MDR for MSPs, Without the Overhead

The WatchGuard SOC, operated by seasoned cybersecurity experts armed with security analytics, industry-leading machine learning/AI, and threat intelligence, keeps MSP customers safe. The team constantly monitors, hunts, detects, and contains threats lurking in their endpoints around the clock while assessing their attack surface to strengthen security posture and improve their resiliency to threats.

As the threat landscape continues to expand and grow in sophistication, with significant costs - including those related to mandatory regulatory compliance - companies struggle with serious security risks due to inefficient security posture management and a lack of advanced security teams. To address this, many companies are turning to their MSPs, looking for the technology, staff, and expertise needed to tackle these challenges.

However, managing complex security issues across an expanding threat surface requires highly skilled personnel and substantial investment, making it difficult for MSPs to offer managed detection and response (MDR) services in a practical, scalable, and costeffective way. That’s why WatchGuard introduced WatchGuard MDR, a managed service designed to help service providers overcome these challenges. By leveraging our comprehensive MDR service, MSPs can meet customer demands without the overhead of building and maintaining their own 24/7, in-house security operations center (SOC).

WatchGuard Core MDR provides monitoring of endpoints and Office 365 activities, threat hunting, detection, investigation, and containment, with guided recommendations for remediation. Managed by an elite team of security experts and powered by AI, the service operates 24/7 and offers flexible support tailored to MSPs’ operational needs, whether 24/7 or 8/5. No investment in traditional SOC infrastructure, advanced technologies, or scarce security experts are required, allowing partners to address the global shortage of professionals and funding while scaling at their own pace.

Team up with our cyber experts for top-notch MDR

A skilled team of WatchGuard cybersecurity experts keeps your customers’ endpoints and Microsoft 365 instances safe with 24/7 activity monitoring, threat hunting, detection, investigation, and optional, selective, and tailored containment for each customer.

In the event of a cyberattack, the team guides you through the response process to stop and remediate threats. For added convenience and to minimize response time, you can also delegate containment to the SOC by default – either 24/7 or during your after-business hours.

Additionally, as part of onboarding the service, our team assesses the attack surface at the endpoints to strengthen their security posture, improving their overall resiliency to cyber threats immediately.

WatchGuard Core MDR supports you with automatically delivered periodic service activity and security health status reports that help you to provide preventive and attack surface reduction services.

Our team of experts from WatchGuard SOC transforms endpoint monitoring and 365-day telemetry into actionable security analytics, augmented by industryleading, trusted security machine learning/AI, and up-to-the-minute threat intelligence operated around the clock.

1. MDR from an In-House Security Operations Center (SOC):

An in-house SOC is a dedicated facility and team within an MSP responsible for managing and responding to cybersecurity issues in their customers’ environment.

• Control: Full control over all processes, tools, and data.
• Cost: High – involves investing in technology and skilled staff.
• Scalability: Scaling requires additional investments in staff and technology.
• Management: Entire management and operations are handled internally.
• Use Case: Best for large organizations with substantial cybersecurity budgets and high-security requirements.

2. MDR from a SOC as a Service (SOCaaS):

SOCaaS is a service that provides outsourced cybersecurity monitoring, detection, investigation, and response from a third-party MDR.

• Control: Limited control as processes are handled by the MDR provider.
• Cost: Lower – operational expense rather than a capital investment.
• Scalability: Can be scalable, depending on the chosen service.
• Management: Managed by third-party cybersecurity professionals.
• Use Case: Suitable for small and midsize businesses or organizations with limited cybersecurity budgets and staff.

3. MDR from a Hybrid SOC:

A hybrid SOC model combines in-house and outsourced SOC functionalities to balance internal and external cybersecurity capabilities.

• Control: Moderate control – internally managed but leverages external resources.
• Cost: Can be optimized according to the balance of in-house and outsourced functions.
• Scalability: Higher – internal efforts can be augmented with external capabilities.
• Management: Involves both internal management and thirdparty management.
• Use Case: Ideal for organizations seeking to augment their existing SOC capabilities without substantial investments.

4. Automated MDR (Services)

In an automated MDR context, technology plays a pivotal role in bolstering cybersecurity defense by streamlining and often automatically handling various functions to enhance efficacy and responsiveness.

• Control: Detection and response activities are automated. Enables IT teams to focus on strategic, complex, or escalated concerns.
• Cost: No additional expenses are necessary, as all technologies, including AI in the Cloud, skilled personnel, tools, and threat intelligence, are included in the product cost.
• Scalability: Facilitates easy adaptation to the evolving scale and complexity of organizational environments.
• Management: Offers a systematic approach to threat detection and response, minimizing the management effort.
• Use Case: Automated MDR services are key for businesses with limited cybersecurity staff/budget, providing robust, affordable defense.