WatchGuard Acquires ActZero to Accelerate Delivery of 24/7 MDR Services

WatchGuard acquired ActZero, a leading provider of MDR services with proactive, rapid and automated threat response and cross-platform AI-driven threat analysis designed to outpace threats at machine speed. This move further expands and matures WatchGuard’s innovative 24/7 MDR service and was signed and closed on December 17, 2024. The ActZero people and services will add to WatchGuard MDR, further extending our Unified Security Platform enabling efficient, powerful security services with increased scale and velocity. This acquisition benefits Managed Service Providers (MSPs) with operational efficiency gains, further demonstrating why WatchGuard is the preferred cybersecurity platform vendor of choice for MSPs. 

WatchGuard’s MDR strategy has always centered around bringing enterprise-grade protection to organizations of all sizes and the partners that support them. As part of this, WatchGuard created a service that is easy to deploy, flexible, and cost-efficient. The acquisition of ActZero, known for delivering simplified cybersecurity services, allows WatchGuard to add capacity, scalability, and new technology that will enable our MDR service to expand to the full WatchGuard portfolio and third-party security products. 

WatchGuard introduced WatchGuard MDR in October 2023 to empower MSPs with a comprehensive, scalable solution for monitoring endpoints and Microsoft 365 activities, threat hunting, detection, investigation, and containment, with guided recommendations for remediation. This service has been in high demand because it enabled partners to add MDR to their portfolio with no investment in traditional SOC infrastructure, advanced technologies, or scarce security experts, allowing them to address the global shortage of professionals and funding while scaling at their own pace. 

ActZero’s technology and teams become the foundation of the WatchGuard MDR product line. Managed by an elite team of security experts and powered by AI, its service offers flexible support tailored to MSPs operational needs, including: 

• Proven, scalable MDR capabilities, including a strong customer success function, onboarding procedures, and an expert SOC team. 
• Leading-edge platform tools utilizing machine learning for automated, efficient, and effective security with fewer false positives and less noise. 
• An open architecture that extends beyond WatchGuard endpoint security to managed Fireboxes and third-party services such as Microsoft Defender. 

The immediate focus of the combined company is servicing all our customers and partners to ensure that they continue to receive the same quality of service that they have come to rely on. The SOCs, people and processes from ActZero will direct the overall delivery of WatchGuard MDR services going forward.

WatchGuard is excited to bring yet another competitive advantage for our partners that will increase revenue and margin opportunities. We look forward to working with you to maintain your current business, and ideally, to find new ways to grow your business with WatchGuard. 

Please read the press release about this news to learn more!