WatchGuard Technologies has enhanced its Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services with the release of WatchGuard Open MDR. This new offering is designed to provide Managed Service Providers (MSPs) with continuous detection and response capabilities, integrating seamlessly with third-party tools as well as WatchGuard's own technologies.
This approach aims to deliver comprehensive managed security services without necessitating a disruptive change to existing platforms.
Bringing together diverse environments
Open MDR provides MSPs with an integrated operational view, combining both native WatchGuard solutions and third-party systems. This integration facilitates quicker onboarding, reduces complications during contract renewals, and enables standardised service delivery across various client environments without enforced migration.
Open MDR offers MSPs enhanced control, efficiency in threat detection, and reduced unnecessary alerts.
Enhanced security response
Proprietary AI/ML cuts false positives, assesses threats, and triggers responses in under six minutesThe platform leverages proprietary AI and machine learning to minimise false positives, evaluate threats, and respond promptly, with actions initiated in under six minutes.
According to the company, this technology delivers less than one false alert per month, offering enterprise-level power to smaller partners without requiring them to invest in building a Security Operations Centre (SOC).
Comprehensive security benefits
MSPs and their clients benefit from comprehensive visibility across endpoints, networks, and cloud services, ensuring consistent security delivery. With WatchGuard's SOC, continuous expert threat monitoring and threat validation are conducted, allowing for a swift response to potential threats, which helps to isolate dangers before they can disrupt business operations. Importantly, the platform does all this without forced migrations, preserving customer relationships and reducing onboarding challenges.
Andrew Young, WatchGuard's chief product officer, stated, “Open MDR represents the culmination of our MDR vision- to provide a complete, single MDR solution. It allows partners to deliver consistent, high-quality managed security without forcing rip-and-replace decisions or operational complexity.”
Empowering MSPs for scaled security delivery
As businesses often possess security tools, yet lack the resources to effectively utilise them, Open MDR shifts this paradigm by allowing WatchGuard's SOC to manage environments continuously. This includes verifying threats and crafting rapid responses to incidents, effectively containing threats and preventing attacks from escalating. The platform's proactive threat hunting uncovers hidden risks, supported by detailed reports that bolster user confidence.
Open MDR is equipped for efficient, large-scale security services, maintaining customer relationsTailored for MSPs, Open MDR is equipped for efficient, large-scale security services, maintaining customer relations while WatchGuard provides behind-the-scenes SOC support via dedicated Technical Account Managers (TAMs) for escalation and security advisement. It supports cross-platform coverage, compatible with various tools like Microsoft Defender and CrowdStrike Falcon, alongside WatchGuard's own technologies.
Customer feedback highlights the value Open MDR provides, with Don Lawson, Technical Solutions Advisor at Sonit Systems, expressing that it "Enables us to deliver enterprise-grade protection with clarity and confidence," thereby reducing alert fatigue while simplifying operations.
Strategic expansion of managed security services
WatchGuard’s strategic additions to its MDR offerings, following the launch of Total MDR and the acquisition of ActZero in 2025, reflect its long-term dedication to open, platform-based security solutions. WatchGuard Open MDR is available globally through its extensive network of MSP partners.
WatchGuard Technologies, a global entity in unified cybersecurity for Managed Service Providers (MSPs), announced an expansion of its Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services with WatchGuard Open MDR.
This addition builds on WatchGuard’s MDR service by extending 24/7 detection and response to third-party tools alongside WatchGuard technologies, enabling MSPs to deliver full-stack managed security services across diverse customer environments without forcing disruptive platform changes.
Most security vendors promise better outcomes. In practice, they deliver more tools, more noise, and more time wasted chasing the wrong signals. Open MDR takes a different approach: enterprise-grade protection built for real-world, mixed customer environments, powered by a SOC designed to cut through distractions, surface what matters, and move fast when it counts.
Enterprise-grade MDR without forced migrations
Open MDR brings together native WatchGuard integrations and third-party environments into a single operational view. For MSPs, that means faster onboarding, less friction during renewals, and the ability to standardise service delivery across diverse customer environments without forced migrations.
Open MDR delivers three key advantages to MSPs and customers:
- Less noise. More control. Open MDR surfaces what matters and moves fast when it counts.
- AI built for real response: Proprietary AI/ML reduces noise, validates threats, and initiates response actions in under six minutes, delivering fewer than one false positive per month.
- Enterprise power for every MSP. Open MDR helps smaller partners compete at enterprise scale – without the overhead of building a SOC or forcing platform changes.
With Open MDR, WatchGuard MSPs and their clients gain:
- Unified visibility across endpoints, identity, network, cloud, and productivity tools to standardise security delivery
- 24/7 expert monitoring and validation through WatchGuard’s SOC— without building or staffing a SOC internally
- Rapid, coordinated response that isolates threats before they spread and disrupt operations
- Freedom from forced migrations, reducing onboarding friction and protecting long-term customer relationships
The result: enterprise-grade MDR outcomes without enterprise-grade complexity.
Auhtority comment
“Open MDR represents the culmination of our MDR vision- to provide a complete, single MDR solution,” said Andrew Young, chief product officer at WatchGuard. “It allows partners to deliver consistent, high-quality managed security without forcing rip-and-replace decisions or operational complexity.”
Turning threat signals into decisive action
Many organisations have security tools but not the resources to run them like a real security operation. Open MDR changes that equation. WatchGuard’s SOC monitors environments 24/7, validates threats, and responds in minutes – containing incidents, isolating devices, and stopping attacks before they escalate.
Proactive AI-powered threat hunting helps uncover hidden risks earlier, while clear reporting replaces guesswork with confidence.
Built for MSPs, designed for scaled delivery
WatchGuard Open MDR is purpose-built for MSPs delivering security at scale. Partners retain ownership of the customer relationship while WatchGuard operates behind the scenes as the SOC, supported by dedicated Technical Account Managers (TAMs) for escalation, root-cause analysis, and ongoing security guidance.
Key capabilities include cross-environment coverage across WatchGuard Firebox, AuthPoint, and EPDR, plus supported tools including Microsoft Defender, CrowdStrike Falcon, Okta Workforce Identity, Microsoft 365, AWS, Google, and third-party firewalls—without forcing tool migration.
Customer feedback
“WatchGuard Open MDR enables us to deliver enterprise-grade protection with clarity and confidence, especially for our smaller and mid-size customers,” said Don Lawson, Technical Solutions Advisor at Sonit Systems.
“It reduces alert fatigue, simplifies operations, and gives our customers peace of mind—backed by a WatchGuard team that supports us well beyond deployment.”
Long-term vision
Open MDR builds on WatchGuard’s expanding MDR portfolio, following the availability of Total MDR and the acquisition of ActZero in 2025, reinforcing the company’s long-term vision for open, platform-based security services.
WatchGuard Open MDR is available globally through WatchGuard’s network of MSP partners.
