WatchGuard expands NDR portfolio for SMEs and MSPs

WatchGuard has expanded its network detection and response products for SMEs and managed service providers, adding embedded detection, managed monitoring and automated response options.

The update includes WatchGuard NDR for Firebox, Managed NDR and Total NDR. The additions are intended to help smaller organisations and service providers deploy network threat detection without separate sensors, new hardware or an internal security operations centre.

WatchGuard NDR for Firebox places detection functions inside existing firewall environments, using telemetry already available on customer networks and presenting it through the company's existing management platform.

Managed NDR is aimed at organisations that do not run their own security operations teams. Delivered through the WatchGuard Security Operations Centre, it provides continuous monitoring, investigation and guided response.

Total NDR extends that model by linking the NDR tools with ThreatSync XDR. This enables automated IP blocking across third-party firewalls from Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks and Check Point in mixed-vendor environments.

Adoption barrier

Network detection and response tools have become a bigger part of cyber security operations as organisations try to spot malicious activity that may not be stopped at the firewall. Yet adoption among smaller businesses has been limited by the cost and staffing demands of older tools, particularly where security teams are small or outsourced.

WatchGuard argues that threat actors are increasingly using encrypted traffic, stolen credentials and trusted administrative tools to move across networks while avoiding detection. Against that backdrop, it is positioning NDR as an added layer for identifying suspicious behaviour in legitimate network traffic.

The products are also designed for managed service providers, which often oversee security for multiple small and mid-sized customers. The changes are meant to let those providers offer advanced monitoring and response without building separate infrastructure for each customer.

"Organisations understand they need detection beyond the firewall, but operational complexity has slowed adoption," said Andrew Young, chief product officer at WatchGuard. "We're simplifying how advanced detection is deployed and managed, so MSPs and IT teams can operationalise NDR without adding infrastructure, overhead, or specialised staff."

Market focus

WatchGuard has long focused on the managed service provider channel and says more than 25,000 MSPs use its products to protect over 1.5 million customers worldwide. The latest NDR expansion continues that emphasis by packaging monitoring, investigation and response in ways that partners with limited specialist security staff can use.

The approach also reflects a broader industry effort to fold more detection tools into products customers already own. Embedding NDR in firewalls and integrating response actions across other vendors' systems may reduce the need for separate tools while making it easier for service providers to manage several customer environments from a single operational framework.

Chris Kissel, research vice president in IDC's Security & Trust Products Group, said deployment and operational hurdles remain a problem for mid-market organisations. "Many midmarket organisations recognise the importance of NDR but struggle with deployment and operational complexity," he said. "Embedding detection into existing infrastructure and enabling automated response across mixed environments significantly lowers the barrier to adopting advanced threat protection."

WatchGuard says the NDR tools analyse behaviour across users, devices and connections to identify signs of malicious intent earlier in an attack. The aim is to reduce the time intruders remain inside networks and limit the impact of breaches.

The expanded NDR range is designed to make network detection and response a standard part of day-to-day security operations for smaller organisations and the service providers that support them.

Total NDR includes support for coordinated enforcement across Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks and Check Point firewalls, extending response beyond WatchGuard's own products.