WatchGuard Unveils Major Unified Security Platform® Innovations at IMPACT North America

New AI-powered security workforce capabilities, modern firewall innovations, and frictionless secure access help MSPs scale security operations and combat increasingly automated threats

WATCHGUARD IMPACT PARTNER CONFERENCE, NASHVILLE, TN, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WatchGuard® Technologies, a global leader in unified cybersecurity for managed service providers (MSPs), today announced a series of major innovations across the WatchGuard Unified Security Platform® at its annual IMPACT North America conference. Together, the innovations showcase how a unified platform helps MSPs navigate four shifts reshaping cybersecurity: agentic AI-powered security operations, intelligent network security, AI governance, and frictionless secure access. 

"We've been led to believe that the answer to every security challenge is another product," said Joe Smolarski, CEO of WatchGuard Technologies. "But more products don't create better security. AI-native integrated platforms do. As the cybersecurity industry enters an era defined by AI, automation, and growing complexity, our strategy is simple: bring intelligence, visibility, and protection together in a platform that helps MSPs operate more efficiently and defend customers more effectively." 

Rai Accelerates the Future of Agentic Security Operations 

Headlining the announcements is the continued rapid expansion of Rai, WatchGuard's agentic AI digital workforce purpose-built for MSPs. Unlike AI assistants that simply help analysts work faster, Rai expands operational capacity by taking on assessment, investigation, prioritization, customer reporting, and other complex security tasks across customer environments.  

New capabilities unveiled at IMPACT include:  

• Hey Rai, a natural-language interface for engaging the Rai Workforce  

• Enhancements to Rai Analyst for AI-driven incident investigation, analysis, and prioritization 

• Rai Auditor for continuous security posture and compliance assessment 

• Rai Customer Success, which helps MSPs identify customer risks, uncover opportunities to strengthen protection, and demonstrate the security value they deliver 

• MCP integration: Expanding Rai beyond the WatchGuard ecosystem, enabling partners to bring WatchGuard security intelligence and capabilities into leading AI platforms 

As agentic attacks become more sophisticated, MSPs need more than AI assistance. They need an AI-powered security workforce that helps scale security services without a corresponding increase in operational costs or staffing. 

A New Era of Firewall Innovation 

WatchGuard also announced significant investments across its network security portfolio, challenging the notion that firewalls are becoming less relevant in modern cybersecurity architectures. While the industry has spent years predicting the demise of the firewall, WatchGuard recognizes it is evolving into an intelligent security layer that connects network protection, visibility, risk intelligence, and platform-wide defense. 

New innovations include: 

• Firebox T175, delivering an exceptional combination of full-scan security performance, 10G connectivity, and multigigabit networking at a price point designed for growing businesses 

• WatchGuard Prime Security Suite (PSS), a new mid-tier offering that gives MSPs greater flexibility to match protection to customer needs 

• WatchGuard Network Management for deeper visibility and proactive monitoring  

• Application Risk Assessments to help identify vulnerable and risky applications and vulnerability scanning capabilities as part of WatchGuard MDR 

Together, these innovations help MSPs strengthen protection, identify and address risks earlier, and expand their managed security services through a unified platform experience. 

Exposing Shadow AI with Firebox and WatchGuard CloudDR 

WatchGuard is expanding shadow AI discovery across its Unified Security Platform®. Customers with Prime Security Suite (PSS) or Total Security Suite (TSS) receive a Network Shadow AI dashboard at no additional licensing cost, giving MSPs visibility into AI applications accessed through customer networks. 

New expansions include: 

• Combined insights from OAuth grants, email metadata, FireCloud work-device telemetry, and Firebox network visibility in a single "Discovered Applications" inventory for deeper discovery and risk management 

• Ability to identify users, permissions, and risk levels, then grant or revoke access 

• Ability to identify misconfigurations and risky settings through CloudDR 

• Detection and response to suspicious sign-ins and identity-based threats via CloudDR’s Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) capabilities  

Introducing WatchGuard Access App, Ending Login Friction 

WatchGuard also introduced the WatchGuard Access App, designed to make secure access nearly invisible to the user. Users authenticate once and stay securely connected to all the applications and resources they need. With only 22% of employees using MFA everywhere it’s available, WatchGuard’s new approach to secure access addresses a fundamental security challenge: making stronger identity and access protection easier for people to actually use.  

New features and benefits include: 

• Combined AuthPoint and FireCloud capabilities through one client, one sign-in, and one portal 

• Users gain streamlined access to applications and private resources, while MSPs benefit from simplified deployment, management, and visibility through WatchGuard Cloud 

WatchGuard is the first solution to combine these products for the best overall outcome for everyone. While the industry has traditionally treated Identity Security and SASE as separate categories, WatchGuard recognizes secure access works best when identity verification and connectivity operate as a single experience.  

"The real power of a platform is what happens when every capability makes every other capability smarter and more streamlined," said Vincent Hwang, Chief Product Officer at WatchGuard Technologies. "Rai can act on broader platform intelligence, security teams gain deeper visibility into networks, applications, and vulnerabilities, and users get a simpler, more seamless access experience. The result is stronger security, less operational overhead, and better outcomes for our partners and customers." 

The new innovations will become available beginning in October through the WatchGuard Unified Security Platform®. Learn more about today’s announcements here. 

Marketbridge PR for WatchGuard
WatchGuard Technologies, Inc 
WatchGuard@Marketbridge.com