Monitoring endpoints is table stakes for managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs). These service providers often rely on endpoint management software or remote monitoring and management software to do the job.
Syxsense, which bills itself as an automated endpoint and vulnerability management solution provider, recently rolled out a significant update to its service offering that will enhance the security capabilities that MSSPs and MSPs can offer to their end user companies.
The company’s previous monitoring was performed at frequencies set by MSPs or MSSPs — daily, weekly, or maybe even monthly on Patch Tuesday. The update brings live monitoring capabilities to the platform.
Background on Syxsense
Syxsense was co-founded by CEO Ashley Leonard in 2012. The company started out providing endpoint management to enterprises. Then, in 2021, it entered a new market serving managed service providers as an RMM (remote monitoring and management) platform. It’s an area that would pay off, as Leonard told MSSP Alert that the service provider market now makes up 30% of the company’s business and that number is growing.
“We put a lot of time and effort into our roadmap to build out the capabilities that MSPs really need, especially around multi-tenancy and being able to quickly move between different customers and reporting and automation,” Leonard said.
Pivot to Cybersecurity
Syxsense has evolved from endpoint management to unified endpoint management. And about three years ago the company recognized the importance of cybersecurity to the MSP market.
Explaining his company's market evolution, Leonard said:
“Three years ago, we were analyzing why people were buying our technology and the primary use cases were for things such as patching and endpoint management. These are adjacent to security management, and the majority of breaches occur because of unpatched vulnerabilities. We felt there was a huge opportunity in the market to bridge the gap between the kind of vulnerability scanning and endpoint management and to be able to not just report on the problems but to actually fix them. That’s what we’ve delivered with Syxsense.”
Leonard noted that Syxsense offers the same functionality that market-leading RMM platforms do, but it also provides advanced security. Syxsense combines endpoint management with vulnerability scanning and remediation so that MSSPs and MSPs that offer these services only need a single tool in their stack.
Vulnerability scanning is more than just patching, he said — and it’s a big deal. That’s because there is no patch for an unsecure password, a port that shouldn’t be open, or some crypto mining software on an endpoint.
In addition, Syxsense’s solutions remediate those vulnerabilities by running a playbook and selecting from among the many remediations available in the cloud-based platform. They could include turning off a service or changing some registry settings to get an endpoint back into compliance.
Syxsense does this with what Leonard calls a simplified SOAR (security operations and response) that requires no scripting knowledge. The drag-and-drop interface lets organizations build complex management workflows and deploy them to endpoints in response to an event happening in real time.
The platform comes with pre-built remediations that Syxsense is always adding to, Leonard said. In addition, organizations can build their own custom remediations as well.
Sxysense's New Features
Syxsense said the new release includes:
- Intelligent Monitoring. Syxsense Cortex, Syxsense’s no-code automation and orchestration engine, now actively identifies and resolves issues, not just flags them. Sleep soundly knowing your clients are protected — without drowning in alerts.
- Terminal Access Anywhere. Execute commands or scripts directly on any remote device with the new integrated terminal interface. React instantly, troubleshoot effectively, and stay ahead of evolving threats.
Syxsense has also added integrations for unified visibility and control:
- ConnectWise and Halo PSA Integrations provide for managing all devices from a single pane of glass, allowing service providers to deliver IT and security services from one platform.
- Simplified Authentication is delivered via an integration with Duo Security to Syxsense’s existing Single Sign-On (SSO) for seamless, multi-factor authentication across the platform.
Leonard said that Syxsense also has big AI plans in 2024 and that he was flying the entire development team to Redmond, Washington to work with Microsoft and OpenAI developers for a week. MSSP Alert will watch for more news on this as it develops.
