In practice, this means that creating policies alone is not enough. Compliance requires operational, auditable technical controls.

However, many organizations still try to meet these expectations using multiple, sometimes outdated technologies. Antivirus solutions, firewalls, separate log collectors – all operating independently. This approach is no longer the most effective. Modern cyberattacks typically do not enter the targeted organization through a single point; instead, they use fileless attack techniques or move across the entire organizational ecosystem. In such cases, the gaps between isolated security tools are exactly what attackers exploit.

The solution is not more tools, but coordinated, integrated protection.

What is Open XDR, and why does it represent a shift in mindset?

XDR (Extended Detection and Response) is a cybersecurity approach that combines endpoint protection, network monitoring, cloud security controls, and automated incident response into a single integrated platform.

The “Open” aspect means that the platform is open to tools from other vendors as well. This means it does not create a closed ecosystem tied to a single vendor, but rather provides a security layer that can work together with the existing infrastructure.

Traditional SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems primarily focus on collecting and analyzing log data. Although modern SIEM solutions increasingly include certain automation capabilities, they essentially remain analytical tools.

Open XDR, on the other hand, unifies multiple security layers and uses behavioral analysis to proactively identify threats, prioritize them, and, where necessary, automatically respond.

Traditional approach vs. Open XDR

Cynet Open XDR – based on our own experience

Cynet is an all-in-one cybersecurity platform that integrates endpoint protection, network anomaly detection, user behavior analytics (UBA), vulnerability management and automated incident response into a single console, and can also be complemented with 24/7 SOC support if required.

This is not a traditional EDR solution, but an integrated XDR platform that can jointly interpret endpoint events as well as network, user and cloud-based signals, providing a comprehensive view of the organization’s entire attack surface.

We also tested the platform in our own test environment, specifically to assess how suitable it is for helping an organization build real, operational and auditable security capabilities within a short period of time.

Deployment was one of our most positive experiences. With the Cynet Distribution Tool, agent deployment can be carried out at domain level without significant preparation; there is no need for complex infrastructure redesign or a months-long project. The system can become operational within a few hours and already shows meaningful security events on the first day.

During the first 1–2 hours, the agent performs intensive environment mapping, which temporarily requires higher resources. After this, however, operation stabilizes quickly, and during everyday use we did not experience any significant impact on endpoint performance.

How does Cynet work in practice?

Cynet operates through several interlinked steps. The platform continuously collects events generated on endpoints – such as process executions, network communications or user activities – and analyzes this data in real time based on behavioral patterns.

Individual events do not appear in isolation; instead, the system interprets them in context and organizes them into a single incident. This significantly reduces noise and enables faster decision-making.

If a real threat is identified, Cynet can automatically intervene – for example, by isolating the affected device or stopping a malicious process.

The detection capabilities were convincing during testing. The platform is capable of identifying various anomalies and potential threats while maintaining high alert relevance and a low false-positive rate. This is critical, as too many irrelevant alerts can eventually lead to the system being ignored.

More than attacks – managing configurations and vulnerabilities

One of Cynet’s key strengths is that it not only handles attacks, but also identifies the causes that lead to them.

The misconfiguration module identifies security weaknesses that originate from incorrect settings. In many real-world incidents, these are the underlying causes in the background. The platform provides specific remediation recommendations and enables these issues to be handled quickly.

Vulnerability management is CVE-based: the system compares risks against the NIST database and helps prioritize them. This not only supports defense, but is also important from an audit perspective, as it provides an accurate picture of the organization’s exposure.

The platform can also apply so-called deception technologies, placing “decoy” credentials and files in the environment. These help detect attackers at an early stage, before they can cause real damage.

Automated response and continuous protection

The platform enables automated response actions. Isolating a compromised endpoint, stopping a suspicious process or restricting a user account can happen within seconds without human intervention, fundamentally changing incident response time and reducing the extent of potential damage.

In practice, more and more organizations are replacing traditional antivirus solutions with XDR-based systems, as these can not only prevent attacks, but also detect and handle complex, multi-stage threats.

Cynet’s 24/7 SOC service adds another layer of security. The expert team operating in the background continuously monitors the environment and intervenes in critical cases, which is especially valuable for organizations without a dedicated security team.

What does it actually deliver from a NIS2 perspective?

A significant part of NIS2 requirements is built around technical controls, such as continuous monitoring, logging, incident management or vulnerability tracking.
Based on our experience, a platform like Cynet can cover approximately 60–70% of these technical requirements. It is particularly strong in logging, incident handling and system integrity protection, where it provides real, operational and auditable functionality.

The system is capable of, among other things:

• continuously monitoring endpoints and network traffic, 
• automatically detecting and prioritizing threats, 
• performing immediate response actions (for example, isolating a compromised device), 
• identifying configuration errors and known vulnerabilities,
• supporting the up-to-date maintenance of asset inventories through continuous endpoint tracking, while also providing a license inventory overview at the click of a button, 
• and providing detailed reports to support compliance.

Based on the above, an organization can achieve tangible progress toward compliance in a short period of time, especially if these capabilities are currently missing.

When time matters

In the current situation, the biggest challenge for many organizations is that some of the required technical controls are not yet in place, while the audit deadline is getting closer.
Building a complex, multi-component architecture can take months. An integrated platform, however, makes it possible to introduce the most important capabilities quickly and transparently.

In this situation, Cynet can be a solution that is strong not only from a technological perspective, but also realistic from an implementation perspective.

Would you like to see it in your own environment?

We do not only provide the Cynet solution; based on our own experience, we also support its implementation and interpretation.

If you would like to see which NIS2 requirements Cynet can help meet in your organization, or how quickly real security capabilities can be established with it, we would be happy to present it in a demo session. 

During the demo, we show through concrete examples how the platform works and how it can be integrated into the existing infrastructure.

Is the NIS2 audit deadline approaching, and are you looking for a fast yet well-founded technical solution?

Author: Sámson Varga