MSSP Alert Live 2022 continues today in Washington, D.C. What's on tap?
1. MDR Pop Quiz: First up, we'll discuss Managed Detection and Response (MDR) -- and who's actually responsible for Response. Our guests will include Jeffrey Schmidt, CEO of Avertium (a Top 250 MSSP) and Kyriakos Vassilakos from the FBI. We'll cover:
- Where the FBI potentially fits into the conversation.
- Why and how to build a relationship with the FBI prior to an attack.
- When and how to engage the FBI during a cyber incident.
- What the FBI can – and can’t– do on behalf of your business and your customers.
2. How to Train Every MSP Employee on Security. You'll gain expert guidance from John Strand, owner of Black Hills Information Security, and William Goldin, director of security and network operations at Lloyd Group.
3. How MSPs Can Defend Against the Top 5 Cyberattacks. The conversation will feature Phyllis Lee, senior director of Critical Security Controls at the Center for Internet Security (CIS), and Andrew Morgan, founder of The CyberCall.
But that's not all. Make sure you check out the day's breakout sessions. And stay tuned for more blog updates.
MSSP Alert Live 2022: Day Two Conversation Recap
The Day Two conversations included a fireside chat with Ryan Orsi, the global practice partner lead for Security Consulting and MSSP at Amazon Web Services.
Next up, we'll shifted gears to Supply Chain Security Strategies, delivered by Angela Smith of NIST. Smith is technical lead for NIST's cybersecurity supply chain risk management program. Her presentation comes at a key time for MSPs and MSSPs -- all of whom are prime targets for supply chain software cyberattacks.
I'll update this blog with some key takeaways in the days ahead.
MSSP Alert Live 2022: Day One Conversation Recap
The Day One conversations -- featuring open Q&A with our MSP and MSSP attendees -- included the sessions mentioned below. I'll update this blog with some key takeaways in the days ahead.
1. Seven Cyber Truths for MSPs and MSSPs: I'll share key takeaways from our latest Top 250 MSSPs list and research. We'll pinpoint the cyber highs and lows that MSPs have faced over the past five years, and we'll preview where MSPs and MSSPs are heading next in the cyber market.
ConnectWise CISO Patrick Beggs will be on-hand to keep me honest while offering key MSP and MSSP industry perspectives from the lens of a CISO. Beggs and I first met during the ConnectWise IT Nation Secure 2022 conference in June 2022. During that conversation, he described how the company -- and its MSP community -- continue to harden their cyber defenses...
2. Extending from Traditional MSSP to Managed XDR Strategies: Next up, Secureworks CEO Wendy Thomas will join me to discuss key lessons amid an aggressive pivot into XDR (eXtended Detection and Response) services and technologies. This session is especially timely for MSPs and MSSPs that are seeking to build next-generation services -- while sizing up the associated talent, technology and partnership requirements.
Some context: Secureworks bet its business on XDR, while pivoting away from non-strategic, lower-margin services. Read between the lines, and the team has the discipline to "say no" when certain old-school revenue opportunities present themselves. Instead, the company has gone all-in on XDR. How's it going so far -- and what are the lessons learned for MSPs and MSSPs in the room? Thomas will share her perspectives.
3. Modern Cyber Defense and Response Services: Closing out our Day One content, Booz Allen Hamilton Senior VP Wade Alt joins our fireside chat to recap the company's key 2022 cyber defense learnings and key priorities for 2023.
For MSSPs and MSPs of all sizes that want to stand the test of time, it would be wise to steal a few pages from Wade Alt and the Booz Allen playbook. Indeed, Allen leads the company's cyber defense and response services within the firm’s commercial practice. Moreover, Booz Allen -- founded in 1914 -- has pivoted multiple times over multiple decades. Most recently, CEO Horacio Rozanski and CFO Lloyd Howell described a four-part strategy to further scale the Booz Allen business.
On a related note, Booz Allen recently launched a $100 million venture capital arm — so cyber startup investments could also be on the way.
MSSP Alert Live 2022: Pose Your Questions, Stay Updated
4. Attendee Q&A: Let's be clear. These fireside chats will feature open Q&A with our attendees.
5. Got Questions?: If you've got questions ahead of each session, please email them to me ([email protected]). I'll give them a look, and will strive to work them into sessions throughout the conference.
Note: Special thanks to the MSPs, MSSPs, speakers and sponsors who are set to join us at MSSP Alert Live 2022 (September 19-21, Washington, D.C.). Keep checking this blog for live updates throughout the conference.
