What happened
On Sept 30, 2026, ESET relaunched its PROTECT portfolio (Core/Premium/Ultimate) as an AI-era channel offering with proprietary AI-security capabilities (shadow-AI visibility, AI stack protection) integrated directly into all three tiers rather than as add-ons, plus new lower seat-count tiers reaching SMBs and autonomous MDR response at premium level.
Why it matters
Represents mainstream endpoint vendors bundling AI-stack security as a default baseline and driving it downmarket to SMB — a watch-list signal for AI-security capabilities becoming table stakes in endpoint/MDR portfolios, though the launch is primarily a channel/packaging reshuffle.
Applicability
Channel partners and SMB/midmarket buyers using or evaluating ESET should review the AI-security baseline bundled into PROTECT Core; enterprise buyers should compare AI-stack protection depth against dedicated agent-security platforms.