Netwrix adds AI governance to 1Secure for Microsoft

Netwrix has added AI governance features to its 1Secure SaaS platform for hybrid Microsoft environments, targeting data, identity and AI-related risks linked to tools such as Microsoft Copilot.

The release adds an AI assistant, broader Active Directory risk assessments, sensitive data posture management, Group Policy auditing and Windows Server activity monitoring. Customers can deploy the platform and receive an initial risk assessment within an hour.

The update comes as companies roll out AI tools that inherit existing permissions and access rights across corporate systems. That has sharpened focus on long-standing issues including over-privileged accounts, unclear data ownership and auditing gaps, particularly in environments spanning on-premises and cloud Microsoft services.

AI governance

Netwrix cited its own research showing a marked difference in breach rates between organisations where AI had significantly increased the number of identities needing access and those where access patterns had not changed materially. According to the company, the breach rate was 43% in the first group, compared with 11% in the second.

At the centre of the update is Netwrix Neo, a conversational AI assistant that gives security teams plain-language briefings on alerts and changes in their environment. The aim is to help IT and security staff identify priority issues more quickly.

Other additions focus on visibility into data exposure and configuration changes. A new sensitive data posture dashboard provides a central view of data risk across cloud and on-premises systems, while expanded checks based on PingCastle cover Active Directory and data sources to identify exposure gaps.

Group Policy auditing has also been added to help detect potentially risky configuration changes. Windows Server activity reporting is intended to provide near real-time alerts and records covering system changes, services, DNS and DHCP activity.

Hybrid security

The platform is designed for hybrid Microsoft estates that combine identity systems and business data repositories. Supported identity systems include Active Directory and Entra ID, while supported data sources include SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, Windows File Servers and SQL Server.

Netwrix argues that AI systems can expose weak access controls that were already present but not fully understood. In many cases, organisations do not have a complete picture of where sensitive data sits, which users or service accounts have excessive access, or how those permissions have changed over time.

Grady Summers, Chief Executive Officer of Netwrix, linked the product changes to the faster pace of change created by AI adoption.

"Organisations where AI expanded the identity footprint saw four times the breach rate of those where it didn't - 43% versus 11%," said Grady Summers, Chief Executive Officer, Netwrix.

"The problem is speed. AI adds identities and accesses data at a much faster pace than human reviews can keep up, and attackers move in seconds. Netwrix 1Secure uses AI to help IT and security teams monitor changes across their environments, identify and fix issues faster, and prove compliance to auditors," said Summers.

Partner demand

Managed service providers are also watching demand from mid-sized organisations that may lack the internal staff to review identity and data risks in depth. Netwrix said one of its partners is using the platform as a repeatable managed service rather than a one-off assessment.

"AI is creating real urgency around identity and data exposure that many of our customers didn't realize they had," said Rory Cooksey, Vice President of Brand & Business Development, WheelHouse IT.

"They need answers quickly and a path to reduce risk without taking on another complex project. With 1Secure, we can continuously manage who and what has access to sensitive data, monitor changes over time, and deliver that as a repeatable service, not a one-time engagement," said Cooksey.

Pricing for 1Secure starts at USD $22 per identity per year. Netwrix said more than 13,000 customers use its products, including nearly a quarter of the Fortune 500.