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June 2, 2025

Darktrace Recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Network Detection and Response

Darktrace announces its Leader position in the inaugural Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Network Detection and Response (NDR).
Inside the SOC
Darktrace cyber analysts are world-class experts in threat intelligence, threat hunting and incident response, and provide 24/7 SOC support to thousands of Darktrace customers around the globe. Inside the SOC is exclusively authored by these experts, providing analysis of cyber incidents and threat trends, based on real-world experience in the field.
Written by
Mikey Anderson
Product Marketing Manager, Network Detection & Response
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02
Jun 2025

Darktrace has been recognized as a Leader in the first ever Magic Quadrant™ for Network Detection and Response (NDR).

A Gartner Magic Quadrant is a culmination of research in a specific market, giving you a wide-angle view of the relative positions of the market’s competitors. CIOs and CISOs can use this research to make informed decisions about NDR, which is evolving to offer broader threat detection. We encourage our customers to read the full report to get the complete picture.

Darktrace has also received accolades in other recent NDR leadership evaluations including IDC named as market share leader, and  KuppingerCole’s heralding us as an Overall Leader, Product Leader, Market Leader and Innovation Leader. We believe we have continued to be identified as a Leader due to the strength of our capabilities in NDR, driven by our unique application of AI in cybersecurity, continuous product innovation, and our ability to execute on a global scale to meet the evolving needs of our customers.

We’re proud of Darktrace’s unrivaled market, and ability to execute effectively in the network security market, reflecting our commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.

Gartner MQ for NDR, NDR mq, Gartner NDR, Gartner best NDR solution
Gartner MQ for NDR

Why is Darktrace the market share leader and undisputed force in NDR?

Transforming network security and shifting to an AI-led SOC

Darktrace’s Self-Learning AITM understands normal for your entire network, intelligently detecting anomalies and containing sophisticated threats without historical attack data. This approach, based on advanced, unsupervised machine learning, enables Darktrace to catch novel, unknown and insider threats that traditional tools miss and other NDR vendors can’t detect. Darktrace has identified and contained attempted exploits of zero-day vulnerabilities up to 11 days before public disclosure.

We change SOC dynamics with our Cyber AI AnalystTM, which eliminates manual triage and investigation by contextualizing all relevant alerts across your environment, including third-party alerts, and performing end-to-end investigations at machine speed. Cyber AI Analyst gives your team the equivalent of 30 extra full time Level 2 analysts without the hiring overhead2, so you can shift your team away from manual, reactive workflows and uplift them to focus on more proactive tasks.

When combined, Darktrace Self-Learning AI and Cyber AI Analyst go far beyond the capabilities of traditional NDR approaches to completely transform your network security and help your teams operate at the speed and scale of AI.

Coverage across the extended IT enterprise and all-important OT devices

We believe the report validates the business-centric approach that Darktrace uses to deploy AI locally and train it solely on each unique environment, giving our customers tailored security outcomes without compromising on privacy.

This contrasts with other NDR vendors that require cloud connectivity to either deliver full functionality or to regularly update their globally trained models with the latest attack data. This capability is particularly sought after by organizations who are no longer just on-premise, have operational technology (OT) networks, or those that operate in classified environments.

Darktrace serves these organizations and industries by extending IT and unifying OT security within a single solution, reducing alert fatigue and accelerating alert investigation in industrial environments.

With Darktrace / NETWORK you can achieve:

  • Full visibility across your modern network, including on-premises, virtual networks, hybrid cloud, identities, remote workers and OT devices
  • Precision threat detection across your modern network to identify known, unknown and insider threats in real-time without relying on rules, signatures or threat intelligence,
  • 10x accelerated incident response times with agentic AI that uplifts your team and enables them to focus on more proactive tasks
  • Containment of threats with the first autonomous response solution proven to work in the enterprise, stopping attacks from progressing at the earliest stages with precise actions that avoid business disruption

Going beyond traditional NDR to build proactive network resilience

Darktrace does not just stop at threat detection, it helps you prevent threats from occurring and increase your resiliency for when attacks do happen. We help discover and prioritize up to 50% more risks across your environment and optimize incident response processes, reducing the impact of active cyber-attacks using an understanding of your data.

Attack path modeling: By leveraging attack path modeling and AI-driven risk validation, customers can close gaps before they’re exploited, focusing resources where they’ll have the greatest impact.

AI-driven playbooks and breach simulations: With AI-driven playbooks and realistic breach simulations, Darktrace helps your team practice response, strengthen processes, and reduce the impact of real-world incidents. You’re not just reacting; you’re proactively building long-term resilience.

Continued innovation in network security

Darktrace leads innovation in the NDR market with more than 200+ patents and active filings, covering a range of detection, response and AI techniques. Our AI Research Center is foundational to our ongoing innovation, including hundreds of R&D employees examining how AI can be applied to real-world problems and augment human teams.

Trusted by thousands of customers globally

Our commitment to innovation and patented Self-Learning AITM has protected organizations in all industries from known and novel attacks since 2013, bolstering network security and augmenting human teams for our 10,000 active customers across 110 countries. These organizations place a great deal of trust in Darktrace’s unique approach to cybersecurity and application of AI to detect and respond to threats across their modern network.

A new standard for NDR

Darktrace / NETWORK is not just another NDR tool; we are the most advanced network security platform in the industry that pushes beyond traditional capabilities to protect thousands of organizations against known and novel threats.

From real-time threat detection and autonomous response to proactive risk management, we’re transforming network security from reactive to resilient.

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GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

References

1, 3 Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Network Detection and Response, by Thomas Lintemuth, Esraa ElTahawy, John Collins, Charanpal Bhogal, 29 May, 2025

2 Darktrace Cyber AI Analyst fleet data, 2023

Download your copy today

Read the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ report & discover what it means to be recognized in NDR as a leader.

Inside the SOC
Darktrace cyber analysts are world-class experts in threat intelligence, threat hunting and incident response, and provide 24/7 SOC support to thousands of Darktrace customers around the globe. Inside the SOC is exclusively authored by these experts, providing analysis of cyber incidents and threat trends, based on real-world experience in the field.
Written by
Mikey Anderson
Product Marketing Manager, Network Detection & Response

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June 18, 2025

Darktrace Collaborates with Microsoft: Unifying Email Security with a Shared Vision

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In today’s threat landscape, email remains the most targeted vector for cyberattacks. Organizations require not only multi-layered defenses but also advanced, integrated systems that work collaboratively to proactively mitigate threats before they cause damage

That’s why we’re proud to announce a new integration between Darktrace / EMAIL and Microsoft Defender for Office 365, delivering a Unified Quarantine experience that empowers security teams with seamless visibility, control, and response across both platforms.

This announcement builds on a strong and growing collaboration. In 2024, Darktrace was honored as Microsoft UK Partner of the Year and recognized as a Security Trailblazer at the annual Microsoft Security 20/20 Awards, a testament to our shared commitment to innovation and customer-centric security.

A Shared Mission: Stopping Threats at Machine Speed

This integration is more than a technical milestone,as it’s a reflection of a shared mission: to protect organizations from both known and unknown threats, with efficiency, accuracy, and transparency.

  • Microsoft Defender for Office 365 delivers a comprehensive security framework that safeguards Microsoft 365 email and collaboration workloads leveraging advanced AI, global threat intelligence and information on known attack infrastructure.
  • Darktrace / EMAIL complements this with Self-Learning AI that understands the unique communication patterns within each organization, detecting subtle anomalies that evade traditional detection methods.

Together, we’re delivering multi-layered, adaptive protection that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

“Our integration with Microsoft gives security teams the tools they need to act faster and more precisely to detect and respond to threats,” said Jill Popelka, CEO of Darktrace. “Together, we’re strengthening defenses where it matters most to our customers: at the inbox.”

Unified Quarantine: One View, Total Clarity

The new Unified Quarantine experience gives customers a single pane of glass to view and manage email threatsregardless of which product took action. This means:

  • Faster investigations with consolidated visibility
  • Clear attribution of actions and outcomes across both platforms
  • Streamlined workflows for security teams managing complex environments

“This integration is a testament to the power of combining Microsoft’s global threat intelligence with Darktrace’s unique ability to understand the ‘self’ of an organization,” said Jack Stockdale, CTO of Darktrace. “Together, we’re delivering a new standard in proactive, adaptive email security.”

A New Era of Collaborative Cyber Defense

This collaboration represents a broader shift in cybersecurity: from siloed tools to integrated ecosystems. As attackers become more sophisticated, defenders must move faster, smarter, and in unison.

Through this integration, Darktrace and Microsoft establish a new standard for collaboration between native and third-party security solutions, enhancing not only threat detection but also comprehensive understanding and proactive measures against threats.

We’re excited to bring this innovation to our customers and continue building a future where AI and human expertise collaborate to secure the enterprise.

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About the author
Carlos Gray
Senior Product Marketing Manager, Email

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June 19, 2025

Customer Case Study: Leading Petrochemical Manufacturer

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Headquartered in Saudi Arabia, this industry leading petrochemical manufacturer serves customers in more than 80 countries across diverse markets throughout Europe, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, China, and Southeast Asia.

Cyber resiliency critical to growth strategy

This leading petrochemical manufacturer’s vision is to be one of the major global players in the production and marketing of designated petrochemicals and downstream products. The company aims to significantly increase its capacity to up to a million metric tons within the next few years.

With cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure increasing 30% globally last year, cyber resiliency is essential to supporting the company’s strategic business goals of:

  • Maximizing production through efficient asset utilization
  • Maximizing sales by conducting 90% of its business outside Saudi Arabia
  • Optimizing resources and processes by integrating with UN Global Compact principles for sustainability and efficiency
  • Growing its business portfolio by engaging in joint ventures to diversify production and add value to the economy

However, the industry leader faced several challenges in its drive to fortify its cybersecurity defenses.

Visibility gaps delay response time

The company’s existing security setup provided limited visibility to the in-house security team, hindering its ability to detect anomalous network and user activity in real time. This resulted in delayed responses to potential incidents, making proactive issue resolution difficult and any remediation in the event of a successful attack costly and time-consuming.

Manual detection drains resources

Without automated detection and response capabilities, the organization’s security team had to manually monitor for suspicious activity – a time-consuming and inefficient approach that strained resources and left the organization vulnerable. This made it difficult for the team to stay current with training or acquire new skills and certifications, which are core to the ethos of both the company’s owners and the team itself.

Cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure increasing

The petrochemical manufacturer is part of a broader ecosystem of companies, making the protection of its supply chain – both upstream and downstream – critical. With several manufacturing entities and multiple locations, the customer’s internal structure is complex and challenging to secure. As cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure escalate, it needed a more comprehensive approach to safeguard its business and the wider ecosystem.

Keeping and growing skills and focus in-house

To strengthen its cybersecurity strategy, the company considered two options:

  1. Make a significant initial and ongoing investment in a Security Operations Center (SOC), which would involve skills development outside the company and substantial management overhead.
  2. Use a combination of new, automated tools and an outsourced Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service to reduce the burden on internal security specialists and allow the company to invest in upskilling its staff so they can focus on more strategic tasks.

Faced with this choice between entirely outsourcing security and augmenting the security team with new capabilities, the customer chose the second option, selecting Darktrace to automate the company’s monitoring, detection, and response. Today, the petrochemical manufacturer is using:

Extending the SOC with 24/7 expert support

To alleviate the burden on its lean security team, the company augmented its in-house capabilities with Darktrace’s Managed Detection & Response service. This support acts as an extension of its SOC, providing 24/7 monitoring, investigation, and escalation of high-priority threats. With Darktrace’s global SOC managing alert triage and autonomously containing threats, the organization’s internal team can focus on strategic initiatives. The result is a stronger security posture and increased capacity to proactively address evolving cyber risks – without expanding headcount or sacrificing visibility.

A unique approach to AI

In its search for a new security platform, the company’s Director of Information Technology said Darktrace’s autonomous response capability, coupled with Self-Learning AI-driven threat reduction, were two big reasons for selecting Darktrace over competing products and services.

AI was a huge factor – no one else was doing what Darktrace was doing with [AI].”

Demonstrated visibility

Before Darktrace, the customer had no visibility into the network activity to and from remote worker devices. Some employees need the ability to connect to its networks at any time and from any location, including the Director of Information Technology. The trial deployment of Darktrace / ENDPOINT was a success and gave the team peace of mind that, no matter the location or device, high-value remote workers were protected by Darktrace.

Modular architecture  

Darktrace's modular architecture allowed the company to deploy security controls across its complex, multi-entity environment. The company’s different locations run on segregated networks but are still interconnected and need to be protected. Darktrace / NETWORK provides a unified view and coordinated security response across the organization’s entire network infrastructure, including endpoint devices.

Results

The petrochemical manufacturer is using Darktrace across all of its locations and has achieved total visibility across network and user activity. “Darktrace is increasing in value every day,” said the Director of Information Technology.

I don’t have a big team, and Darktrace makes our lives very, very easy, not least the automation of some of the tasks that require constant manual review.”

Time savings frees analysts to focus on proactive security

Darktrace / NETWORK provides continuous, AI-driven monitoring and analysis of the company’s network activity, user behavior, and threat patterns, establishing a baseline of what normal activity looks like, and then alerting analysts to any deviations from normal traffic, activity, and behaviors. Darktrace’s autonomous response capabilities speed up response to detected threats, meaning intervention from the security team is required for fewer incidents and alerts.

In October 2024 alone, Darktrace Cyber AI Analyst saved the team 810 investigation hours, and autonomously responded to 180 anomalous behaviors that were uncovered during the investigations. With Darktrace managing the majority of threat detection and response efforts, the security team has been able to change its day-to-day activity from manual review of traffic and alerts and belated response to activity, to proactively fortifying its detection and response posture and upskilling to meet evolving requirements.  

Layered email protection reduces phishing threats

The company’s email infrastructure posed a challenge due to petrochemical industry regulations requiring on-premises email servers, with some security delivered via Microsoft Azure. By integrating Darktrace / EMAIL into the Azure stack, the organization has reduced the volume of phishing emails its users receive by 5%.

“Now we have one more layer of security related to email – every email goes through two filters. If something is not being caught or traced by Azure, it is being detected by Darktrace,” said the Director of Information Technology. “As a result, we’re now seeing only about 15% to 20% of the phishing emails we used to receive before implementing Darktrace.”

Preparing for a secure future

The time saved using Darktrace has helped the security team take proactive steps, including preparing for new cyber resilience regulations for Saudi Arabia’s Critical National Infrastructure, as mandated by the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCA).

“The team now has ample time to prepare policies and procedures that meet the new NCA regulations and, in some cases, enhance the requirements of the new law,” said the Director of Information Technology. “All of this is possible because they don’t need to keep watch; Darktrace takes on so much of that task for them.”

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