Cybersecurity-minded MSPs and channel-friendly vendors will descend on Orlando, Florida, June 3-5, for IT Nation Secure 2024, the ConnectWise security conference.
MSSP Alert will be there. As MSPs increasingly act as the front line of security for small- and mid-sized businesses, service providers are focusing more on this essential area of their tech stacks, and this event is designed for these organizations.
ConnectWise IT Nation Secure's agenda is organized around three learning blocks:
- Unlock the secrets to building a profitable cybersecurity practice
- Transform your cybersecurity business with cutting edge strategies
- Elevate your cybersecurity expertise with masterful best practices
ConnectWise executives will deliver an opening keynote on Wednesday, and Thursday's program will kick off with a keynote from cybercrime and business expert Theresa Payton.
Payton will talk about the wide array of new AI tools that cybercriminals now have available to them -- voice-cloning, deep fake capabilities, and the widespread availability of ChatGPT -- and how they is reshaping the threat landscape. This keynote will include a deep dive into real-world cases and live demonstrations.
IT Nation Names Finalists for Startup Incubation Program
In anticipation of the event, IT Nation has announced 26 finalists to complete in the PitchIT program for 2024. Nearly half of them focus on cybersecurity, and many are focused on AI innovations.
Established in 2018, PitchIT is a startup incubation competition that allows innovators to showcase offerings that can be built or integrated into the ConnectWise ecosystem, the company said.The competition aims to improve the efficiency, profitability and security of ConnectWise's more than 44,000 MSP partners. And by fostering collaboration and investment in partner growth, PitchIT facilitates faster innovation and connections between ConnectWise and its partners.
Participating companies will participate in a 16-week business transformation course, co-marketing efforts with ConnectWise through webinars aimed at MSPs. To increase partner visibility, participating companies will be listed on the ConnectWise Marketplace.
The finalists selected from this group will be invited to present their solutions at IT Nation Connect in November, and the winners of this year's competition will be announced at that event.
Last year ConnectWise awarded the grand prize in the PitchIT competition to Thread, a service collaboration platform MSPs use for real-time chat, pods, swarming, and co-managed IT.
ConnectWise Issues Threat Report
What will ConnectWise focus on during IT Nation Secure? We looked to the company's 2024 MSP Threat Report for clues. Some big issues on the horizon for MSPs right now include the following:
- Increased risks associated with outdated software and Microsoft Windows Server 2012 reaching its end of life (EOL).
- Vulnerabilities related to endpoint protection and asset management in a work-from-home context
- Significant growth in the number and impact of ransomware attacks, which have doubled in the past year.
MSSP Alert's Jim Masters and Jessica C. Davis will be on hand at IT Nation Secure. If you see us, please introduce yourself and say hi. We want to hear what you have to say about trends in the industry and ConnectWise's program.
