Managed Detection and Response has long helped organizations extend their security operations capabilities, but buyer expectations are changing. Detecting suspicious activity and notifying internal teams is no longer enough. Organizations increasingly expect MDR providers to help investigate incidents, contain threats, identify exposures, and deliver measurable improvements to their security posture.
The 2026 Gartner Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response examines this evolution, including the growing role of AI, the continued importance of human expertise, and the need for security outcomes that extend across technology platforms.
LevelBlue is included as a Representative Vendor in the report. We believe our inclusion reflects the relevance of our services-led approach as organizations look to move beyond alert-centric monitoring and strengthen their overall cyber resilience.
MDR expectations are expanding
Gartner describes MDR services as providing “remotely delivered, AI-augmented, human-led, turnkey, modern SOC functions, ultimately delivering cyberattack disruption and containment.”
That distinction matters. Effective MDR should not simply generate more information for already-overburdened security teams to interpret. It should help organizations understand what is happening, determine what matters most, and take action before a threat becomes a larger business disruption.
The Market Guide identifies integrated threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities as a fundamental requirement for MDR buyers, who expect remotely delivered solutions that are implemented swiftly and reliably. It also notes that established MDR customers routinely ask providers to extend their requirements beyond TDIR to include the proactive identification and mitigation of threat exposures.
This reflects a broader shift in how organizations think about security operations. The goal is not simply to react faster after an attack begins. It is to continuously reduce risk, strengthen defenses, and make the organization more difficult to disrupt.
Outcomes must extend across platforms
Today’s enterprise environments rarely rely on a single security vendor or technology stack. Security teams are responsible for protecting interconnected endpoint, network, cloud, SaaS, identity, and operational environments, often using tools from multiple providers.
The Market Guide finds that MDR services focused primarily on vendor-specific technology can struggle to deliver value beyond those platforms. Buyers are instead seeking outcome-driven services that can operate across their environments and turn diverse security data into coordinated action.
LevelBlue takes a platform-agnostic approach to managed security. By bringing together broad telemetry, global threat intelligence, AI-powered security operations, and experienced security professionals, we help customers detect, investigate, and respond to threats across complex, multivendor environments.
AI will change security operations, but human expertise remains essential
AI is rapidly becoming a larger part of security operations. Gartner predicts that, “By 2029, 90% of initial findings from MDR providers will be processed and addressed with the support of AI models without any human action, up from 30% today.”
Automation can help security teams process large volumes of data, correlate activity across environments, prioritize potential threats, and respond more quickly. However, effective security operations still require context, judgment, and accountability.
Human analysts remain critical when an investigation involves incomplete information, competing business priorities, compliance requirements, or response actions that could affect critical systems. The strongest model is not human expertise or AI in isolation. It is the thoughtful combination of both.
At LevelBlue, we use AI to augment the work of security professionals, accelerate routine analysis, and surface the information analysts need to make informed decisions. This approach helps customers respond faster while maintaining the human oversight required for complex and high-impact incidents.
Consolidation is reshaping the MDR landscape
The Market Guide also highlights continued consolidation across the MDR market. LevelBlue’s acquisitions of Trustwave, Cybereason, and Alert Logic are cited among the merger and acquisition activity that has reshaped the market.
These acquisitions have brought together expanded security operations, threat intelligence, incident response, advisory, and managed security capabilities under LevelBlue. For customers, our goal is to translate that combined expertise and visibility into stronger defense, faster response, and sustained business continuity.
Evaluating MDR through a cyber resilience lens
As MDR evolves, organizations should evaluate providers based on more than their ability to monitor alerts. Security leaders should consider whether a provider can:
- Detect, investigate, and contain threats across their technology environment
- Translate technical findings into clear, actionable business context
- Integrate with internal incident response processes and existing security investments
- Proactively identify exposures and opportunities to reduce risk
- Demonstrate continuous improvement across detection engineering, response actions, and security coverage
- Explain how AI, automation, and human expertise work together within the service
MDR is not an all-encompassing replacement for an organization’s security program. When aligned with business risks and integrated effectively with internal teams, however, it can become an important part of a broader cyber resilience strategy.
The 2026 Gartner Market Guide offers security leaders a valuable framework for understanding how the MDR market is changing and what to consider when evaluating providers.
Read the 2026 Gartner Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response.
Gartner, Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response, Andrew Davies, Angel Berrios, Eric Ahlm, Darren Livingstone, and Craig Lawson, 9 September 2026.
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