HUNTRESS: Cybersecurity Without the Complexity
Duncan Wilkinson takes a look at Huntress, a key partner of Shadowserve and a crucial component of the Cybersecurity layer of our Tech Stack.
Introduction
Cybercrime has become one of the most pressing challenges for organisations of every size. Phishing emails, credential theft, ransomware, and insider threats are no longer the exception - they’re the rule. A single breach can cripple operations, damage reputations, and cost businesses dearly. Yet for small and mid-sized companies, building enterprise-grade defences has traditionally been out of reach.
This is the reality Huntress set out to change. Founded with a mission to democratise cybersecurity, Huntress delivers protection once reserved for the Fortune 500, without the complexity or prohibitive price tag. Its model blends sophisticated technology with the insight of real human analysts, offering around-the-clock defence designed for businesses that don’t have sprawling IT teams.
Moving Beyond Traditional Antivirus
Most companies are familiar with traditional antivirus software, which blocks known threats, scans files and raises red flags. But the threat landscape has evolved. Cybercriminals are no longer relying solely on viruses that can be spotted with signatures. They’re deploying stealthier tactics: installing backdoors, hijacking accounts, and embedding themselves deep inside systems where standard antivirus tools rarely reach.
This is where Huntress distinguishes itself; its Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service doesn’t just stop at the perimeter. It hunts for signs of compromise already inside the network and delivers actionable intelligence backed by human expertise. That combination - technology and people - is what makes Huntress uniquely effective.
Huntress goes far beyond traditional anti-virus.
Technology Plus the Human Touch
What sets Huntress apart is the way it integrates a suite of tools with human-led analysis. The platform includes Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR), Managed SIEM, and Security Awareness Training (SAT).
Agents monitor systems quietly in the background, analysing activity across endpoints, servers, and cloud environments. But unlike many tools that flood administrators with false positives, Huntress adds a critical layer: expert analysts. When something suspicious is detected, Huntress’ team investigates and confirms whether it’s a real threat. If it is, they guide the client through containment and remediation, ensuring that businesses can act quickly without guesswork.
This human-in-the-loop approach means organisations don’t just collect alerts - they get answers.
A Suite Built for Today’s Threats
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): By integrating with Microsoft Defender, Huntress taps into valuable telemetry while layering on proactive hunting. Instead of waiting for alerts, analysts actively search for evidence of compromise and deliver remediation guidance when threats are found.
Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR): With Microsoft 365 central to so many businesses, account takeover has become a favoured attack vector. Huntress continuously monitors for anomalies - suspicious logins, rogue apps, credential theft - and stops attackers before they can pivot deeper into systems.
Managed SIEM: Security information and event management tools are notoriously difficult to deploy and operate. Huntress simplifies the model with smart filtering and a 24/7 SOC that does the heavy lifting, cutting through noise and escalating only what matters. What we really like about the Huntress SIEM implementation is the data source integrations, which, as of writing this article, include:
1Password.
BitWarden.
Cisco Duo.
Cisco Meraki Cloud.
CloudFlare.
DNSFilter.
Generic HEC.
Keeper.
LastPass.
NinjaOne.
SentinelOne.
Syslog (local).
Windows Event Log.
Wiz.
Security Awareness Training (SAT): recognising that people are often the weakest link, Huntress turns employees into assets with engaging, story-driven training and simulations. Staff learn to recognise threats like phishing, think like attackers, and adopt habits that strengthen the security culture of the business.
Huntress 24/7 SOC adds a human element to incident analysis. Shadowserve engineers work seamless with Huntress to ensure instantaneous action is taken for serious threats.
Closing the Gap for Smaller Organisations
For enterprises, it’s standard to have entire security teams monitoring activity around the clock. For small and mid-sized organisations, that’s unrealistic. Huntress bridges this gap, acting as an extension of their IT function with an extra set of eyes, always watching. The result is protection that scales with the business:
Early detection of threats that traditional antivirus software would miss.
Validation from real experts to cut through false alarms.
Rapid containment and remediation of active threats.
Compliance support and secure log retention for audits.
Affordable, transparent pricing designed for SMEs.
Why It Matters
The stakes of cybersecurity have never been higher. Regulatory pressure is mounting, customer trust is fragile, and the financial impact of a breach can be devastating. Yet for many growing businesses, security can feel overwhelming; something that drains time and resources they’d rather spend on growth.
Huntress changes that dynamic. By combining advanced tools with expert oversight, it empowers organisations to stay secure without needing enterprise-level resources. For business leaders, that means confidence: the assurance that their digital environment is being monitored, protected, and managed by professionals who specialise in staying one step ahead of attackers.
The Bottom Line
At Shadowserve, we deploy Huntress as part of our broader managed security stack, integrating its advanced detection and response capabilities seamlessly into each customer’s environment. Whether you’re using Microsoft 365, on-prem servers, or hybrid cloud infrastructure, we ensure every layer works together for maximum visibility and control.
Partnering with Huntress is about more than offering a service - it’s about delivering peace of mind to clients who deserve the same level of protection as any global enterprise. Because in an era where cyber threats evolve daily, security shouldn’t be a luxury - it should be accessible to everyone.
You can find their website here, or chat to us about enabling Huntress for you.