Johannesburg: TECHz – News Desk
Global cybersecurity company Kaspersky has introduced major updates to its flagship B2B cybersecurity platform Kaspersky Next, adding advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, improved endpoint detection and response (EDR) features, and a unified management platform designed to strengthen enterprise security operations.
The latest update aims to simplify the administration and maintenance of cybersecurity tasks while enhancing threat detection and investigation processes. The platform now integrates multiple technologies and security tools into a single environment, enabling faster data searches, improved visibility into threats, and more efficient incident response. The update also reduces hardware requirements, allowing companies to lower operational costs while improving overall system performance.
According to a recent global study by Kaspersky, one in three companies plans to integrate Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) or Extended Detection and Response (XDR) into their security operations centers to enhance protection against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The company said the enhancements to Kaspersky Next were designed to help organizations adopt unified and proactive security strategies as cyber risks continue to evolve.
The updated platform includes two main offerings: Kaspersky Next Optimum, aimed at small and mid-sized businesses, and Kaspersky Next Expert, designed for enterprises. In the latest release, Kaspersky Next Expert has received significant improvements, including AI-powered threat detection, expanded EDR capabilities, and more flexible deployment options.
One of the most significant changes is the migration of Kaspersky Next EDR Expert to the Open Single Management Platform (OSMP), which consolidates essential security operations center tools such as EPP, EDR, XDR, and SIEM into a single management console. This unified environment enables seamless integration between Kaspersky solutions and third-party security tools, improving coordination across security operations.
The platform also introduces several new AI-driven features, including the ability to detect DLL hijacking attacks, identify potentially compromised user accounts by analysing abnormal login activity, and generate automated alerts for suspicious behaviour. In addition, the new Kaspersky Investigation and Response Assistant (KIRA) – a generative AI-powered assistant – helps security analysts interpret complex command lines, generate incident summaries, and create threat-hunting queries using natural language.
Beyond AI capabilities, the update enhances operational efficiency with improved monitoring tools, automated incident response playbooks, a visual attack-development graph for threat analysis, and a new remote terminal feature known as Live Shell that allows analysts to respond to threats directly on protected devices in real time.
Ilya Markelov, Head of Unified Platforms, Kaspersky: “This update exemplifies our commitment to empowering cybersecurity teams with smarter, more integrated solutions. By unifying SOC tools within a single platform and enhancing EDR and AI capabilities, we enable faster, more precise threat detection, as well as more efficient operations, raising the bar for proactive cybersecurity protection.”
