Acronis and Intel are bringing AI-driven cybersecurity directly to endpoint devices through a new collaboration.
Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud is now available on AI PCs powered by Intel Core Ultra processors, a move aimed at improving security, performance, and efficiency for managed service providers (MSPs) and enterprise IT teams.
How the Integration Works
At the center of this partnership is Intel’s neural processing unit (NPU), which offloads resource-heavy AI security tasks from the CPU. By running behavioral heuristics and anomaly detection on the NPU instead, the system reduces CPU load by up to 92%, according to internal testing. The result is smoother device performance, extended battery life, and faster real-time threat detection.
Iliyan Gerov, Product Marketing Manager at Acronis, told ChannelE2E, "Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud integrates with Intel Core Ultra processors and their onboard NPUs, leveraging Intel’s OpenVINO framework to offload intensive detection processes from the CPU to the NPU. This design reduces CPU load and avoids common performance trade-offs, like battery drain or system slowdowns, while also enabling real-time, AI-driven behavioral detection and anomaly scoring.’”
Gerov noted that the integration doesn’t introduce new detection engines but instead accelerates and optimizes the ones already in place.
“Acronis EDR has built-in AI-guided analysis, detection, and response capabilities, which are the next step in AI-powered threat detection,” he said.
Why It Matters for MSPs
Traditional anti-malware tools often miss advanced threats like zero-day exploits, ransomware, and fileless malware. They also slow systems down, which adds to user frustration and IT support costs. Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud addresses this by combining AI-based behavioral analysis with integrated security and data protection capabilities. With Intel hardware support, the solution can detect and remediate threats in real time without draining device resources.
Gerov underscored the real-world impact of Intel’s NPU integration. "The 92% reduction in CPU load achieved by shifting AI inferencing to Intel’s NPU translates into tangible operational benefits for MSPs and enterprises. At scale, across thousands of devices, this efficiency means endpoints can run advanced threat detection continuously without degrading user experience or draining devices’ batteries. Fewer system slowdowns reduce support tickets and user frustration, while IT teams benefit from consolidated management through a single policy, agent, and console," he says.
For MSPs, that efficiency carries a direct operational upside. "This means less impact on endpoint performance of EUCs at scale. And that translates to less performance issues and less tickets on the MSP side,” Gerov added.
Beyond Malware Protection
Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud is delivered as a SaaS platform with built-in endpoint and extended detection and response (EDR/XDR), data loss prevention (DLP), email security, backup, and disaster recovery. By consolidating these functions, it reduces the need for multiple point products and helps teams align more closely with NIST’s cybersecurity framework - identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover.
Gerov also pointed out that this latest step builds on earlier collaboration with Intel.
"This integration with Intel follows a previous enhancement of Acronis security defense against advanced fileless attacks using Intel Threat Detection Technology (Intel TDT) leveraging the Intel integrated GPU to offload memory scanning operations from the CPU. Now with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud’s availability with AI PCs powered by Intel Core Ultra processors, the collaboration between Intel and Acronis is further strengthened for the future.”
Looking ahead, Gerov expects adoption to happen quickly.
"Adoption of these AI PC–optimized capabilities is imminent for machines that are already protected by Acronis threat detection engines and have Intel NPU. The integration happens automatically without the need to switch, add, or install something additional. Looking to the future, we’re reviewing additional options to partner with Intel to optimize other parts of the Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud console and integrate more closely with Intel-based CPU - not only for cybersecurity, but also across data protection and management.”
For MSPs and MSSPs, the Acronis–Intel integration represents a way to deliver stronger endpoint protection with less operational overhead. Enterprises benefit from more efficient security that doesn’t compromise user productivity. At a time when IT budgets and staff are stretched, this type of hardware–software alignment helps make advanced security more accessible across environments.
