Darktrace adds AI email security to MSSP services
▼ Summary
– Darktrace has launched a new AI-native managed email security service for MSSPs, enabling them to offer real-time detection and response.
– The service is supported by updates to the Darktrace Defenders Partner Program, providing partners with flexible and scalable commercial models.
– The need is driven by increasingly sophisticated AI-assisted phishing, with 38% of detected phishing emails in 2025 using such techniques.
– The offering helps MSSPs protect multiple customer environments at scale, addressing operational challenges like alert volume and consistent response.
– The service is powered by Self-Learning AI that detects behavioral anomalies across email, collaboration platforms, and user identities.
The demand for sophisticated email security is surging as cybercriminals increasingly weaponize generative AI to create highly personalized and deceptive phishing campaigns. For managed security service providers (MSSPs), this creates both a critical opportunity and a significant operational challenge. To address this, Darktrace has launched a new AI-native managed email security service tailored for its MSSP partners. This offering allows service providers to deliver enterprise-grade protection, powered by Darktrace’s Self-Learning AI, to organizations of all sizes, particularly those with limited internal security resources.
Recent data underscores the escalating threat. An analysis of over 32 million phishing emails detected across Darktrace’s global network in 2025 revealed that AI-assisted phishing techniques rose from 32% to 38% year-over-year. These attacks are often longer, more targeted, and designed to slip past conventional defenses. Research indicates that roughly 17% of email threats evade traditional Secure Email Gateways but are subsequently caught by Darktrace’s AI. This evolving landscape is driving more businesses to seek flexible, outsourced security solutions from MSSPs.
The new managed service is built on Darktrace’s flagship Darktrace / EMAIL solution, a platform recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Email Security. It extends protection beyond the inbox to cover collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, user identities, and sensitive data. Unlike rule-based systems, Darktrace’s Self-Learning AI continuously analyzes the unique communication patterns of each user and organization, enabling it to identify subtle behavioral anomalies indicative of early-stage threats like business email compromise (BEC) or account takeover (ATO).
For MSSP partners, this translates into a powerful, scalable service. They can now offer clients continuous, real-time threat detection and containment, automated AI-driven investigation to reduce manual alert triage, and consistent protection across multiple customer environments. The service integrates key capabilities including AI-driven detection across email and Teams, integrated data loss prevention (DLP), DMARC monitoring, and behavior-driven security training via Darktrace / Adaptive Human Defense.
“Customers today prioritize outcomes over additional standalone security tools,” noted Mathias Schick, Business Manager Security at Bechtle. “By integrating Darktrace’s technology into our managed services portfolio, we can deliver a complete, automated security offering that reduces friction for customers while strengthening protection.”
To support MSSPs in managing these services at scale, Darktrace has enhanced its ActiveAI Security Portal. A new SOC Alert Triage Dashboard provides multi-tenant visibility and AI-driven investigation across all client environments from a single interface, helping security teams streamline operations and accelerate response times.
This launch is supported by significant updates to the Darktrace Defenders Partner Program, designed to provide MSSPs with greater flexibility and scalability. The program offers adaptable commercial models, scalable deployment paths, and co-selling support, enabling partners to grow their managed services practice and unlock new recurring revenue streams.
“As a longstanding Darktrace partner, we’ve seen firsthand how effective its AI-driven approach can be,” said Bob Keblusek, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer at Sentinel Technologies. “With this new managed services model, we’re able to bring Darktrace’s advanced capabilities to more customers, helping them strengthen protection while reducing operational burden.”
The strategic move underscores the critical role MSSPs play in democratizing advanced cybersecurity. “By expanding MSSP capabilities and introducing AI-native email security services, we’re enabling partners to bring innovative AI-powered protection to market as managed services,” said Dan Monahan, Chief Partner Officer at Darktrace. This initiative aims to help partners protect a broader range of organizations, scale their operations efficiently, and meet the growing demand for intelligent, outcome-focused security.
(Source: Help Net Security)
