EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

A multitude of metrics exist to help you monitor your system, but here’s why Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) and Mean Time to Respond (MTTR) matter.

Mean Time To Detect (MTTD) reflects the average length of time that it takes to uncover a security threat or incident.

Mean Time to Respond (MTTR) is an indicator of the average time it takes to manage and thwart a threat.

Both of these metrics rely on calculations that include the size and complexity of your network, the size of your security team, the data analytics tools at your disposal, the security mechanisms in place and much more.

One company’s ‘recipe’ for measuring MTTD or MTTR may differ from that of another company. While the absence of an industry standard does mean that these numbers aren’t reliable in terms of benchmarking against other organizations, internally, they can provide useful insights when calculated at routine intervals across a long stretch of time.

To reduce MTTD and MTTR, ensure that your team effectively has your incident response process memorized, and can rattle off the best practices for defending against the most common types of threats. Click To TweetRoutine trainings and drills are also worthy means of preparing for rapid fire responses to incidents.

You’ll also want to ensure that you have security products in place that can help you achieve your MTTD and MTTR goals. When you purchase strong tools to secure your system, you have the added bonus of an external security team that can collaboratively help you reduce Mean Time to Detect and Mean Time to Respond as incidents begin to unfold.

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