Uncle Marv's IT Business Podcast (Real Talk for IT Pros & MSPs)

Michelle Ragusa-McBain, Global Channel Chief at SonicWALL, joins Uncle Marv at PAX 8 Beyond 24 to discuss the company's recent developments and partner-focused initiatives.SonicWALL's Acquisition of Solutions GrantedMichelle shares insights into SonicWALL's acquisition of Solutions Granted, a managed security services provider. The acquisition allows SonicWALL to integrate Solutions Granted's offerings into their Secure First program, providing partners with a comprehensive security solution that includes managed detection and response (MDR), endpoint detection and response (EDR), and security operations center (SOC) as a service.Improving Partner ExperienceSonicWALL is committed to listening to partner feedback and taking swift action to improve processes. Michelle highlights the company's efforts to streamline the deal registration process based on partner survey responses, making it easier for partners to do business with SonicWALL.New Customer Deal RateTo incentivize partners and attract new customers, SonicWALL has introduced a new customer deal rate, offering a 50% discount for partners bringing new customers to the company. This initiative aims to support partner growth and success.Michelle's Globetrotting AdventuresIn addition to business updates, Michelle shares her passion for travel, recounting her recent family vacation to Europe, including stops in England, Amsterdam, Belgium, and Paris. She also reveals her upcoming three-week safari adventure in Africa, spanning five countries and including the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti.Key TakeawaysSonicWALL is integrating Solutions Granted's managed security services into their Secure First program.The company is improving processes like deal registration based on partner feedback.SonicWALL introduced a new customer deal rate, offering a 50% discount for new customers.Michelle Ragusa-McBain is an avid traveler, recently visiting Europe and planning a safari in Africa. === Show InformationWebsite: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/Host: Marvin BeeUncle Marv’s Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZBecome a monthly supporter: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

In this insightful episode, Ken Patterson, formerly of Pax8, joins Uncle Marv to discuss his new role at Todyl and his vision for building a true community for MSPs. Ken shares his passion for helping MSPs mature and succeed, emphasizing the importance of education over hard selling. He advocates for a more prescriptive approach, akin to doctors, where MSPs diagnose clients' needs and prescribe tailored solutions rather than pushing products. Ken stresses the need for MSPs to "drink their own champagne" by using the same solutions they recommend to clients, fostering deeper understanding and credibility. He also highlights the importance of educating clients on business solutions beyond just technology, positioning MSPs as trusted advisors. The conversation touches on Ken's fond memories at Pax8, the company's remarkable growth, and the warm welcome he received at their event, PAX8 Beyond. Ken expresses excitement about his new role at Todyl and his vision for building a robust community platform where MSPs can connect, share insights, and feel heard. Key Takeaways: Importance of building a true community for MSPsMSPs should use the same solutions they recommend ("drink their own champagne")Educate clients on business solutions beyond just technologyMove away from hard-selling tactics towards a more prescriptive approachFoster a sense of belonging and being heard in the MSP community === Show InformationWebsite: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/Host: Marvin BeeUncle Marv’s Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZBecome a monthly supporter: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

Tim Golden, co-founder of Compliance Scorecard, joins Uncle Marv to discuss the latest version 5.0 release of their governance-as-a-service platform. The new release introduces several compliance-focused features to help MSPs better manage risks and compliance requirements for their clients. One of the key new features is the risk register, which allows MSPs to identify and track areas of risk for their clients. MSPs can essentially build an "Amazon shopping cart" of risks, quote them, and work with clients to either mitigate or accept those risks. This provides a structured way to have risk conversations and maintain defensibility over time. Another notable feature is the POAM (plan of actions and milestones), which provides a framework for planning actions, assigning responsibilities, setting timelines, and tracking costs associated with addressing identified risks. This helps MSPs streamline the risk mitigation process and project management. Compliance Scorecard is designed to help MSPs navigate the complexities of compliance, cybersecurity readiness assessments, and risk management conversations with their customers. Tim highlights their peer group and educational resources as key differentiators, enabling MSPs to learn best practices and processes for compliance and risk management. Key Takeaways: Compliance Scorecard version 5.0 introduces risk register and POAM featuresRisk register allows tracking and quoting risks for clientsPOAM provides structured planning for risk mitigation actionsPlatform helps MSPs have risk conversations and manage compliancePeer group and educational resources differentiate the offering === Show InformationWebsite: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/Host: Marvin BeeUncle Marv’s Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZBecome a monthly supporter: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

Episode Sponsor: Thread (www.getthread.com)=== Mark Lamb, the founder and CEO of HighGround.io, joins the podcast to discuss his cybersecurity platform designed for IT service providers. HighGround.io is a cybersecurity sales tool that helps MSPs communicate their clients' technology spend, cybersecurity posture, and resilience in a visually appealing and understandable manner.[1]The platform integrates with PSA tools like ConnectWise Manage to pull down a client's spend data with the MSP. It then maps this spend across various technology areas, such as support, cybersecurity, backup, Office 365, and connectivity. This visual representation allows clients to understand where their money is being allocated.[1]HighGround.io also enables MSPs to quickly assess their clients' cybersecurity posture and resilience. It provides three primary metrics: the cyber score (a universal metric of security posture), the resilience score (readiness to respond and recover from a cyber attack), and a visual mapping of these scores against the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.[1]Mark emphasizes that while KPIs are useful, they don't fully explain the breadth of security. By mapping the scores to the NIST framework, clients can easily identify their strengths and weaknesses across different security domains, such as protection, detection, and recovery.[1]HighGround.io is designed for ongoing use with existing clients, as cybersecurity is a continuous agenda item in MSP-client relationships. It facilitates holistic discussions about security while considering other IT services and challenges.[1]Mark shares his background as an MSP in Scotland, where he experienced firsthand the challenges of selling cybersecurity solutions to clients. Despite building a robust security stack, clients were reluctant to purchase it, leading Mark to investigate the root cause – a lack of understanding and complexity.[1]He emphasizes that HighGround.io addresses the sales problem that other vendors have failed to solve effectively. Unlike traditional risk assessments, which often result in clients only skimming the executive summary, HighGround.io aims to revolutionize the way MSPs communicate security posture and needs to clients.[1]Key TakeawaysHighGround.io is a cybersecurity sales tool for MSPs to visually represent clients' technology spend, cybersecurity posture, and resilience.It provides metrics like the cyber score, resilience score, and NIST framework mapping to communicate security posture effectively.The platform integrates with PSA tools and is designed for ongoing use with existing clients.Mark Lamb created HighGround.io based on his experience as an MSP, addressing the challenges of selling cybersecurity solutions.HighGround.io aims to revolutionize how MSPs communicate security needs to clients, moving away from traditional risk assessments.Links from the showWebsite: https://www.highground.io === Show InformationWebsite: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/Host: Marvin BeeUncle Marv’s Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZBecome a monthly supporter: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

Episode Sponsor: Thread (www.getthread.com)=== Larry Meador, the Channel Chief at Infima, joins the IT Business Podcast to discuss Infima's cybersecurity platform, which offers fully automated security awareness training and phishing simulations tailored for managed service providers (MSPs) and their clients.Infima's platform is built on behavioral science principles, designed to help users retain information and change their reflexes when encountering potential phishing threats. The platform is optimized for MSPs, with a three-click client onboarding process and automated user synchronization using the Microsoft Graph API, eliminating the need for domain allow listing or manual user management.Once onboarded, Infima's platform is fully managed, handling user synchronization, reporting, and generating security awareness training policies to satisfy cyber insurance requirements. MSPs can receive aggregate reports on their clients' performance, allowing them to identify and focus on users who may need additional training.When a user falls for a phishing simulation, Infima provides immediate feedback and a personalized follow-up 24 hours later, reinforcing the teachable moment and helping users learn from their mistakes.Infima integrates with various MSP tools, including ConnectWise, Autotask Billing, Lifecycle Insights (now part of ScalePad), and Acronis, with more integrations in the works. MSPs praise Infima for the time savings and worry-free experience it provides, eliminating the need for manual configuration and maintenance.Infima offers a unique value proposition with no contracts, a pay-per-use model, and free NFRs (not for resale) licenses for MSPs to use the platform for their own staff, ensuring they understand the client experience.Larry emphasizes Infima's commitment to building true partnerships and friendships with MSPs, going beyond a transactional vendor-partner relationship.Key TakeawaysInfima's security awareness training is based on behavioral science principles to help users retain information and change reflexes.The platform is optimized for MSPs, with three-click client onboarding and automated user synchronization.Infima's platform is fully managed, handling reporting, user synchronization, and cyber insurance policy generation.Immediate and personalized feedback is provided when users fall for phishing simulations.Infima integrates with various MSP tools and has a no-contract, pay-per-use model with free NFRs for MSPs.Infima focuses on building true partnerships and friendships with MSPs.Links from the showWebsite: https://infimasec.com/ === Show InformationWebsite: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/Host: Marvin BeeUncle Marv’s Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZBecome a monthly supporter: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

Episode Sponsor: Thread (www.getthread.com)=== Adam Anderson, co-founder of Threat Captain, joins the podcast to discuss his company's mission and its participation in the PitchIT accelerator program. Threat Captain is a cybersecurity leadership development company dedicated to bridging the gap between executive leadership and security teams through strategic alignment and informed decision-making.The company has developed a financial risk platform that helps people understand and communicate the financial impact of cybercrime. This platform is designed to facilitate better conversations between technology providers and their customers by graphically showing the likelihood and potential financial impact of a cyber breach based on the customer's security controls.Threat Captain's software platform is a SaaS tool that runs simulations on cyber threats and impacts, providing reports for MSPs to share with their customers during QBRs or for prospecting. It leverages data feeds from the MITRE ATT&CK framework and the Verizon Data Impact Report to assess the likelihood and potential financial costs of a breach based on the customer's security posture.While initially targeting the insurance industry, Threat Captain pivoted to focus on the MSP market, recognizing the need for transparency and data-driven insights to sell cybersecurity services effectively. The company is currently in its first eight months and is actively seeking integrations with various MSP software products to enhance its platform's capabilities.Threat Captain's participation in the PitchIT accelerator program aims to gain valuable feedback from potential customers and industry experts, ensuring they build the best possible product from the outset.Key TakeawaysThreat Captain provides a financial risk platform to help communicate the financial impact of cybercrime.The platform assesses the likelihood and potential financial costs of a cyber breach based on a customer's security controls.Threat Captain's software runs simulations and provides reports for MSPs to share with customers.The company leverages data from the MITRE ATT&CK framework and Verizon Data Impact Report.Threat Captain is actively seeking integrations with various MSP software products.Participation in the PitchIT accelerator program aims to gather feedback and insights for product development.Links from the showWebsite: https://threatcaptain.com/ === Show InformationWebsite: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/Host: Marvin BeeUncle Marv’s Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZBecome a monthly supporter: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

Episode Sponsor: Thread (www.getthread.com)=== ComplianceAid is an AI-driven, multilingual cybersecurity compliance platform designed to assist MSPs in offering compliance services to their clients. The platform utilizes a team of AI agents that act as virtual auditors, reading and aligning clients' existing documentation with compliance controls and generating context-enriched policies and procedures.The founders highlight the platform's ability to save time and resources for MSPs by automating the compliance assessment process. Instead of relying on expensive human auditors, ComplianceAid's AI auditors can assess compliance for all clients within a short timeframe, enabling MSPs to offer compliance services at a profitable rate.ComplianceAid offers flexibility in its service delivery model, allowing MSPs to either use the platform directly or have ComplianceAid handle the entire compliance assessment process. The platform supports various compliance frameworks, including NIST Cybersecurity Framework, HIPAA, and HITRUST, and can integrate with other systems through APIs or copy-paste functionality.The founders emphasize the platform's agility in adapting to new generative AI technologies and its multimodal capabilities, enabling it to understand and interpret graphs and images within documents.Key Takeaways: ComplianceAid offers an AI-driven cybersecurity compliance platform for MSPs.The platform automates compliance documentation generation and assessment processes.It saves time and resources by replacing or augmenting human auditors with AI auditors.MSPs can offer compliance services to all clients cost-effectively using ComplianceAid.The platform supports various compliance frameworks and can integrate with other systems.Links from the showWebsite: https://www.thecomplianceaide.com/ === Show InformationWebsite: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/Host: Marvin BeeUncle Marv’s Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZBecome a monthly supporter: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

Episode Sponsor: Thread (www.getthread.com)=== Aportio Technologies is an IT service management startup that offers an AI-powered email and alert management plugin called Inbox Agent. The plugin is designed to help service desk agents work more efficiently by automating mundane tasks, categorizing requests, prioritizing them, and pre-assigning actions based on predefined rules.The idea behind Aportio stemmed from Scott Green's experience as the CEO of an MSP, where he witnessed the challenges faced by service desk agents. He realized that by automating repetitive tasks, agents could have more time to focus on providing exceptional customer service, akin to "singing" to customers.Inbox Agent is unique in several ways:It is specifically designed for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and integrates with popular Professional Services Automation (PSA) tools.It handles both user emails and system-generated alerts, ensuring a comprehensive solution.Its pre-trained AI model has a high degree of accuracy in categorizing requests out of the box.The AI-based categorization enables the creation of automated actions to solve problems faster and more efficiently.It can handle simple to complex use cases, making it a versatile solution.Aportio's origins lie in Scott Green's extensive experience in the MSP industry, spanning over 40 years. He recognized the need for innovation and decided to create a solution that addresses the challenges faced by service desk agents.While Aportio is a relatively new player in the US market, having started in New Zealand and Australia, its proven track record and scalable architecture make it a compelling choice for MSPs seeking to streamline their service desk operations.Key TakeawaysAportio's Inbox Agent automates mundane tasks for service desk agents, freeing up their time for better customer service.The AI-powered plugin categorizes requests, prioritizes them, and pre-assigns actions based on predefined rules.Inbox Agent is designed specifically for MSPs and integrates with popular PSA tools.Aportio's solution is proven, secure, and scalable, with a presence in multiple AWS regions.The company's origins stem from the founder's extensive experience in the MSP industry.Links from the showWebsite: https://www.aportio.com/ === Show InformationWebsite: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/Host: Marvin BeeUncle Marv’s Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZBecome a monthly supporter: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

Jeff provides an update on the progress of integrating ConnectWise products into the ASIO unified platform. The next wave involves bringing the PSA, CPQ, BrightGauge, ITBoost, SIM, and MDR into ASIO, with a target timeline of Q3 or early Q4. This integration will enable a single ticketing system across all products, streamlining operations for partners.With a unified data layer, ConnectWise can create AI models that span multiple products and services. This allows for cross-product recommendations and insights, leveraging data from CPQ, PSA, RMM, and BrightGauge. Jeff acknowledges the fortuitous timing of their preparations aligning with the recent advancements in generative AI.Jeff addresses the recently announced Secure360 product and the ability to integrate third-party cloud and security products into ASIO. The vendor integration program ensures secure integrations by conducting security posture checks. Over 15-20 vendors are already integrated, with expectations for rapid growth in the coming months.Jeff clarifies that the ASIO agent, used for RMM, vulnerability management, and RPA, is also the agent for Secure360, dispelling confusion about needing separate agents. He explains the vendor onboarding process through the vendor program, which involves understanding the vendor's goals, marketing needs, and potential API requirements.Key Takeaways:ConnectWise is integrating its core products into the ASIO unified platform for streamlined operations.A unified data layer enables AI models spanning multiple products for cross-product insights.Secure360 allows integration of third-party cloud and security products into ASIO.The vendor program ensures secure integrations and facilitates vendor onboarding.The ASIO agent is a universal agent for various ConnectWise products and services. === Show InformationWebsite: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/Host: Marvin BeeUncle Marv’s Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZBecome a monthly supporter: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast

Matt Lee, known as the "most ethical hacker," joins the podcast to discuss the latest trends in cybersecurity. He shares insights on passwordless authentication using pass keys and FIDO protocols, which eliminate the risk of stolen passwords. Biometrics are also becoming more prevalent, combining factors like facial recognition, fingerprints, and behavioral patterns for stronger authentication. Matt previews some of the sessions he'll be leading at the upcoming Pax8 Beyond event, including a "wrong answers only" panel discussing controversial security topics in a lighthearted way. He emphasizes the importance of raising cybersecurity standards and continuous learning in the industry. In the second interview, Bobby Jacobs from Thread provides updates on their service experience platform since winning the PitchIT Accelerator program. They've rebranded their AI as "Magic AI" and released new features like the Planner for dispatchers, with a JIRA-like interface for scheduling tickets. Upcoming integrations include Time Zest for scheduling and Roost. Bobby discusses Thread's focus on providing a secure support experience through authenticated chat platforms like Teams and Slack. He also shares insights into the Pitch It Accelerator community and the coaching process for this year's participants.Key Takeaways: Passwordless authentication and biometrics are the future of cybersecurityContinuous learning and raising security standards are crucial in the industryThread's service experience platform is expanding with new features and integrationsThe PitchIT Accelerator fosters a supportive community for startups in the MSP spaceEpisode Sponsor: Thread (www.getthread.com) === Show InformationWebsite: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/Host: Marvin BeeUncle Marv’s Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/3EiyKoZBecome a monthly supporter: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast