EDR Evaluation Criteria Template: Weighted Scoring & POC Tasks

Why you need predefined criteria

If evaluation criteria is defined after vendors are involved, the evaluation is already biased. Vendors will steer conversations toward their strengths, and your criteria will shift without you noticing.

→ Read the full evaluation playbook

EDR evaluation criteria

Detection quality (weight: 30%)

• Malware detection rate across test samples
• Behavioural detection capabilities
• Zero-day and fileless attack detection
• False positive rate under realistic conditions

Response & remediation (weight: 25%)

• Automated response actions available
• Time to contain a detected threat
• Rollback and remediation capabilities
• Forensic investigation tools

Deployment & management (weight: 20%)

• Agent deployment complexity
• Console usability and workflow design
• Multi-OS support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Cloud vs on-prem management options

Integration (weight: 15%)

• SIEM integration quality
• SOAR playbook compatibility
• API availability and documentation
• Ticketing system integration

Vendor & commercial (weight: 10%)

• Pricing transparency
• Support quality and SLAs
• Roadmap alignment
• Contract flexibility

POC tasks for EDR evaluation

1. Deploy agent to 50 endpoints across OS types
2. Run MITRE ATT&CK test scenarios (T1059, T1053, T1071)
3. Measure detection time for simulated threats
4. Test automated response actions
5. Validate SIEM integration with log forwarding
6. Assess console usability with a junior analyst

Scoring methodology

Use a 1–5 scale for each criterion. Multiply by weight. The tool with the highest weighted score is the strongest candidate — but review gaps before making a final decision.

→ SIEM evaluation criteria template → Security tool evaluation timeline