Monday Morning Impact – October 9

AWS Rolls out New Partner Competency

AWS has launched its new Telecom Services Competency, which provides customers with a vetted list of AWS Partners validated for their expertise and proven success delivering telecom consulting services. The initiative is designed to validate partner strengths and capabilities in key telecom service areas including Operation Support Services (OSS), Business Support Systems (BSS), Communication as a Service (CaaS), Mobile Networks, and Media & TV.

Validation by AWS Solutions Architects, includes a review of telco projects the partner has successfully completed on AWS, and examination of the partner’s technical capabilities against a set of telecom service or solution development skills on AWS.

Current validated partners include Amdocs for BSS and OSS; Cognizant for Media & TV; Deloitte for CaaS; EPAM for Media & TV; IBM for BSS; OSS, and Mobile Networks; NTT Data for OSS; Prodapt for BSS, and OSS; Tata Consultancy Services for BSS; and Tech Mahindra for BSS, OSS, and Mobile Networks.

AWS Telecom Competency Partners receive private account planning sessions in addition to AWS Competency Program benefits. AWS Partners looking to get their telecom offering validated through the AWS Competency Program must be validated or differentiated members of the Services Path prior to applying.

Channel Impact^®
In the era of 5G, telecommunication services providers are under pressure to find new ways to build, operate, and monetize networks while delivering new and greater value to customers. As a result, they are shifting to adapt to system disaggregation and open specification, and even harnessing the power of the cloud. For many providers, this has made the process of selecting partners with consulting services increasingly complex and time consuming—especially when a specific set of skills, experience, and services are needed. This program is intended to help mitigate those issues.

SecurityScorecard Joins Forces with Measured Analytics and Insurance to Deliver Cyber Insurance Discounts for Top Security Ratings

SecurityScorecard has announced an alliance with Measured Analytics and Insurance, an AI-powered cyber insurance provider, to deliver discounted cyber insurance premium, based on security ratings.

“Together with SecurityScorecard, Measured is reimagining how organizations manage cybersecurity as a business risk,” said Jack Vines, CEO, Measured Insurance. “The dynamic threat landscape requires real-time risk assessment, best-in-class cybersecurity tools seamlessly integrated with comprehensive cyber insurance. SecurityScorecard sees what a threat actor sees, which allows us to deliver more accurate and responsive cyber insurance coverage and rates.”

Measured Insurance uses proprietary AI data analytics and national security-grade threat intelligence to deliver data-driven cyber risk insights to validate their defenses, prioritize investments, and strengthen proactive cybersecurity strategies.

The cyber insurance landscape experienced a pivotal shift in 2022, with a 28% surge in cyber insurance premiums during Q4, as reported by Marsh, a leading cyber insurance broker. This surge in premiums reflects the escalating financial repercussions of cyber incidents, exemplified by a staggering $40 million payout for a single ransomware attack. These trends underscore the urgency for robust cyber risk management strategies.

The two companies intend to enable organizations to effectively incorporate cyber insurance into their risk management strategy, even as insurance costs remain uncertain. This approach will also enable the procurement of cyber insurance as part of a broader program of corporate investment and enterprise risk management. Security Ratings are transparent and actionable, meaning organizations can clearly understand what they need to do to qualify for the premium incentives, according to a joint statement.

Key factors include endpoint security, patching cadence, network security, DNS health, and IP Reputation, a measurement on ransomware vulnerability.

Channel Impact^®
A cyber insurance policy alone is insufficient for mitigating threat exposure. Strong cybersecurity hygiene and cyber insurance must also be in place. Continuous cyber risk assessments with actionable threat mitigation plans reduce breach likelihood and financial vulnerability.

ConnectWise Announces Integrations with Microsoft for Strengthened Cybersecurity Management

ConnectWise has announced that ConnectWise MDR will be integrated with Microsoft’s small and medium business-focused security solutions. This collaboration is intended to strengthen cybersecurity management through the integration of ConnectWise MDR and Microsoft Defender for Business standalone and as part of Microsoft 365 Business Premium.

MSPs of all sizes can leverage the integration to provide enterprise-grade cybersecurity and business solutions to small and medium-sized businesses in a variety of industries. This includes detection and response to threats in real-time, defending client endpoints from security threats, reduced reliance on easily bypassed preventative-only tools, and security operations center (SOC) team support with certified security analysts.

“Our mission is to empower IT solution providers with unmatched software, services, and community to achieve their most ambitious visions of success,” said Raffael Marty, EVP and GM of Cybersecurity at ConnectWise. “Our integration with Microsoft enhances our shared vision of assisting businesses so they can thrive in resource-limited environments.”

“The integration with ConnectWise represents our shared commitment to empowering managed service providers,” added Rob Lefferts, CVP, Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Sentinel Engineering. “This collaboration aims to enhance security for SMB customers, boost partner profitability, and reduce costs through integrated solutions.”

Channel Impact^®
The combined capabilities are expected to help TSPs and MSPs worldwide with the delivery of scalable, enterprise-grade security solutions with threat intelligence in a cost-effective manner that streamlines IT management and improves operational efficiency.