Virtual IT Group launches security services in ANZ

Virtual IT Group has launched two managed security and IT services for mid-market customers in Australia and New Zealand, expanding its push into cybersecurity and AI-related advisory and operations.

The new offerings, Modern Managed Services and Managed Detection & Response, target organisations facing rising security risks as they adopt artificial intelligence tools, connect more systems, and come under greater governance pressure.

Modern Managed Services is built around what Virtual IT Group calls a Modern Defensible Architecture framework for managed IT operations. It is designed to embed security controls, governance frameworks, and operational practices into day-to-day managed services.

Managed Detection & Response adds a round-the-clock security operations function, with monitoring, investigation, and incident response supported by security analytics tools. It can be used on its own or alongside the new managed services offering.

The launch is Virtual IT Group's second major product release this year. It follows the introduction of a Zero Trust Consulting Practise and a Zero Trust Detection & Response service, and comes after the group's acquisition of Security Centric and its earlier addition of Auckland-based The Instillery.

Those deals have widened the group's reach across managed services, cloud, cybersecurity, data, and AI. It has been positioning itself to serve customers across Australia and New Zealand that want a single supplier for infrastructure, security, and data-related work.

Jeremy Nees, Chief Product Officer at Virtual IT Group, outlined the rationale for the new offerings.

"Too often, organisations purchase managed services only to discover they do not have the standard level of security they need. As businesses adopt AI, the old-world IT solutions that managed service providers are selling are simply not going to cut it," Nees said. "We've baked common security requirements into the MMS service from day one, applying the key principles of Modern Defensible Architecture, including Secure-by-Design, Defence in Depth, and Zero Trust."

Expansion drive

The launch also reflects a broader strategy under Chief Executive Officer Maurice McCarthy, who joined the business earlier this year. Virtual IT Group is also building a dedicated Data & AI Practise, alongside a framework called Momentum that is being tested with customers.

McCarthy linked the company's recent acquisitions to a shift in what customers expect from technology providers.

"The traditional managed services model was built for a different era. Today's organisations need partners that can help them unlock the value of data and AI while strengthening cybersecurity, managing risk, and continuously evolving their technology environment. Through the acquisition of Security Centric and The Instillery, we have brought together market-leading expertise across managed services, data and AI, and cybersecurity. This launch is the first of several innovations we will introduce as we help organisations accelerate transformation and realise greater value from AI," McCarthy said.

The company's focus on the mid-market comes as many medium-sized organisations face the same pressures as larger enterprises but often have fewer in-house security resources. In practice, that has created demand for outside providers that can combine ongoing IT support with threat monitoring and governance processes.

Virtual IT Group's Chief Security Officer said the spread of AI-related projects and connected data systems is widening the attack surface for businesses.

"The technology businesses are using to unlock the value of AI, integrate systems, and build strong data foundations is rapidly introducing new risks and attack surfaces. As business leaders accelerate their adoption of AI, the gap between the threats they face and the security capabilities they have in place is growing faster than many businesses realise," Vasilevski said.

Both services are available immediately across Australia and New Zealand.