How SMBs use threat research and MDR to build a defensive edge

We speak to Director of ESET Threat Research Jean-Ian Boutin about where solutions that blend advanced technology with human expertise provide the most practical value for businesses

05 Mar 2026 • , 7 min. read

Corporate IT and security teams have the unenviable task of keeping relentless and increasingly sophisticated adversaries at bay. They’re often faced with limited resources and expanding attack surfaces, but recruiting and retaining top-tier security professionals to run an in-house Security Operations Centre (SOC) is out of reach for many organizations. At the same time, threats continue to evolve and adversaries hone their techniques, leading to incidents that often grind business operations to a halt.

To avoid being caught on the back foot, defenders need an approach that’s proactive and combines prevention, detection, remediation with accurate and timely threat intelligence. If building that capability in-house is impractical, then renting or buying it as a service is ...