Channel Brief: Tata Launches GenAI Aggregator, Apple Balks at Kaspersky Bug Bounty

Good morning from the Front Range! I'm at Pax8 Beyond and will be bringing you news and updates for the next few days. As always, feel free to drop me a line at [email protected] and keep me updated on news, tips, gossip or just say hello. But first, let's check out what's going on in the rest of the industry.

A year ago, cybersecurity firm Kaspersky reported a zero-click exploit to Apple and now, it seems, Apple is dragging its feet when it comes to paying the bug bounty. Could it be that Apple's hands are tied because of U.S. sanctions on Russia?

TCS unveiled its TCS AI WisdomNext platform, which aggregates multiple generative AI services into a single interface. This allows organizations to judge performance and utility between different tools to help make better-informed decisions.

DirectDefense and Dragos are teaming up to boost OT security, and, in news that should come as no surprise, Computerworld reported that many companies enforcing strict return-to-office (RTO) policies are seeing employees jump ship in droves.

Grab your coffee. Here’s what you need to know today.

Today’s Tech, Channel and MSP News

1. Apple Refuses to Pay Kaspersky Bug Bounty: Here's a salacious tidbit from 9to5mac.com: This time last year Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky uncovered an attack chain using four iOS zero-day vulnerabilities to create a zero-click exploit. Kaspersky identified and reported one of the vulnerabilities to Apple. However, Apple reportedly refuses to pay the security bounty for the firm’s contribution. The article speculates that Apple is refusing to pay since, under the terms of its bug bounty program, "Apple Security Bounty awards may not be paid to you if you are in any U.S. embargoed countries or on the U.S. Treasury Department’s list of Specially Designated Nationals, the U.S. Department of Commerce Denied Person’s List or Entity List, or any other restricted party lists." Since Russia is heavily sanctioned by the U.S., Apple's hands may be tied.

2. DirectDefense and Dragos Team Up for OT Security: Information security services provider DirectDefense is partnering with OT security firm Dragos to combat threats against industrial control systems. By combining DirectDefense's experienced MSSP team with Dragos’s OT cybersecurity solutions, organizations operating with industrial control systems gain greater access to threat intelligence, broad visibility, and a significant reduction in missed or ignored alerts, the companies said.

3. TCS Launches Generative AI Aggregator: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has announced its TCS AI WisdomNext platform, which aggregates multiple generative AI services into a single interface. TCS AI WisdomNext lets organizations easily compare and contrast performance between different generative AI services and helps them speed up adoption while lowering costs, the company said in a statement. The platform includes integration adapters for DevSecOps toolchains and software coding assistants as well as built-in guardrails to ensure compliance.

4. RTO? No Thanks: A Computerworld piece tackles the issue of employers increasingly mandating return-to-office (RTO) policies. As many predicted, it's not going well. Companies that think they’ve won the battle by issuing strict mandates could lose the larger war, Computerworld said. RTO mandates are causing senior-level employees, women, and millennials, among others, to find other jobs with more flexible companies. And, as CW pointed out, if the Federal Trade Commission succeeds in striking down most existing and future non-compete agreements, an increasing number of employees looking for new work could wind up at competitors. Yikes.

5. Hurry Up, Cloud MSPs! Submit Your Survey to Our Top Cloud MSPs List - Every year, Jessica Davis blasts out the deadlines and writes blog posts and sends emails that the deadline for our MSP ranked list is close. And once the window closes to submit your MSP, there are always a handful of companies that ask to reopen the survey so they can submit their companies. Somehow they missed all the messages. Don’t let this be you! Our Top 250 Public Cloud MSPs survey is open now, but it closes in June. Don’t wait until the last minute. Get it done and check it off your list today so you don’t miss the deadline. If your MSP practice includes working with a cloud provider, this survey is for you. Here’s the link to participate. Participation is free. The survey closes in June. Submit your MSP here for recognition today! And if you want to check our lists from previous years, you can find them here.

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