MDR Metrics that Matter – From Analysts to the Board of Directors

This document defines “Metrics that Matter” for MDR programs and maps them to stakeholder needs—from analysts to the board—emphasizing actionable insights, kill chain context, and continuous improvement. It recommends weekly, monthly, and quarterly review rhythms, highlights key measures like detection accuracy, MTTR, SLA performance, and environmental health, and advises using metrics to guide security investments and evaluate MDR providers. Brief examples (e.g., detecting a Cobalt Strike beacon and intercepting phishing via Microsoft Sentinel) illustrate how targeted metrics validate controls and drive proactive defense.