N-able Deploys Agentic AI to Fortify SMB Cyber Defenses

BURLINGTON, MA – January 29, 2026 – As cybercriminals increasingly weaponize artificial intelligence to launch faster and more sophisticated attacks, N-able, Inc. has responded by embedding a new suite of advanced AI capabilities across its cyber resilience platform. The global software company announced the enhancements today, aiming to equip its network of over 25,000 technology service providers with the tools necessary to protect small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) from a rapidly evolving threat landscape.

An AI-Powered Arsenal for the Front Lines

The core of N-able's announcement is the integration of AI directly into its unified endpoint management, security operations, and data protection services. This move is designed to shift cybersecurity from a reactive posture to a continuous, proactive discipline. Powered by telemetry from more than 11 million managed endpoints, the platform now offers practical, AI-driven features intended to reduce manual workloads and strengthen defenses.

For IT technicians, this translates into AI-assisted scripting, which can turn natural-language requests into ready-to-run code. This capability promises to slash hours of manual work, enabling technicians at all skill levels to automate complex tasks and manage endpoint workloads more efficiently. An AI-powered developer portal further accelerates the integration of a customer's technology stack with third-party tools.

In security operations, the platform now uses advanced AI models to analyze access patterns, detect unauthorized activity, and map lateral movement within a network to enable rapid containment. A key feature is the automated threat triage system, which N-able claims can identify, enrich, and assign 90% of incoming alerts to the appropriate response workflow. This automation is critical for reducing analyst fatigue and accelerating response times in an environment where attacks can unfold in minutes.

Data protection is also getting an intelligent boost. The platform's new AI-enhanced recovery features include automated recovery testing, which can validate the recoverability of backups without performing full, time-consuming test restores, thereby increasing confidence in business continuity plans.

The AI Arms Race in a Crowded Battlefield

N-able's strategic push into AI does not occur in a vacuum. The move places it squarely in the middle of a burgeoning AI arms race among providers of managed service provider (MSP) software and cybersecurity tools. Key competitors like ConnectWise and Kaseya have also made significant investments in AI, recognizing it as a critical differentiator.

ConnectWise, for example, has promoted its Sidekick for Security, which leverages generative AI to provide security posture assessments and assist with ticket management. Similarly, Kaseya has introduced its Cooper Copilot to automate various IT and security workflows, alongside AI-driven features in its Datto portfolio for threat prevention and backup intelligence.

While concepts like AI-assisted scripting and automated alert triage are becoming table stakes in the industry, N-able is banking on its specific implementation and deep integration to win over partners. The company emphasizes that its enhancements are built upon a massive dataset from its managed endpoints, which could provide a significant advantage in training more accurate and effective AI models. Industry observers note that while many vendors are touting AI, the true test will be in delivering demonstrable productivity gains and tangible security outcomes, a sentiment echoed by analysts at firms like Forrester who predict a market correction if AI investments don't meet expectations.

"For us, resilience is about being prepared and responsive without adding unnecessary complexity," said John Joyce, CEO of CRS Technology Consultants, in a statement included in the press release. "N‑able’s AI capabilities help us work more efficiently, reduce noise, and make faster, more informed decisions, while keeping our team firmly in control."

Agentic AI and the Human-in-the-Loop Philosophy

Central to N-able's strategy is the concept of "agentic AI." This represents a step beyond simple automation or content generation. Agentic AI involves intelligent software agents that can operate with a degree of autonomy—analyzing situations, making decisions, and executing tasks to achieve specific goals.

"AI is fundamentally changing the threat landscape, and the way organizations must think about resilience," stated Mike Adler, Chief Technology and Product Officer at N-able. "Our focus is on embedding AI directly into the systems our customers use every day, introducing agentic AI capabilities that customers can choose to use."

However, the company is careful to frame this autonomy within a "human-in-the-loop" framework. Adler stressed that the goal is to "keep humans firmly in control," using AI to augment the capabilities of IT professionals, not replace them. This approach aims to strike a delicate balance, leveraging AI's speed and analytical power to handle the high volume of security data and routine tasks, which frees up human experts to focus on strategic threat hunting, complex incident response, and validation. The philosophy addresses a key concern in the industry: as AI models become more complex, their decision-making processes can become opaque. By ensuring human oversight, N-able hopes to build trust and accountability into its automated systems.

Defending Against the Digital Doppelgänger

The urgency behind these developments is fueled by the dark side of AI innovation. Cybercriminals are no longer just using traditional hacking tools; they are weaponizing generative AI to create highly convincing deepfake audio and video for social engineering, craft flawless phishing emails that bypass conventional filters, and develop polymorphic malware that constantly changes its code to evade detection.

These AI-accelerated attacks increase the volume, velocity, and sophistication of threats faced by all organizations, but SMBs are often the most vulnerable. Lacking the large security teams and budgets of enterprise giants, they rely heavily on their MSP partners to provide a robust defense. N-able's platform enhancements are therefore directly aimed at democratizing enterprise-grade security, making advanced threat detection, automated response, and intelligent recovery accessible and manageable for the SMB market. By arming its partners with these AI-driven tools, the company is betting it can help level the playing field in an increasingly asymmetric battle against AI-powered adversaries.

The introduction of these capabilities reflects a broader industry shift, where AI is no longer a futuristic concept but an essential component of modern cyber defense, necessary to fight fire with fire.