Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) News: 25 October 2019 -

Each business day, MSSP Alert broadcasts a quick lineup of news, analysis and chatter from across that managed security services provider ecosystem.

The Content: Written for MSSPs, SOC as a Service (SOCaaS), Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and MSP security providers — and those who need to partner up with such companies.

Frequency and Format: Every business morning. Typically one or two sentences for each item below.

Reaching Our Inbox: Send news, tips and rumors to [email protected].

A. Today’s MSSP Alerts

1. Cybersecurity Company for Sale?: Forcepoint, the cybersecurity firm owned by Raytheon and Vista Equity Partners, may have a change of ownership. First, Raytheon is negotiating to acquire Vista Equity's stake in Forcepoint. Then, Raytheon will focus on "monetizing" the Forcepoint asset, Raytheon CEO Tom Kennedy said during a briefing with Wall Street analysts. It's unclear to MSSP Alert whether Kennedy meant Raytheon will "monetize" Forcepoint by driving cybersecurity revenues -- or by putting that business up for sale.

2. Cyber Insurance Concerns: There is a growing precedent within the global insurance industry for insurers to back away from their cyber insurance policies, usually in the face of potentially massive losses, CPO Magazine reports.

3. Talent - Managed Detection and Response (MDR): CriticalStart, a Top 200 MSSP for 2019 and MDR company, has named Andrew Kaufman as the company's first CFO.

4. Talent - Financial Services Cybersecurity: DefenseStorm, a cloud-based cybersecurity and cyber-compliance management provider to regional and community banks and credit unions, has promoted Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) Steve Soukup to president.

5. Funding - Data Security: Very Good Security has raised $35 million in Series B funding, led by Goldman Sachs.

6. McAfee Layoffs: The cybersecurity firm is cutting more jobs, this time in Oregon.

7. Top 20 Security Threats: Here's the list care of NeuShield.

8. Cloud Cybersecurity: Telos has launched a cloud services practice that provides assessment, consulting and full migration from on-premises to cloud resources in a secure and compliant way, the company says.

9. Cybersecurity Certification: CompTIA is beta testing an exam for the CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) credential.

10. Cybersecurity Salary Survey: New research reveals persistent gaps with gender and diversity, plus challenges with work-life balance, according to Exabeam's annual Exabeam 2019 Cybersecurity Professionals Salary, Skills and Stress Survey.

11. New Jersey Hacker Pleads Guilty: A 45-year-old man admitted he trespassed at two companies in New Jersey, hacked into their computers and stole sensitive information, Security InfoWatch reports. The man used key-loggers to obtain the usernames and passwords of employees, and made his own access card at one business, the report says.

B. MSSP Partner Programs and Strategic Alliances

1. Internal MSP Security: Blackpoint Cyber has unveiled an MSP Protect program, which offers special pricing to all MSPs to help secure their own internal networks, the company says.

2. MSSP Threat Intelligence: Kaspersky has expanded access to its Threat Intelligence Portal to more third-party security operations centers (SOCs) and MSSPs, the company says.

3. Cisco Security Partner Strategy: New clues about Cisco's security partner strategy emerged here ahead of Cisco Partner Summit 2019.

4. Cyber Risk Management: InterDev has expanded its managed security services with FortifyData's cyber-risk management platform.

5. All Partner Programs: Search the comprehensive ChannelE2E Partner Program Database here. Also, submit your company information here and your partner program can be listed in the database.