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

  • The Content: Written for MSSPs, SOC as a Service (SOCaaS), Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) 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, MDR, XDR and Cybersecurity News Alerts

1. Managed EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response): Nuspire, a Top 250 MSSP, has announced a new managed EDR service that supports technologies from VMware Carbon Black, SentinelOne, and others.  Nuspire’s EDR service provides a SOC as a Service (SoCaas) for clients when they have limited resources, 24x7 time, or expertise to manage, or monitor their EDR technology.

2. XDR in Vertical Markets: Professional Datasolutions Inc. (PDI) has enhanced its XDR service offerings for the convenience retail and petroleum wholesale industries. The PDI XDR enhancements span patch management; content filtering; Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) monitoring; and firewall controls. The updates follow PDI's acquisition of Cybera and ControlScan in December 2020, the creation of the PDI Security Solutions line of business, and the continued integration of security capabilities across the company's solutions portfolio PDI says.

3. SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) Enhancements: Netskope has enhanced its SASE platform with an integrated cloud firewall along with new private access, remote browser isolation (RBI) and SaaS security posture management capabilities.

4. Container & Cloud Security Management: Two updates from Kaspersky. First, the company's Endpoint Security for Linux now supports more native delivery of protection mechanisms for Docker containers. Second, Kaspersky Security Center Cloud Console now works with public cloud platforms to simplify cloud workload protection and management, the company adds.

5. Talent - Threat Intelligence: Mandiant has hired Vikram Ramesh has chief marketing officer (CMO). He previously held key posts at Entrust, Riverbed, Symphony Teleca, Virtana and Hewlett Packard. Mandiant is in the process of selling its FireEye business to private equity firm Symphony Technology Group.

6. Talent - Security Services: Optiv Security has appointment three VP presidents to support Managed XDR (MXDR), innovation and development, and security operations, the company says. The names to know are:

  • John Ayers, senior vice president MXDR;
  • Shane Cox, vice president of security operations; and
  • Rocky DeStefano, senior vice president of innovation and development.

7. Vulnerability - Fortinet FortiWeb: Fortinet has patched a Fortinet FortiWeb OS vulnerability discovered by Rapidy7.

8. Vulnerability - BlackBerry QNX: BlackBerry has issued a public advisory identifying an integer overflow issue with multiple Real Time Operating Systems (RTOS) from multiple vendors, including older versions of the QNX RTOS. The issue does not impact current or recent versions of the QNX RTOS. The issue involves versions dating from 2012 and earlier. All potentially affected customers have been notified. BlackBerry has made software patches available to resolve the matter, the company says.

B. Cybersecurity Partner Programs, Strategic Alliances and Integrations

1. Funding & MSP Partner Program: Automated threat detection and response startup Blumira has raised a $10.3 million in Series A funding, and plans to expand an MSP-focused partner program.

2. Partnership - MDR for Vertical Markets: 1898 & Co. and Dragos are partnering to promote Managed Threat Detection and Response managed security services in the smart manufacturing space. Early adopters include AZCO, a heavy industrial construction and prefabrication solutions provider.

3. Partner Program - Autonomous Incident Response: GuardDog.ai has announced a dealer program for systems integrators, MSSP’, and IT security professionals nationwide.

4. Integration - Cloud Security: Fortinet and HashiCorp have integrated FortiManager and Terraform. The result: MSSPs and customers can automate security provisioning, eliminate errors caused by misconfiguration, and simplify the rollout and change management of security policies, the two companies say.

C. MSSP, MDR and Cybersecurity Virtual Events and Conference Calendar

  1. AWS re:Inforce 2021 (August 24, Virtual Event)
  2. Top 250 MSSPs 2021 List (September 16, Live Webcast and On-Demand)
  3. CMMC Con 2021 (September 29, Virtual Event)
  4. FireEye Cyber Defense Summit (October 4-8, Hybrid – virtual and face to face)
  5. Exabeam Spotlight21 (October 4-6, Hybrid – virtual and face to face)
  6. Bonus: MSSP Alert’s complete event calendar