WatchGuard introduces Rai

Rai is an always-on digital worker that operates as a true extension of the security team, detecting, correlating and responding to threats before human interventionis required. She continuously monitors environments, identifies threats and takes authorised action in real-time to reduce workload, speed response and provide more comprehensive coverage for partners and clients. Each action is transparent, measurable, and delivered in a single intelligence function.

Rai introduces a new kind of workforce for MSPs: one that operates continuously, scales on demand, and offloads the operational burden that consumes valuable team time. The Analyst role is available today, delivering always-on detection, investigation, and response across endpoint and network activity, acting as a first responder so partners aren’t managing alerts 24/7/365. Auditor and Admin roles are coming soon, extending Rai’s capabilities into compliance and operations. The Auditor role will continuously identify compliance gaps, flag misconfigurations, and resolve issues such as firewall rule conflicts while maintaining audit trails. The Admin role will handle operational tasks like patch scheduling, certificate rotation, maintenance windows, and partner communications. By taking on the work that typically slows teams down, Rai frees engineers to focus on higher-value priorities like strengthening client relationships, solving complex problems, and driving business growth. 

“Cyber threats are increasing in both volume and complexity, and organisations need AI that is built to work continuously across every client,” said Ben Oster, VP of Product Management at WatchGuard. “Rai shifts security operations from reactive to predictive, taking action instantly to deliver more consistent protection. This approach enables partners to scale faster, enhance margins and improve the customer experience across their entire portfolio.”

Rai’s decision-making process is fully visible through the new WatchGuard Insights Hub. The Insights Hub contains centralised dashboards that provide estate-wide context and the ability to shift from high-level MSP views to detailed, client-specific insights with just a single click. The built-in Daily Brief delivers a concise summary of actions taken, items requiring attention and the real-time protection status across all managed environments. The controls are highly configurable to ensure partners maintain complete oversight while operating at AI-driven speed and scale.

“What stood out right away was how quickly everything came together in one place,” said Michael Ruffolo, Senior Cyber Security Engineer and Analyst, eSecurity Solutions. “Instead of jumping between tools or piecing things together, the experience made it easier to understand what was happening and what needed attention. That kind of clarity is what helps us make better decisions and deliver more consistent service to customers.”

The introduction of Rai at EMEA Impact 2026 marks a major step forward in WatchGuard’s AI strategy and deepens its commitment to MSP success. By moving beyond assistive AI to autonomous execution, Rai allows MSPs to extend coverage, reduce operational burden and grow without adding headcount. As agentic capabilities continue to expand across the platform, future enhancements will include a natural-language, intent-driven interface that enables partners to interact directly with Rai.

“This is a fundamental shift in how cybersecurity gets done,” said Joe Smolarski, CEO at WatchGuard Technologies. “For too long, growth has been constrained by people – how many analysts you can hire, train, and retain. Rai changes that equation. It enables our partners to operate continuously, act instantly, and scale far beyond the limits of traditional security teams.”