Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Guest post by WatchGuard Tech All-Star, Michael Carter II At a glance: The trend is hard to ignore: most attackers do not “break in” anymore; they sign in using stolen or abused identities, not by bypassing a next-gen firewall, your EDR, or those fancy email and collaboration tool defenses. If an unauthorized identity can export it, you have not protected it, no matter how many controls you have in place.

In cybersecurity, incidents test more than just technical resilience ‒ they also test trust. As a managed service provider (MSP), the preventive measures you implement are critical. However, the strength of your support during your clients’ most critical times is what truly defines the trust they have in you. A cybersecurity incident may be precisely the moment when your client evaluates whether you are delivering on your promises as a quality partner for their business.

MITRE ATT&CK ER7 results are often reduced to simple headlines: detection percentages, prevention rates, or “100% coverage” claims. But those numbers alone don’t explain how a security platform actually behaves when an attack unfolds, nor how much operational effort is required to manage it. To understand the real impact of ER7 results, you need to look at detection efficiency and operational efficiency, not just raw coverage.

Most organizations already get solid protection from the security tools they use, but integrating a mix of those tools into a complete, well-coordinated defense remains challenging. Teams are stretched thin, threats move fast, and it takes time and expertise to monitor everything around the clock and respond the moment something looks suspicious. This is where an open approach to MDR helps meet partners and customers where they are.

For a long time, cybersecurity has been built around two basic actions: detecting and responding to cyber threats. However, automated attacks, advanced malware, and AI-driven threats show that reacting is no longer enough. Today’s attacks move fast, and in most cases, the damage is already done by the time they are detected. This is nothing new: organizations need to get ahead of risk and protect their systems before incidents occur.

Endpoint threats are evolving faster than ever - more automated, more precise, and harder to stop with detection alone. Today’s security teams need more than alerts; they need clarity, context, and the ability to respond in real time without adding complexity or operational strain. On January 29, 2026, at 8am PST (4pm GMT), join WatchGuard and GigaOm for an educational webinar that cuts through the noise around endpoint security.

Network devices that reach their End of Life (EOL) represent a significant risk that many organizations overlook. Beyond the lack of vendor support, they can become open doors for increasingly sophisticated attacks. A recent analysis by CSO reveals that two out of three security breaches originate from outdated firewalls and network devices -‒ with unpatched firmware and vulnerabilities that attackers know inside out.

As an MSP security team today, you’re constantly running a rat race. You’re juggling multiple tools, sifting through a constant stream of alerts, and working in diverse environments to ensure you keep every endpoint protected. Fragmented solutions and limited automation exacerbate operational challenges, particularly as threats continue to evolve and become increasingly difficult to identify.

Following our successful MITRE ATT&CK Evaluation results earlier this month, WatchGuard has now achieved an AAA rating in the SE Labs Endpoint Protection Suite (EPS) evaluation, the highest possible score in this independent test. SE Labs evaluates prevention and response in real-world scenarios, validating the ability to stop attacks while allowing legitimate business activity to continue uninterrupted.

As organizations accelerate toward 2026, the cybersecurity landscape is becoming more complex, more unpredictable, and more heavily influenced by fast-evolving technologies like generative AI. Threat actors are moving with unprecedented speed, regulatory demands are increasing, and the tools and techniques needed to defend modern environments are shifting just as rapidly.