The fight against cyber threats is increasingly happening directly on the computer itself. To this end, Acronis, a cybersecurity specialist, and Intel, a giant in semiconductor manufacturing, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at elevating endpoint security to a new level. The key: combining Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud cybersecurity software with AI integrated into Intel® Core™ Ultra processors.
Announced publicly on August 27, 2025, from Switzerland, the collaboration highlights how cybersecurity is moving closer to hardware and how personal and corporate devices are becoming the first line of defense against attacks like ransomware, zero-day exploits, or fileless malware.
Real-time cybersecurity without sacrificing performance
The approach is simple: detecting threats directly on the endpoint with the help of AI, without slowing down the system or excessively draining the battery.
According to internal tests by Acronis, offloading AI tasks—such as behavioral heuristics or anomaly scoring—from the CPU to the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) in Intel Core Ultra processors reduces CPU load by as much as 92%. This results in computers that are not only more secure but also faster and more efficient.
The collaboration utilizes OpenVINO™, Intel’s AI optimization toolkit, enabling Acronis to embed advanced detection capabilities directly into hardware, ensuring security measures do not hinder daily productivity.
A platform designed for MSPs and businesses
Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud is a multi-tenant SaaS solution that has established itself as a key tool for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs).
Its unified offering includes:
- Next-generation antimalware
- Email security
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
- Endpoint EDR/XDR
- Backup and disaster recovery
By centralizing functions that traditionally require multiple tools, Acronis allows IT teams to spend less time managing fragmented environments and more time effectively responding to incidents. It also aligns with the NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) guidelines, covering the five pillars of cybersecurity: protect, identify, detect, respond, and recover.
Voices from the key players
From Acronis, Gaidar Magdanurov, the company’s president, stated:
“Cyber protection must be natively integrated and incorporate AI to combat modern threats. Thanks to our collaboration with Intel, we can deliver real-time security on endpoints with minimal impact on system performance.”
On Intel’s side, Carla Rodríguez, Vice President and General Manager of Client Software Enabling, highlighted:
“By executing complex security tasks on a computer with AI and Intel Core Ultra processors, we enable partners like Acronis to offer revolutionary protection with lower latency, better performance, and increased privacy.”
An increasing problem for businesses and users
Traditional antivirus solutions and legacy security tools struggle to detect increasingly sophisticated attacks. They often consume high resources, causing slowdowns and user frustration.
Additionally, the proliferation of fragmented security tools complicates IT teams’ work, forcing them to deal with multiple control panels and disconnected alerts. This not only increases costs but also opens the door to human errors.
The Acronis-Intel initiative aims to address both issues: native integration + hardware AI, resulting in less complexity, faster responses, and greater resilience against emerging threats.
Acronis: a global cybersecurity company
Founded in 2003, Acronis is headquartered in Switzerland and operates in over 50 countries. Its solutions are available in 26 languages and 150 countries, used by more than 21,000 service providers to safeguard around 750,000 companies.
With offices in 15 locations and a growing focus on AI integration, Acronis stands out as a global leader in cybersecurity, data protection, and business continuity.
FAQ
1. What is Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud?
It’s a SaaS platform that unifies advanced cybersecurity, endpoint management, backup, and disaster recovery, designed especially for MSPs and companies.
2. What does the integration with Intel Core Ultra add?
Offloading AI tasks to the CPU’s NPU enables real-time threat detection without compromising system performance or battery life.
3. What types of threats does it detect?
Advanced attacks such as ransomware, fileless malware, zero-day exploits, and behavioral anomalies, which traditional antivirus solutions may miss.
4. Is this solution only for large enterprises?
No. Acronis also offers its services to small and medium-sized businesses and MSPs managing multiple clients with limited resources.
via: Acronis