Today, just before Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) and CybSafe released their 2024 Oh Behave! report, looking into the trends and attitudes shaping cybersecurity this year. The report uncovers rising digital anxiety, with 65% of respondents expressing concern about AI-related cybercrime while a significant gap persists in terms of preparedness and training on AI risks, according to the report.
Some of the report's key findings include:
- 55% of AI users have received no training on AI security or privacy risks, highlighting a critical need for better education and safeguards as AI technologies become more prevalent.
- Cybercrime victimization has sharply increased, with 35% of participants reporting incidents this year—an 8% rise from 2023, emphasizing the urgent need for stronger cybersecurity measures.
- Despite increased awareness, gaps remain in password management and multi-factor authentication (MFA) adoption: Only 65% of respondents consistently use unique passwords, and 66% regularly enable MFA.
You can check out the full report here.
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Grab your coffee. Here's what you need to know today.
Today’s Tech, Channel and MSP News
1. Transparity receives investment from Bowmark Capital: UK-based Microsoft MSP Transparity today announced an agreed investment from private equity firm Bowmark Capital, providing an exit for previous investor Beech Tree, which invested in 2020. The amount of the investment was not disclosed. Transparity will use the investment to further organic growth and pursue M&A in the UK and Europe, the company said in a statement, as well as create new jobs. Transparity said it will also create a cloud and AI skills academy, building on its existing apprenticeships offering, to help UK graduates and workers who want to learn new skills. This will qualify academy graduates for over 50 future roles at Transparity, in addition to roles at other Microsoft partners and tech firms across the UK.
2. Quadrant launches continuous threat exposure management: MDR solutions provider Quadrant Information Security last week launched its continuous threat exposure management (CTEM) solution, the company said in a statement. Quadrant's CTEM service integrates external and internal attack surface management with network and web application penetration testing. Some key features of the service include proactive risk identification, automated scanning and auditing, trend analysis and remediation guidance and regular penetration testing. Monthly threat reviews, dark web monitoring and comprehensive reporting are also included.
3. Carahsoft, Portal26 partner on GenAI solutions for the public sector: Government IT solutions provider Carahsoft and Portal26 are teaming up to adapt Portal26's Trust, Risk and Security Management Platforms available to the public sector through Carahsoft’s reseller partners and NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V, Information Technology Enterprise Solutions – Software 2 (ITES-SW2), National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) ValuePoint and OMNIA Partners contracts, the companies said in a statement. The partnership will help ensure generative AI can be put to use in government agencies while remaining secure.
4. Apono raises $15.5 million for cloud access management: AI-enabled cloud access management security startup Apono has completed a Series A funding round, raising $15.5 million, the company said in a statement. The funding round was led by New Era Capital Partners, with participation from Mindset Ventures, Redseed Ventures, Silvertech Ventures, initial seed investors, and more. The funds will advance Apono's product development and enable Apono to continue its growth. This latest round brings the total investment from new and current investors to $20.5 million.
5. HP, Inc. acquires Vyopta for collaboration management: HP Inc. acquired Austin, Texas-based Vyopta, a provider of collaboration management solutions, offering analytics and monitoring for large, unified communications and collaboration (UC) networks, the companies said in a statement. No financial details about the deal were disclosed. The move is expected to strengthen HP's workplace solutions and improve employee experiences through expanded offerings including advanced analytics and monitoring for UC networks.
In-Person MSP and Channel Partner Events
- MSSP Alert Live, October 14-16, Austin, Texas
- Canalys North America Forum, October 22-24, Miami, Florida
- Kaseya Dattocon, October 28-30, 2024, Fontainebleau, Miami Beach, Florida
- Ingram Micro One, November 6-8, Gaylord Resort, Washington DC
- IT Nation Connect, November 6-8, Orlando, Florida
- OpenText World, November 19-21, The Venetian Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada