What is our primary use case?
For anyone with an IT footprint in today's cybersecurity-aware landscape, considering solutions like Arctic Wolf (MDR is vital. It is not just for giants like banks; it is particularly valuable for smaller and mid-sized businesses without a dedicated cybersecurity team. When your IT environment surpasses about 50 users, that is when the real need for MDR arises. At that point, you start generating substantial security data, and MDR allows you to tap into expert skills to protect your organization effectively.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect of this solution, both for me and my clients, is the managed detection and response component, which is a core feature of the service. However, what sets it apart is the "concierge security team" that provides customers with two dedicated resources for proactive security management. This personalized support, in addition to the 24/7 SOC service, is a significant added benefit.
What needs improvement?
In terms of areas for improvement, Arctic Wolf has been responsive to client feedback. They have addressed issues such as the lack of data exploration tools in the past by implementing solutions that enable clients to better understand the platform's actions. However, to further enhance the service, more integrations with various security tools to improve data ingestion would be beneficial. It is worth noting that I haven't received any negative feedback from clients, so there aren't any specific issues they are unhappy with at the moment.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been a reseller of Arctic Wolf Managed Detection and Response for over a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of this solution is robust. It is not a physical product but rather a service, so it doesn't have the potential to go down like a tool or device might. Agents and sensors deployed have failover mechanisms in place to ensure continuous monitoring. 24/7 services are reliable and uninterrupted. In that sense, it is highly stable, given its service-oriented nature.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of this solution is great. It offers user-based licensing, so if there is an increase in the number of IT users, it can easily scale accordingly. In contrast to other solutions that base pricing on data ingestion, which can be challenging as data grows, user count tends to be more predictable, making this model highly scalable. Arctic Wolf is flexible and works with clients to ensure smooth scaling. Our clients for this solution come from a range of business sizes, primarily focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises. We generally don't cater to large enterprises, but instead, our clients typically fall within the medium-sized category, with user counts ranging from 50 to around 3,000.
How are customer service and support?
Our experience with technical support from Arctic Wolf is mostly handled by the Octopus technical team, who manage support as the reseller. As a result, our role in providing technical support is limited. The concierge security team, a part of the managed detection and response solution, actively engages with clients to offer technical support, identify vulnerabilities, and conduct proactive threat hunting. This means we are less involved in the technical support aspects of the solution. I would rate Arctic Wolf's technical support as a nine out of ten. Their 24/7 availability of highly skilled security engineers who are responsive to phone calls and emails is a significant strength, with room for minor improvements but very effective overall.
How would you rate customer service and support?
How was the initial setup?
In terms of the initial setup, our involvement is limited as Octopus Deploy handles it directly with the client for compliance and confidentiality reasons. However, the feedback we have received about the setup process has been remarkably positive. It is described as a quick and relatively painless process, typically taking around 30 to 40 days. Even for clients in South Africa, the shipment of sensors and equipment arrives within a month, which speaks to the efficiency of the setup. The choice between cloud or on-premises deployment depends on the client's preference. The solution offers virtual and on-premises sensor deployment options. The setup process is streamlined, with an off-site team collaborating with the client's team. The Security Operations Center is in Germany and works closely with clients for efficient implementation. Clients often install the sensors themselves, and the process is straightforward, making implementation easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Arctic Wolf's pricing seems reasonable for the value it offers, and I would rate it at a six out of ten. It is not a low-cost solution, but it provides good value for the investment.
What other advice do I have?
Given the absence of complaints from our customers regarding the solution, I would rate Arctic Wolf MDR very highly, perhaps a ten out of ten. It seems to meet our clients' needs effectively.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
*Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: reseller
