Navigating Cybersecurity at Kaseya Connect Global 2024
The final day of Kaseya Connect Global 2024 offered a deep dive into cybersecurity, emphasizing how it can transition from a challenge to a significant growth opportunity for managed service providers (MSPs). Among the myriad of insightful sessions, two stood out for their focus on cybersecurity’s evolving landscape and strategic management.
Risky business: Turning cybersecurity challenges into opportunities
Led by Greg Jones, VP of Business Development of EMEA at Kaseya, this session leveraged findings from the 2024 MSP Benchmark Survey to address cybersecurity critical challenges faced by IT professionals. The discussion centered around the increased threat of ransomware, highlighting that cybercrime has recently become more prevalent than other crimes, particularly affecting SMBs, which are often considered soft targets. With over 80% of ransomware victims being small businesses facing an average hourly downtime cost of $8,000 after an attack, the urgency for robust cybersecurity measures is clear.
Jones also discussed building a cybersecurity stack that aligns with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to target specific concerns, showcasing products like Dark Web ID, Vulscan and BullPhish ID that help identify cybersecurity threats, protect IT environments and govern IT security postures effectively. This holistic approach not only enhances protection but also positions cybersecurity as a driver for business growth.
CISO roundtable: Navigating the cyberthreat landscape
The CISO roundtable featured a robust panel of experts, including Jason Manar, CISO at Kaseya; Lisa Sotto, Partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP; Wes Spencer, Cofounder of Empath and Vice President of Cybersecurity Strategy at CyberFOX; and Rich Tallman, Sr. Director Global Cloud Security and MSP at Bitdefender. They discussed the current cyberthreat landscape, highlighting the need for constant vigilance and improvement in cybersecurity strategies.
Key points addressed included the essential cybersecurity tools that 70% of small businesses and MSPs lack, the importance of having a detailed incident response plan, and the role of cybersecurity insurance. Lisa Sotto emphasized the complexity of navigating the legal landscape, which involves understanding federal laws, state laws and industry standards. Rich Tallman shared insights from his experience running an MSP, stressing the importance of simplifying security solutions to make them more digestible for clients. Jason Manar discussed the strategic importance of security in corporate decision-making and the shared responsibility of cybersecurity between MSPs and their clients. Wes Spencer emphasized that MSPs uncertain about how to begin with cybersecurity should adopt a security framework, as it significantly simplifies the process and greatly enhances their cybersecurity efforts.
Day three highlights and activities
The day began with opening remarks by Holly Pateman, Senior Vice President of Product Marketing at Kaseya, and Joe Smolarski, President and Chief Customer Officer at Kaseya, followed by a sponsor spotlight session with Erwin Visser and Ken Miller from Microsoft, who discussed how Microsoft empowers MSPs to tackle new opportunities in AI. The series of sessions that followed covered a wide range of topics from Microsoft’s AI strategies to advanced threat analysis and cybersecurity best practices.
Beyond the sessions, the day was filled with opportunities for attendees to engage with one another and discuss key takeaways. The expo hall was a hub of activity, with hands-on demonstrations and in-depth discussions with product experts.
A grand finale: Celebrations and closing remarks
The conference wrapped up with a giveaway event hosted by Danny Jenkins, CEO and Co-founder of ThreatLocker, followed by closing remarks from Fred Voccola, CEO of Kaseya. The final lunch and last call for the expo hall provided additional networking opportunities, ending the conference on a high note of community and collaboration.
In conclusion, the third day of Kaseya Connect Global 2024 highlighted the critical role of cybersecurity in today’s IT landscape. It showcased not only the challenges but also the vast opportunities for MSPs to grow and strengthen their offerings in this essential area, underscoring the conference’s overarching theme of leveraging automation and AI to enhance IT operations. As we close this year’s event, the insights and strategies shared promise to resonate and impact the attendees’ practices well into the future, making way for the golden age of IT and cybersecurity management.
We can’t wait to see you in Las Vegas at Kaseya Connect Global 2025.
