Virtual IT Group unveils 24/7 Zero Trust ZDR for ANZ

Virtual IT Group has launched a 24/7 Zero Trust Detection and Response service for mid-market organisations in Australia and New Zealand. It is positioned as a network-focused option for companies that lack the budgets and specialist staff typical of larger security programmes.

The service, known as ZDR, sits within Virtual IT Group's Zero Trust practice and is available in both Australia and New Zealand. Virtual IT Group also owns The Instillery, the New Zealand technology services firm it acquired in 2025.

Mid-market focus

ZDR targets small and medium-sized organisations that rely on conventional perimeter tools such as firewalls and VPNs. Virtual IT Group argues these organisations face many of the same cyber risks as larger enterprises, but typically have smaller security teams and fewer managed security options.

ZDR is a managed service that combines endpoint, identity, and network security. It provides 24/7 monitoring and response and is designed for customers that want to add security services without changing their existing managed service provider.

"EDR and identity protection tools have evolved rapidly, but network security hasn't kept pace," said Jeremy Nees, Chief Product Officer and Zero Trust Practise Lead at Virtual IT Group. "For the first time, mid-market organisations can have full endpoint, identity, and network security working together as one."

How it works

ZDR inspects network traffic and applies local threat intelligence from Australia and New Zealand. It also includes configuration and ongoing oversight by Virtual IT Group security engineers. The company positions this as a response to gaps in network visibility it says are common in smaller-business security tools.

"Many mid-market businesses are still relying on firewalls and VPNs that simply weren't designed for today's advanced cyber-attack patterns or modern workforce realities. Most tools in the SMB space only scan a fraction of network traffic. It's like boarding a plane where only 10% of passengers have been screened. Our ZDR offering eliminates that blind spot. With this service, we deliver true 24/7 security monitoring and response: deep packet inspection across all traffic, not just small samples, local ANZ threat intelligence, and configuration and oversight by elite engineers," Nees said.

Virtual IT Group linked the launch to a broader push toward mid-market buyers. It is the company's first service launch since Maurice McCarthy joined as chief executive officer earlier this year.

"The Zero Trust Detection and Response service is unique in its customer centric design and can be added immediately to a customer's environment, without having to switch managed service providers if they're not ready to do so. Secure, sector-compliant, and AI ready business systems are a non-negotiable for our economy to thrive. Crucially for this end of the market, the offering is priced on a per-user, per-month model, removing the financial barrier that has historically kept high-grade network protection out of reach," said Maurice McCarthy, chief executive officer of Virtual IT Group.

People and pedigree

Nees leads the services roadmap as chief product officer and heads the Zero Trust practice. Masaki Takeda helped design ZDR and is expected to work directly with customers as a consultant, according to the company.

Virtual IT Group says it has spent more than a decade implementing Zero Trust architectures in Australia and New Zealand and has a dedicated practice to deliver related services. It also says four engineers hold Zscaler Aces certification, including Takeda and Ronnie Meekers.

Virtual IT Group frames the new service as part of a broader shift in which managed IT and managed security services increasingly converge. It argues mid-market organisations want coverage that extends beyond endpoints and identities to east-west traffic and network-level activity.

ZDR has been trialled with pilot customers and is now available across Australia and New Zealand. Virtual IT Group says it plans further development aligned to mid-market IT and cybersecurity requirements.