of 10 attack simulations result in no response or a delayed response outside of SLA requirements.
Prevention & Detection Tools (SEG, EDR, XDR, SIEM, etc.):
Security tools can fail to prevent or detect due to:
- Tool misconfigurations that prevent attack successful detection.
- Unintended control changes made by internal teams or 3rd party vendors.
- Evolving adversary tactics that evade and bypass detection mechanisms.
- Security tool disruptions where tool vendors adversely affect tool effectiveness.
Threat Response Providers (SOC, MDR, NDR, etc.):
Monitoring teams can fail to respond due to:
- Alerting failures caused by detection telemetry failures and delays.
- Lack of visibility due to incomplete monitoring or access to necessary data.
- Skill and resource limitations due to inadequate training or overwhelmed teams.
- Communication breakdowns due to misaligned priorities and failed procedures.
The Solution
Security Control Validation
OnDefend’s Security Control Validation simulates real-world cyber-attacks to consistently ensure your secure email gateway is effectively filtering malicious emails, threat detection tools are detecting real-world attacks, and threat response teams are neutralizing threats in real-time.
Check out our Security Control Validation Resources, including solution briefs, case studies, white papers, webinars, and more.
HOW IT WORKS
Security Control Validation Methodology
Malicious Payload Simulations:
- We send simulated malicious emails to test inboxes to evaluate your SEG’s effectiveness against real-world threat actor tactics.
SPF, DKIM, DMARC Evaluations:
- We assess your email system’s settings to successfully authenticate business domain emails through SPF, DKIM, and DMARC testing.
Simulate Cyber Attacks:
- We safely simulate real-world attacks on your production network using our assumed beach methodology through BlindSPOT.
Measure Security Tool Response:
- Our simulations evaluate the effectiveness of your detection tools (EDR, XDR, SIEM) to identifying alerts while measuring your MTTD.
Visualize Security Stack Effectiveness:
- We’ll show you exactly where your security stack is succeeding, existing gaps, and where further investments might strengthen your defenses.
Emulate Cyber Incidents:
- OnDefend safely emulates real-world cyber incidents on your production network to ‘ring the bell’ and initiate responses from internal and external response teams.
Demonstrate Response Capability:
- OnDefend tracks the MTTR of your team and response vendors (NDR, MDR, & others) ensuring they are meeting their Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
Are your security controls ready for the next ransomware attack? Let’s find out. Validate Your Defenses Today.
Schedule a consultation to learn how to quantify your cyber resilience, demonstrate the ROI of your security resources, and identify gaps before they can be exploited.
Check Out Our Latest Case Study
Prominent Healthcare System Implements Security Control Validation to Safeguard Patient Safety and Data Security
EASY TO IMPLEMENT
Low Effort, High Value
SERVICE SETUP
- Secure Email Gateway Validation: Set up a sample inbox to test if simulated malicious emails with payloads can bypass your secure email gateway and reach the inbox.
- Threat Detection Validation: Deploy the BlindSPOT attack simulation service on a small sample of endpoints (typically 3–5) where your existing security tools are already operational, validating their ability to detect simulated threats.
- Threat Response Validation: Similar to Threat Detection Validation but only requires one endpoint to assess your internal response team and response vendors’ ability to neutralize detected threats effectively.
- Total Customer Time: 2 hours
PER EXERCISE
- Secure Email Gateway Validation: Set up a sample inbox to test if simulated malicious emails with payloads can bypass your secure email gateway and reach the inbox.
- Threat Detection Validation: After the attack simulation is successfully executed, we simply need your exported logs to correlate the tools response.
- Threat Response Validation: After the simulated incident is successfully executed, we simply need the actual response times of your internal team and response vendors.
- Total Time Per Exercise: 6 hours (Example: If you engaged this service on a quarterly cadence, then it would only take 6 hours.)
COMPREHENSIVE REPORTING
- You receive comprehensive reporting with detailed insights as well as actionable remediation recommendations. All reporting includes simple graphical representations of outcomes that laypeople in your organization can understand and value.
Picture This…
Imagine your home security provider visits your house regularly, opening all the doors and windows to ensure the alarms are successfully alerting their team to ensure they will immediately respond. Wouldn’t you sleep better at night?
This is what OnDefend’s Security Control Validation does for your organization…
Benefits and Outcomes
Bolstering Your Security Program
Security Operational Assurance
Proactive Risk Reduction
Security Vendor Accountability
Demonstrate Preparedness
Justify Security Investments
Lower Cyber Insurance Premiums
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Security Control Validation?
Security control validation is the process of testing whether your security tools and response teams can detect and respond to real-world threats.
It goes beyond basic configuration checks by simulating real attacks and observing how your systems—like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Extended Detection and Response (XDR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), and Secure Email Gateway (SEG)—and your teams, such as Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Network Detection and Response (NDR), and your Security Operations Center (SOC), actually perform.
How is security control validation different from penetration testing?
Penetration testing identifies vulnerabilities by attempting to exploit them; security control validation tests whether your tools and teams detect and respond to those exploits.
Think of it like testing a home’s defenses: a penetration test finds a way in—like an unlocked window—but stops there. Security control validation checks if the alarm sounds, cameras record the intruder, and the monitoring service takes action.
While a penetration test might stop after achieving initial access, security control validation goes further, evaluating whether your Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Managed Detection and Response (MDR), and Security Operations Center (SOC) detected the activity, generated alerts, and followed response workflows. It also measures critical response metrics like mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR), helping you assess and improve operational readiness.
Why is security control validation important?
Security control validation provides evidence that your security stack works as intended, before a real attack hits.
Many organizations deploy tools and teams like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Managed Detection and Response (MDR), or Secure Email Gateway (SEG), but can’t definitively prove if they’re properly configured or actively detecting and responding to threats. Validation helps identify blind spots and ensures your defenses are tuned and ready.
Which tools can be validated using security control testing?
Security control validation can test a wide range of technologies, including:
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Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
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Extended Detection and Response (XDR)
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Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
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Secure Email Gateway (SEG)
These tools are validated by running real-world attack simulations to test whether they detect, log, block, and escalate threats properly. For example, Secure Email Gateway (SEG) testing evaluates whether phishing and malware-laden emails are detected and quarantined before reaching users.
Can security control validation test SOC response teams and MDR and NDR providers?
Yes. Validation is critical for evaluating Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Network Detection and Response (NDR), and in-house or outsourced Security Operations Center (SOC) teams.
It ensures alerts are reviewed, response actions are taken, and workflows are followed as intended, helping you measure service quality, mean time to respond (MTTR), and response readiness.
How often should security controls be validated?
Ideally, security control validation should be done continuously or at least quarterly.
Attack techniques evolve constantly, and configuration drift can silently weaken your defenses. Frequent validation keeps tools and teams aligned with current threats.
Does security control validation use MITRE ATT&CK TTPs?
Yes. Effective security control validation maps simulated attack techniques to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
This ensures testing is based on real-world adversary behaviors and helps prioritize detection and response based on risk.
Is security control validation the same as breach and attack simulation (BAS)?
Not exactly. Breach and attack simulation (BAS) is a technology used to test security controls by emulating real-world attack behaviors. Security control validation is the outcome of using that technology to confirm your defenses are working.
Many organizations purchase BAS platforms and manage testing internally. OnDefend takes a different approach: our Security Control Validation service is delivered as a managed engagement—powered by our proprietary BAS platform, BlindSPOT™—so you get the benefits of continuous, real-world attack simulations without the cost, complexity, or staffing burden of operating a BAS tool yourself.
Does security control validation replace my existing tools or services?
No. Security control validation enhances your existing investments by proving they’re configured and functioning correctly.
It works alongside tools like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), and complements services like Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and your Security Operations Center (SOC) to ensure you’re getting the protection you expect.
Who benefits most from security control validation?
Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), Security Operations Center (SOC) managers, and IT security leaders who must prove their defenses work and justify ROI benefit the most.
Security control validation also supports audit readiness, cyber insurance requirements, and board-level reporting by turning assumptions into measurable facts.
SMART. CAPABLE. RELIABLE.
Super-Charge Your Business.
Contact us today to expand your security offering, meet market demand and secure our world.
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