High Wire Networks Intros New AI-Driven Cybersecurity Platform for MSPs

High Wire Networks on Tuesday unveiled Overwatch 24/7, the cornerstone of the Overwatch Managed Security Platform as a Service. 

Overwatch 24/7 combines X Detection & Response (XDR) technology with the Overwatch 24/7 Security Operation Center (SOC) to effectively cut through the noise and uncover threats. 

Unlike traditional security information and event management (SIEM) solutions, Overwatch 24/7 relies on comprehensive, pervasive data collection, big-data processing and artificial intelligence (AI) to drill down to relevant, actionable data for effective threat detection and response. So instead of a firehose of alerts, analysts see only the important ones that need attention.

High Wire Networks’ Mark Porter

“Overwatch provides a practical security foundation for MSPs who are trying to protect themselves and their most important assets, their clients,” said Mark Porter, president and CEO of High Wire. “By providing this service for our partners, we allow them to continue to focus their resources on providing the best service they can to their clients, while we focus exclusively on delivering best-in-class security services to them and the clients. So at the end of the day, what’s in it for an MSP? Security, scale, increased revenue and margins, and speed.  We do the heavy lifting, allowing them to do what they do best — support their client. Our message to any MSP out there is simple: It’s you plus us, not the other way around.” 

With this hyper-relevant data in hand, Overwatch SOC analysts are able to respond to attacks and stop them at critical points along the kill chain around the clock.

“In our experience of machine learning in business, cybersecurity is a classic use case,” said Julian Box, founder and CEO of Calligo (Channel Futures’ Global MSP of the Year). “After all, there is plenty of network activity data available to “teach” the algorithm what normal looks like, and more importantly how to identify anomalies, the detection of which is of course one of machine learning’s key competencies.” 

Calligo’s Julian Box

Box says that while well-executed and well-equipped managed security services offer a good opportunity for IT MSPs, there is greater opportunity to be had. Managed security services are a positive step for any MSP. They show an evolution from being simply an “IT MSP” – and only ever addressing the technology-based risks clients face, such as connectivity and software issues – to becoming a “data MSP,” and focusing instead on the wider breadth of risks and opportunities that their clients’ data brings. 

“But security is only one such risk,” Box continues. “To stay competitive by becoming a data MSP, MSPs need to look beyond the familiar, technology-based data services, such as security and productivity, and also support clients in optimizing their intelligent use of data, and protecting them from any risk that any data interaction may pose, including data privacy regulations and industry compliance.”

Indeed, if a client is led to focus only on security and not data privacy, they are building defenses around data they probably aren’t entitled to hold in the first place. MSPs have a duty to support their clients across the entire data life cycle.