Episode 47 - The MSP Community

In CyberVersed episode 47 Mandy Haeburn-Little is joined by two National Ambassador representatives: Wayne Selk, VP, Cybersecurity Programs & Executive Director, GTIA ISAO, and Jamie Akhtar, Co-Founder and CEO of CyberSmart. The topic of discussion is 'The MSP community,' which is Part 1 of a focus on MSPs.   It's a lively and engaging three-way discussion that provides excellent insights into the MSP community and why they are essential in the drive to make the SME community throughout the UK better prepared and ultimately more cyber resilient. To begin the discussion, Wayne and Jamie define an MSP and discuss how the industry has developed in recent years from a 'Break-Fix' model to an essential provider of managed services to most businesses. Both Jamie and Wayne reinforce the pivotal role MSPs play in improving the cyber resilience of SMEs, explaining why they agree they are the key to greater protection for the SME community. They chat about regulation and what they consider the best way to develop the MSP community going forward to ensure SMEs receive the best possible service from their providers. Jamie provides insight into what their partners are telling them about their clients' attitude towards cybersecurity and shares some of the reasons cyber is not at the top of their list of priorities. Both then discuss the challenges of how cyber is presented and the need to reset the conversation around 'the why' rather than the technology. Wayne explains why he believes it should be much more about explaining business risk to business owners and how this approach is proving to be a revenue driver among their members. Jamie also touches on what SMEs want and why MSPs must deliver solutions that provide complete cyber confidence.  Mandy then guides the conversation to 'two-way communication' and the efforts both organisations are making to improve the sharing of intel to and from the SME community. Wayne provides a great analogy to explain why everyone needs to share their piece of the jigsaw to see the whole picture. Jamie then reinforces that the MSPs are an essential element in completing the picture. The conversation then moves on to the role that the CRC Network play in delivering the message to the SME community and why the National Ambassadors must do what they can to improve the amplification of the great work being done through the Cyber Resilience Centres. Jamie also mentions the impending Cyber Security Resilience Bill and its impact on the MSP community. While Jamie describes it as one of the most significant shifts in the cybersecurity landscape, he expresses caution, believing it's a start but not the complete solution. The whole discussion sets a good picture and leads nicely into the next CyberVersed episode, which will be part two of the MSP-focused discussion, when they will also be joined by team members from the CRC Network. NCSC has also recently published guidance for SMEs when choosing an MSP. You can view it here.