Monday Morning Impact – May 26
Fortinet Threat Report Reveals Record Surge in Automated Cyberattacks
Fortinet’s 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report reveals that threat actors are increasingly harnessing automation, commoditized tools, and AI to systematically erode the traditional advantages held by defenders.
Automated scanning hit record highs as attackers seek to identify exposed targets early. To capitalize on newfound vulnerabilities, cybercriminals are deploying automated scanning at a global scale. Active scanning in cyberspace reached unprecedented levels in 2024, rising by 16.7% worldwide year-over-year, highlighting a sophisticated and massive collection of information on exposed digital infrastructure. FortiGuard Labs observed billions of scans each month, equating to 36,000 scans per second, revealing an intensified focus on mapping exposed services such as SIP and RDP and OT/IoT protocols like Modbus TCP.
In 2024, cybercriminal forums increasingly operated as sophisticated marketplaces for exploit kits, with over 40,000 new vulnerabilities added to the National Vulnerability Database, a 39% rise from 2023. In addition to zero-day vulnerabilities circulating on the darknet, initial access brokers are increasingly offering corporate credentials (20%), RDP access (19%), admin panels (13%), and web shells (12%). Additionally, FortiGuard Labs observed a 500% increase in the past year in logs available from systems compromised by infostealer malware, with 1.7 billion stolen credential records shared in these underground forums.
Threat actors are harnessing AI to enhance phishing realism and evading traditional security controls, making cyberattacks more effective and difficult to detect. Tools like FraudGPT, BlackmailerV3, and ElevenLabs are fueling more scalable, believable, and effective campaigns, without the ethical restrictions of publicly available AI tools.
Targeted attacks on critical sectors intensify. Industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and financial services continue to experience a surge in tailored cyberattacks, with adversaries deploying sector-specific exploitations. In 2024, the most targeted sectors were manufacturing (17%), business services (11%), construction (9%), and retail (9%).
“Our latest Global Threat Landscape Report makes one thing clear: Cybercriminals are accelerating their efforts, using AI and automation to operate at unprecedented speed and scale,” said Derek Manky, Chief Security Strategist and Global VP Threat Intelligence at Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs. “The traditional security playbook is no longer enough. Organizations must shift to a proactive, intelligence-led defense strategy powered by AI, zero trust, and continuous threat exposure management to stay ahead of today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape.”
This year’s report includes a “CISO Playbook for Adversary Defense” that highlights a few strategic areas of focus.
Channel Impact®
The latest annual report is a snapshot of the active threat landscape and trends from 2024, including a comprehensive analysis across all tactics used in cyberattacks, as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
Sophos Announces New Sales Initiative for MSPs
Sophos, a UK-based cybersecurity company, has launched, “MSP Elevate,” a new business acceleration program for MSPs.
Benefits include access to Sophos MDR Complete premium service tier with 24/7 incident response, 1 year data retention, Sophos Network Detection and Response (NDR), and all Sophos integration packs; a discounted Network-in-a-Box hardware bundle that includes Sophos Firewall, Sophos Switch and Sophos Wireless Access Points; growth-based rebates; additional training; and access to various points of contact with the vendor.
“MSP Elevate enables MSPs to quickly deploy a comprehensive MDR service that eliminates blind spots by leveraging all available telemetry from across the customers’ environment,” said Raja Patel, chief product officer, Sophos. “This enhanced visibility accelerates threat detection and response while delivering improved return for customers on their existing technology investments.”
Partners can choose to have Sophos fully deliver the MDR service or to use Sophos to augment in-house teams, including for the provision of out-of-hours coverage. To access the program benefits, MSPs need to commit to a minimum monthly spend for a 12-month period. As a pre-requisite to joining MSP Elevate, partners need to be part of the MSP Flex program, which enables MSPs to offer Sophos solutions on a monthly billing basis.
Channel Impact®
With the new program, Sophos hopes to enable MSPs to expand their business with high-value, differentiated cybersecurity offerings that elevate their customers’ cyber defenses and rewards growth with additional investment.
TD Synnex Unveils New Initiative to Operationalize Partners’ AI Strategies
TD Synnex has rolled out an extension of its Destination AI program designed to help its channel partners address the growing demand for AI-enabled solutions. The program is designed to help the channel develop a holistic approach to AI go-to-market strategies, emphasizing the importance of AI-ready infrastructure, hardware and other high-growth technologies.
A key component of the updated framework is the “Solution Grid,” a visual tool that connects partners with areas of AI opportunity aligned to their current capabilities and strategic goals. The new methodology coordinates with the overall program’s partner AI profiling, which identifies partners as Aware, Ready or Expert in AI. It then maps AI-native and AI-enabled solutions from leading vendors and technology verticals onto a grid that reflects both the technical complexity of the solution and the sophistication of the sales play required.
“Partners know they need to invest in AI but identifying where to start and how to scale isn’t easy in the ever-changing market,” said Ed Morales, North America Vice President of AI and Digital Transformation Strategy at TD Synnex. “By leveraging our deep industry expertise and close relationships with leading AI vendors, we’ve evolved Destination AI to meet the customized needs of our partners and simplify their AI go-to-market journeys. Our North America team has launched the Solution Grid which now serves as a key pillar of this effort by providing a way for partners to visualize their AI journey, match opportunities to their strengths and scale their practice with confidence.”
The enhancements also include the new Destination AI Partner Assessment Tool — a readiness evaluation exclusive to partners in North America that helps identify their current AI maturity and aligns them with appropriate solutions via the Solution Grid. The assessment provides a guided entry point into the AI market based on technical capability and sales readiness.
The distributor is also prioritizing AI-focused training and upskilling for its internal teams, specifically through its Global Specialized Skills curriculum and newly launched class of internal Destination AI Champions who guide partners through their AI journey by serving as business outcome-oriented AI experts.
Channel Impact®
The enhancements are intended to streamline partners’ connection with the company’s AI vendor ecosystem and develop the specialized skills and technical expertise needed to win in a rapidly evolving market.
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