Global cybersecurity framework for MSPs

Created by former MSP owners, the MSP+ Cybersecurity Framework is designed to work for MSPs around the globe and is supported by a maturity model focused on guiding service providers towards cybersecurity success. It is a compilation of the best-in-class, MSP-specific guidance from other well-known frameworks including NIST CSF, CIS 20, UK Cyber Essentials, Australia’s Essential Eight and others.

Despite the fact that MSPs have become a target for cyber criminals, there remains a lack of security awareness in the industry, largely due to a lack of MSP-specific education and certification around cybersecurity. Few MSPs offer their customers a security plan or offerings for end user education, and only 13% are talking to their clients about cybersecurity as a normal part of their business practice, according to market research firm Vanson Bourne.

“We talk a lot about how important it is to know ‘what good looks like’ in your business so you can work towards that in all areas. But the challenge has been that MSPs haven’t had a specialised and standardised framework to work against for cybersecurity and therefore don’t know what good cybersecurity looks like,” said Jason Magee, CEO, ConnectWise. “We’ve designed the MSP+ Cybersecurity Framework to address that issue, and it’s part of a comprehensive new cybersecurity education and certification program called IT Nation Secure that will position MSPs for long-term success. In a world where there are expected to be four million unfilled cybersecurity positions in 2021, the opportunity is now for MSPs.” 

IT Nation Secure is an umbrella of offerings that includes educational training and assets, thought leadership, information sharing, engagement and business building that is aligned to the MSP+ Cybersecurity Framework. It includes consumable content and actionable steps for an MSP to produce, implement and run a successful security practice within their business. This includes advice and best practices on how MSPs can have a conversation about cybersecurity with their customers and how they can set expectations from a contracting standpoint on who owns the risk. 

Other announcements at the company’s IT Nation Explore virtual event this week include:

New Product Branding

The legacy Continuum products have been transitioned to the ConnectWise master brand as the next step towards the unified ConnectWise platform. BrightGauge and IT Boost will remain standalone products within the product lineup. The new names announced today are:

• ConnectWise Command®, formerly a Continuum solution

• ConnectWise Fortify®, formerly a Continuum solution

• ConnectWise Recover®, formerly a Continuum solution

• ConnectWise Assist®, formerly a Continuum solution 

ConnectWise Fortify for SaaS Security

Designed for MSPs supporting Microsoft cloud environments, Fortify for SaaS Security is a detection and response solution designed to monitor active Microsoft accounts for anomalous user behaviour, distinguishing potentially malicious activities from legitimate user activities. The product helps MSPs protect their clients against one of the top threat vectors to SMBs: business email compromise through Microsoft 365. It provides detailed reporting and visibility into Microsoft 365 security events, along with correlation of events and full SOC support and remediation recommendations to help MSPs quickly identify security issues and address them without needing to scale up their own costs and resources. This solution is based on Perch’s native Microsoft 365 monitoring, and adds custom alerting, policies, visualisations and SOC support to make it easily consumable for MSPs.

With more critical data being stored in the Microsoft cloud than ever before, applications like Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and OneDrive are prime targets for business email compromise and ransomware attacks. As a detection and response solution, Fortify for SaaS Security provides partners the confidence of offering an added layer of detection to protect customers from these critical threats. ConnectWise Fortify for SaaS Security will be available in July.

ConnectWise Fortify for Assessment

ConnectWise Fortify for Assessment is designed to help MSPs effectively sell security to SMB prospects. In Q3, an advanced version of ConnectWise Fortify for Assessment that streamlines the pre-sales process with a holistic report of security, risk and data from a vulnerability scanner will be released. TSPs can have a higher value sales conversation with the potential client and the confidence of having a clear picture of the client’s health. Partners who are interested in participating in the beta program for the new ConnectWise Fortify for Assessment report capabilities can sign up here. 

Additional Updates to the ConnectWise Platform

• ConnectWise Automate®

• Moving admin capabilities to the web

• ConnectWise Command

• Available in Q3, integrations into ConnectWise Control® and BrightGauge®; available in Q3 2020

• IT Boost®

• Increased stability and overall performance improvements

• ConnectWise Recover for SaaS

• Most extensive support for Microsoft 365, including extended support for Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Teams

• New Microsoft Dynamics 365 Protection