Today, we’re joined by Rupert Marais, our in-house Security Specialist whose expertise spans endpoint and device security, cybersecurity strategies, and network management. With the recent launch of Hexnode XDR, he is here to shed light on how unifying security and IT management is no longer a future goal but a present-day necessity for organizations of all sizes.
In our conversation, we explore how this new platform aims to dismantle the long-standing barriers between IT and security teams. Rupert will walk us through the practical, real-world application of features designed for rapid threat containment and discuss the powerful synergy created by integrating XDR directly with a UEM solution. We’ll also touch on how the platform is built to scale for both small businesses and large enterprises, and look ahead at a roadmap that includes AI-powered guidance and broader third-party integrations.
Many organizations struggle with the divide between IT and security teams. How does Hexnode XDR’s unified approach specifically address this long-standing weak spot, and what metrics might a company see improve as a result of this alignment?
That separation has been a huge vulnerability for enterprises for years, just as our CEO Apu Pavithran noted. You have IT teams managing devices and security teams trying to protect them, often using different tools and speaking different languages. Hexnode XDR directly bridges this divide by consolidating endpoint data, deep contextual information, and powerful response actions into a single platform. Instead of security tossing an alert over the wall to IT, the IT admin can see the threat, understand its impact on the device they manage, and act immediately. As a result, companies should see a dramatic reduction in mean time to respond (MTTR). More importantly, they’ll see an increase in what I’d call “response confidence”—the ability for IT teams to anticipate threats and act with certainty, knowing they have the full picture right in front of them.
The platform offers “one-click remediation” and contextualized alerts. Could you walk us through a step-by-step scenario of how an IT admin would use these specific tools to contain a threat, moving from the initial alert to a successful resolution?
Absolutely. Imagine an IT admin is at their desk and a high-severity alert pops up on their Hexnode XDR dashboard. The first thing they see isn’t just a cryptic code; it’s a contextualized alert enriched with device and policy insights from the UEM. They immediately know which user’s device is affected, its compliance status, and what policies are applied. The dashboard automatically correlates signals from across the endpoint, showing the entire threat lifecycle. At this point, there’s no need to switch consoles or pull data from another system. They see the malicious process, and with a single click, they can initiate a coordinated response: the process is killed, the malicious file is quarantined, and the device is isolated from the network to prevent lateral movement. It’s a seamless flow from detection to containment in moments, all documented in a complete audit trail for later analysis.
Hexnode XDR and UEM are designed to create a single, cohesive platform. Can you provide a practical example of how the real-time feedback loop between XDR insights and UEM policies works to shorten an organization’s threat response time?
This is where the true power of the ecosystem shines. Let’s say the XDR component detects a new vulnerability on a specific application installed on a handful of Windows devices. In a traditional setup, this would trigger a manual, multi-step process. But here, that XDR insight flows directly into the UEM environment. The admin doesn’t just get an alert; they see a clear security gap across their fleet. From that same interface, they can immediately create and push a new UEM policy to restrict that application or enforce an update on all vulnerable devices. This real-time feedback loop turns a reactive detection into a proactive, fleet-wide response, shrinking the window of opportunity for an attacker from hours or days to just a few minutes.
The product seems to serve both SMBs and large enterprises. How does Hexnode XDR scale its features, from simplified threat management for a small business to full-scale orchestration for a larger organization with an existing UEM?
That scalability was a core design principle from the start. For a small or medium-sized business that might not have a dedicated security operations center, Hexnode XDR offers enterprise-grade security that is genuinely accessible. The clean, unified dashboard simplifies threat management, allowing a small IT team to effectively assess their security posture and respond to threats without being overwhelmed. For a large enterprise that likely already has a UEM in place, our value proposition is about full-scale orchestration. The upcoming ability to integrate with third-party UEMs means they can leverage our advanced detection and response capabilities without having to rip and replace their existing endpoint management tools. It enhances their security stack rather than forcing a costly migration.
Looking ahead, you plan to integrate third-party UEMs and Hexnode Genie AI. How will these features maintain the platform’s core simplicity, and what is the biggest challenge in developing an AI that provides truly actionable security guidance for admins?
Maintaining simplicity is paramount. The third-party UEM integration is designed specifically for that; it allows organizations to adopt our XDR without disrupting their established workflows, which is the definition of simplicity. As for Hexnode Genie AI, the real challenge isn’t just about providing information, it’s about making that information immediately useful. The biggest hurdle is developing an AI that doesn’t just flag a problem but provides a clear path to resolution. We’re aiming for the AI to offer actionable security prompts, like suggesting pre-filled UEM policies that an admin can deploy with one click. It needs to be an intelligent layer that powers guided troubleshooting and tracks the impact of its own recommendations to get smarter over time. The goal is to make the AI a true partner for the admin, not just another tool that generates noise.
What is your forecast for the convergence of endpoint management and security, and what will separate the leaders from the followers in this space over the next few years?
My forecast is that this convergence is not just a trend; it’s the future state of the industry. The lines between managing a device and securing it are completely blurring. For years, we’ve operated with tool sprawl, creating gaps that attackers have eagerly exploited. The leaders in this space will be the companies that build a truly seamless, connected ecosystem where security insights intelligently and automatically inform management actions. It won’t be enough to simply bundle two products together. The winners will be those who provide a single, cohesive platform with AI-powered automation and a user experience that empowers general IT teams to perform sophisticated security functions. The followers will be those who continue to offer fragmented solutions, forcing their customers to be the integration point. True leadership will be defined by creating a whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts.
