The new “torpedo bat” had Major League Baseball players hitting it out of the park this week. The innovation to the simple wooden bat moves the widest part (the barrel) closer to the hitter’s hands. Batters can swing faster because the bat feels lighter and easier to control. The MIT physicist developed the bowling-bowl shaped bat to help hitters keep up with the increasing velocity of pitchers. Sounds a lot like the MSP industry, which strives to stay ahead of increasing cyber risk and compliance challenges for their customers. This week’s roundup of IT channel news includes the latest solutions, tech trends, and more to help you keep hitting it out of the park for your MSP customers. Enjoy the read!
Products & Solutions
Bugcrowd Launches New Pentest Service for MSPs
Bugcrowd, a provider of crowdsourced cybersecurity, announced a new pentesting service for MSPs that leverages the pen testing expertise of The Crowd (ethical hackers). This launch marks a step forward in Bugcrowd’s broadening support for MSPs and their customers, according to the company.
“Bugcrowd’s new MSP offering is a game-changer for our partners and an important step for our program,” said Jacques Lopez, VP of global channel and alliances for Bugcrowd, in a press statement. “By leveraging our crowdsourced streamlined-scope pentesting capabilities, MSPs can offer their clients fast, reliable, and cost-effective compliance testing. This enables those clients to stay ahead of regulatory requirements and security threats. This offering can augment the capabilities of those partners who already provide pentesting, enabling them to reserve their in-house pentesters for projects they are best suited for while Bugcrowd handles more routine projects.”
The MSP pentesting capabilities include networking, APIs, web, mobile apps, and cloud configuration testing. According to Bugcrowd, partners can launch engagements in as little as three business days.
The new MSP offering is available immediately to a limited number of partners. Pricing is based on a flat rate model, with various options depending on the scope of the pentesting required.
Axis Communications Expands IoT Capabilities with New Edge Devices and AI Solutions
Axis Communications, a video surveillance provider, announced new intelligent edge devices and solutions designed to harness the Internet of Things (IoT) for enhanced security, business intelligence, and operational efficiencies. Unveiled at the International Security Conference and Exposition (ISC West) in Las Vegas, new Axis innovations include a state-of-the-art recording server optimized for AI-based analytics, multifunctional network speakers with text display, a programmable network strobe speaker with pre-installed audio analytics, and a new class of precision air quality sensors.
The devices and solutions will all be available through Axis distribution channels. The recording server (available this month) is $10,499 MSRP. The speakers will be available in June 2025, with an MSRP starting at $1,599. The air quality sensor will be available in May 2025 at an MSRP of $399.
Keepit Reveals Upcoming Data Protection Platform Enhancements
Keepit, a SaaS data protection platform provider, unveiled upcoming enhancements to its solution.
First, it is adding the ability to back up and recover data from many more SaaS applications. The rollout begins with seven applications in 2025—Jira, Bamboo, Okta, Confluence, DocuSign, Miro, Slack—with rapid expansion to follow. The company’s goal is full coverage of all the SaaS applications organizations use, spanning HR, finance, sales, production, and more.
Second, Keepit is adding anomaly detection to the platform, providing enhanced monitoring, compliance, and security insights, with a goal of enabling proactive identification of irregularities. Anomaly detection will be available to Keepit customers in early May.
This new capability comes on the heels of the January rollout of data protection dashboards. The dashboards provide centralized control and simplified reporting, enhancing visibility and management of data protection efforts.
Partnerships & Integrations
N‑able Adds 6 New Integrations to Its Technology Alliance Program
IT management and data protection platform provider N-able announced five additions to its Technology Alliance Program (TAP).
These newly integrated solutions are:
- Xurrent – A SaaS-based service management platform for MSPs. Xurrent ITSM enables automated ticket creation, intelligent workflow automation, and real-time system monitoring directly within N-central.
- SeedPod Cyber – A cyber insurance platform designed for MSPs and their clients. The integration with N-central streamlines access to cyber insurance solutions for MSPs’ clients, in addition to Tech Errors & Omissions insurance for themselves.
- ScalePad Lifecycle Manager – An advanced platform for automating the lifecycle management of IT assets, it now supports an enhanced integration in N-central.
- Rewst – An automation platform for MSPs. Building on Rewst’s integration with N-central, this collaboration now includes an integration with Cove backup and data protection.
- Derdack Signl4 – A mobile incident management and notification platform. The integration with N-central delivers automated notifications for critical incidents.
- Webroot by OpenText DNS Protection – The DNS filtering solution now integrates with N-central and N-sight.
Todyl and SPECTRA AIM to Simplify the Cyber Insurance Process
Todyl, a modular cybersecurity platform, announced a strategic partnership with SPECTRA, a cyber insurance and risk management platform. The partnership aims to simplify the cyber insurance certification process, provide access to preferred coverage programs, and offer warranty-backed security guarantees. Certified MSPs can help clients bypass the questionnaires typically required for cyber insurance. MSPs’ clients can get insurance quotes from broker partners in as little as 24 hours.
The Todyl SPECTRA Certification Program is available to Todyl MSP partners who implement the company’s security stack, including SASE, SIEM, MXDR, Endpoint Security, and GRC modules, along with email security and backup solutions.
SPECTRA uses a streamlined three-step certification process by validating the vendor solution first, then the MSP, and finally the client’s implementation
Distribution / Marketplaces
Sherweb Adds usecure for Automated Security Training
Sherweb has added usecure, an automated human risk management (HRM) platform for MSPs, to its cloud marketplace. With usecure, Sherweb’s MSP partners can automate and personalize ongoing cybersecurity training for individual employees.
The solution offers automated security awareness training, phishing simulations, dark web monitoring, and policy management. MSPs can evaluate clients’ need for human risk management, identify users’ individual risk areas to develop personalized training programs. They can then calculate real-time risk based on user training performance, simulation results, and regular security scans.
“At Sherweb, we recognize that human error remains a significant vulnerability in cybersecurity,” said Benji Germain, vice president of product at Sherweb, in a press statement. “With usecure, we’re equipping MSPs with the tools they need to transform human risk into a robust defense mechanism, fostering a culture of security awareness and resilience.”
People
Pia Reveals Reorganization, Announces New Leadership Appointments
Pia, an AI-led help desk automation platform for MSPs, announced a strategic reorganization. Effective immediately, Pia is aligning all its go-to-market (GTM) functions, including sales, marketing, brand, channel, strategic alliances, partner success, strategy and revenue operations, under one unified vision.
To lead GTM, Pia appointed Nic Ferraro to chief revenue officer, a company first. Previously chief strategy officer, Ferraro was the founding chief customer officer at Virtual IT Group, an MSP that Pia was built from, where he spearheaded nine acquisitions and drove a fourfold revenue increase, before becoming Pia’s founding COO.
The reorganization also elevates James Allen, another Pia and Virtual IT Group veteran, from senior vice president of sales to EVP of strategic accounts, where he will launch and lead this new team.
One notable change, partner success will shift out of operations and into GTM, redeploying partner success as a revenue generating part of the business, with a focus on implementation and retention as a function of inside sales, with the goal of increasing net retained revenue.
“Having been with Pia from day one, I can confidently say that uniting our GTM functions marks a pivotal moment for the company,” Ferarro said in a press statement. “By breaking down traditional silos and creating a more integrated, agile structure, we’re positioning ourselves to accelerate growth and boost top-line revenue. This strategic shift has been carefully planned, and we’re now fully committed to this forward momentum.”
Additionally, Pia is establishing a dedicated technical sales team focused on pre- and technical sales functions. This specialized unit will increase capacity for product demonstrations, designed to improve sales conversion rates and reduce sales cycle times.
In Other People News …
NinjaOne appoints John Sapone as chief revenue officer. Sapone spent the last 20 years leading revenue teams at hypergrowth companies, including Snowflake, ServiceNow, Data Domain, and Nimble Storage. Former CRO Dean Yeck will transition into the role of chief commercial officer. The appointments come on the heels of NinjaOne’s first acquisition, made in January … Hatz AI has appointed Kelcye Blankenship-Lackland to a new position of director of channel enablement. She most recently served as director of channel development at Infima Security, and before that as channel development manager at CyberQP.
Industry
Stellar Cyber Unveils Open Cybersecurity Alliance
Cybersecurity company Stellar Cyber launched the Open Cybersecurity Alliance, based on its Open XDR platform. The aim of the alliance is to streamline security operations, improve interoperability, and enhance threat detection and response.
The Open Cybersecurity Alliance enables integration and interoperability using open APIs.
The newly launched ecosystem already features integrations with security platforms across many different categories, including endpoint detection and response, identity and access management, privileged access security, secure access service edge, next-generation firewall, email security, vulnerability management, cloud security, IaaS, SaaS, and more.
Alliance members to date include LastPass, ESET, Netskope, Check Point, and Mimecast.
Compliance & Security
Identity security provider CyberArk’s Secure Browser has achieved SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance. This certification confirms that CyberArk Secure Browser uses effective controls and processes to secure and protect customer data, aligning with strict security standards. SOC 2 Type 2 certification is based on the Trust Services Principles established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Wasabi Technologies, a hot cloud storage company, has achieved FedRAMP Ready status for its cloud storage service for the U.S. federal government, Wasabi GovCloud. FedRAMP is a U.S. Government-wide program that standardizes the security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring of cloud products and services. With its FedRAMP Ready certification, Wasabi is now one step closer to full FedRAMP authorization.
Keeper Security, a provider of zero-trust and zero-knowledge privileged access management software, has signed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency‘s (CISA) Secure by Design Pledge. This commitment highlights Keeper’s dedication to embedding security at every stage of product development. By signing the pledge, Keeper joins industry leaders in prioritizing proactive security measures, reducing exploitable vulnerabilities and ensuring products are resilient out of the box.
M&A – MSPs
There’s a New “Super MSP” in Town
Harbor IT, a merger of MSPs including NOYNIM IT Solutions, IT Management Solutions, Harbor Networks, and NetXperts, and Quadrant Information Security, a dedicated MXDR and cybersecurity advisory firm with a 24/7/365 U.S.-based SOC, has officially launched.
Harbor IT is backed by PE firm Worklyn Partners, a holding company that focuses on sustained growth and stability rather than short-term exits. This model enables significant seller equity participation while maintaining stability for both employees and customers.
“The goldilocks seller for us is someone who is eager to roll equity, hungry to keep operating and interested in taking an executive role at the platform level. While we are flexible, we look for the seller who is motivated to grab an oar, get in the boat, and help us row,” explained Hannah Paige, managing director at Worklyn Partners and CFO at Harbor IT.
Johnny Lieberman, founder and CEO of Worklyn Partners, is also the CEO at Harbor IT, which has locations across the U.S., as well as a location in both Canada and India.
By the Numbers
Tech Workers Fake Their AI Skills, but also Fear Being Replaced
New research reveals that an overwhelming majority of executives and tech workers pretend to know more about AI than they actually do. Ironically, even though 95% of tech executives cite AI skills as crucial for ensuring job security, 61% of tech workers say their company views them as “lazy” for using generative AI tools for work.
These findings are part of the second annual AI Skills Report from Pluralsight, a technology workforce development company, which surveyed 1,200 technology decision-makers and practitioners in the U.S. and U.K.
The Yin and Yang of AI
“Fears about AI supplanting jobs is becoming the new norm and employees are quietly worried that using AI in their daily routine looks lazy,” said Chris McClellen, chief product and technology officer at Pluralsight, in a press statement. “In this paradigm, organizations need to empower their workforce with AI training to truly drive innovation, enhance productivity, and stay competitive in the evolving digital landscape.”
Notably, for both executives and tech professionals, the fear of being replaced by AI runs deep, and has increased since last year’s report. Indeed, 90% of workers say that losing their roles to AI is at least somewhat likely, with 19% more respondents indicating that they feel it is “very likely” their role could be replaced by AI.
That’s despite the fact that nearly half of organizations (49%) have actually added AI-related jobs. And 95% of tech executives say having AI skills is the “best way” to ensure job security. This is supported by the fact that 50% of employers list AI skills as “highly preferred” when looking for talent, while 20% list them as “mandatory.” Additionally, 84% of companies say they would likely replace or outsource talent to support AI initiatives when they lack internal talent.
However, these same companies are developing five-year plans that include AI-driven staff reductions, with the most impact expected to be felt in departments that handle analytics, content creation, billing, marketing, and sales.
