SEATTLE, July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WatchGuard® Technologies, a global leader in unified cybersecurity for managed service providers (MSPs), today announced new investments in frontier AI for application security, expanding access to advanced capabilities from both OpenAI and Anthropic. Unlike vendors aligned to a single AI ecosystem, WatchGuard is pursuing a multi-model strategy designed to continuously evaluate, adopt, and operationalize the most effective AI innovations for cyber defense.
As attackers increasingly use AI to automate reconnaissance, identify attack paths, and accelerate exploit development, WatchGuard is investing in the same technologies to strengthen vulnerability discovery, security testing, threat research, and remediation efforts. Through OpenAI's Daybreak program and Anthropic's Cyber Verification Program, WatchGuard security teams have access to advanced AI capabilities designed for cybersecurity use cases.
"AI is fundamentally changing cybersecurity for both defenders and attackers," said Marc Laliberte, Head of Security Operations at WatchGuard Technologies. "Cybercriminals are already using these technologies to uncover weaknesses and accelerate attacks. Our responsibility is to ensure defenders benefit from equally powerful capabilities.”
WatchGuard is integrating these capabilities across a range of security functions, including product security testing, penetration testing, red teaming, threat research, and vulnerability remediation. By operationalizing frontier AI from multiple leading providers, the company can rapidly evaluate emerging technologies and apply them where they deliver the greatest defensive value.
Today, more than 25,000 MSPs and security partners rely on WatchGuard solutions to help secure more than 1.5 million companies worldwide. Those organizations depend on security providers to continually evolve alongside a threat landscape that is increasingly shaped by AI.
"The future of cybersecurity won't be built on a single AI model," said Joe Smolarski, Chief Executive Officer at WatchGuard Technologies. "That's why we're aggressively investing across the frontier AI ecosystem, giving our teams access to advanced capabilities from multiple providers. As these technologies evolve, we'll continue evaluating, adopting, and operationalizing the innovations that help our partners and customers stay ahead of what's next."
For more information, visit the WatchGuard website.
