Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) Market News: 6 February 2023

Each business day, MSSP Alert delivers this quick lineup of news, analysis and chatter from across the managed security services provider ecosystem.

A. Today’s MSSP, MDR, XDR and Cybersecurity Market News

1. Industry Recognition: Zyxel Networks has been named a 2022 TMCnet Zero Trust Security Excellence winner. The award recognizes the leaders and pioneers in the industry with the best and the brightest providers, offering the most innovative, effective solutions.

2. Presidential Appointment: Trellix announced that President Biden intends to appoint Trellix CEO Bryan Palma to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). Palma began his career as a special agent with the U.S. Secret Service where he co-founded its first Electronic Crimes Taskforce in Washington D.C.

3. Free Cybersecurity Training: The SANS Institute is reopening the HBCU Cyber Academy application window through March 1. The HBCU Cyber Academy is a unique opportunity for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to gain hands-on cybersecurity training and real-world experience, free of charge.

4. Ransomware Attack: MKS Instruments Inc. reported that it was investigating a ransomware attack that occurred last week and affected the semiconductor equipment maker's production-related systems. The company said it was in the early stages of investigating the attack it identified on February 3, adding that costs related to the incident have not been determined. (Source: Reuters)

5. Italian Hacker Incident: Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency reported February 5 that hackers had targeted thousands of computer servers around the world running on VMware "ESXi" software. "No evidence has emerged pointing to aggression by a state or hostile state-like entity," an Italian government statement said, adding that no major Italian institution or company operating in critical national security sectors had been affected. (Source: Reuters)

6. Ransom Paid: The hackers who claimed responsibility for a disruptive breach at financial data firm ION Group said a ransom has been paid, although they declined to say how much it was or offer any evidence that the money had been handed over. Lockbit communicated the claim to Reuters via its online chat account but declined to clarify who had paid the money, saying it had come from a "very rich unknown philanthropist."

7. Leadership Move: Gigamon, has appointed Chaim Mazal as chief security officer. Mazal, who recently landed on Lacework’s 50 CISOs to Watch list, will be responsible for global security, information technology, network operations, governance, risk, compliance and internal business systems, as well as the security of Gigamon product offerings.

8. Cybersecurity Company Launch: Cadien Cyber Response, a U.S.-based incident response and complex digital forensics firm, formally launched operations February 6 and unveiled its team of industry and government cyber experts focused on reactive services.

9. Cyber Diplomat Hacked: Nate Fick, U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, said his personal Twitter account was hacked, calling it part of the “perils of the job.” Fick tweeted the news from his personal account Saturday evening. It was not clear who was responsible for the hack or if they had made any unauthorized posts on Fick’s account. (Source: CNN)

B. Annual In-Person MSSP and Cybersecurity Conferences