Cybersecurity has traditionally focused on protecting devices, networks, applications, and email. Today, however, identity has become one of the most critical attack surfaces. Instead of breaking through defenses, attackers are increasingly logging in with stolen credentials, using AI-powered techniques to make phishing and credential theft more effective than ever.
Time to rethink security
The challenge is that traditional identity security tools weren’t designed for the AI era. Static policies, manual reviews, and disconnected point products simply can’t keep pace with machine-speed attacks. Security decisions now need to happen in real time. Identity platforms must continuously evaluate access requests, detect anomalous behavior, and automatically respond to threats before attackers can escalate privileges or move laterally.
This is where AI-ready identity security becomes critical. Rather than relying on manual intervention, AI-enhanced privilege management can assess access requests in real time, granting legitimate access while flagging or escalating suspicious activity. When combined with behavioral analytics across identities, endpoints, and networks, MSPs gain the ability to detect compromised credentials—even when attackers are using valid usernames and passwords. Barracuda’s acquisition of Evo Security helps MSPs address this growing challenge by bringing identity and access management (IAM) capabilities into the BarracudaONE platform. The result is a more unified approach to securing customer environments while simplifying administration.
Turning identity security into a growth opportunity
Together, BarracudaONE and Evo Security enable MSPs to deliver stronger identity resilience through capabilities such as privileged access management, access controls, identity protection, and threat detection—all from a partner-first platform.
Benefits for MSPs include:
- Reducing vendor sprawl and operational complexity
- Managing multiple customer environments from a single platform
- Streamlining identity administration
- Growing recurring revenue with managed identity services
- Helping customers address AI-driven threats and compliance requirements
Stronger protection, greater resilience
Customers need more than prevention—they need resilience. By combining identity security with capabilities such as Zero Trust access, identity backup and recovery, and Managed XDR, MSPs can reduce risk, limit the impact of compromised credentials, and help customers recover faster from cyber incidents.
Photo: babar ali 1233 / Shutterstock
This post originally appeared on Smarter MSP.