MSP technology news headlines for the week of August 17, 2026
Exclaimer is reworking its MSP experience with consumption billing and self-service management. Meanwhile, ScanSource is making a major services play with its $220.5 million acquisition of MicroAge. Security remains front and center as Fortinet acquires Virtue AI to expand AI protection, Black Kite finds ransomware disproportionately hitting the midmarket, and new research suggests even highly satisfied customers may be willing to switch MSPs for better AI, automation and strategic guidance.
If you’re ready for more of this week’s MSP news and partner program updates, scroll on down!
Exclaimer launches MSP Connect with consumption billing and self-service management
Exclaimer’s new MSP platform features consumption-based billing, multicustomer self-service, PSA integrations and dedicated partner support, available immediately worldwide.
Key quote from the press release:
“MSPs have been clear about what they need from us: a platform that is easy to provision at scale, a commercial model that flexes with their customers and commercial support that helps them grow. We also heard clearly where our previous MSP offering fell short. It was not easy enough to use, and the billing model did not reflect how MSPs run their businesses. MSP Connect is the reset. It removes unnecessary steps, gives partners more control through self-service, and aligns billing with what their customers use.” — Jim Turner, chief operating officer, Exclaimer
Midmarket survey finds 65% may switch MSPs despite high trust
A survey of 600 U.S. IT and security decision-makers found high trust in current providers but substantial willingness to change MSPs.
Key findings from the report include:
- 95.8% trust their current MSP.
- 65% are considering switching providers within 12 months.
- Among buyers considering a switch, 33% cited limited AI and automation support, 33% cited reactive service and 30% cited a lack of strategic guidance.
ScanSource agrees to acquire MicroAge for $220.5M
ScanSource agreed to acquire MicroAge, adding professional and managed services capabilities that the distributor says will be available to channel partners.
Key quote from the press release:
“MicroAge is an amazing, legendary company that has had tremendous brand recognition for more than 50 years. The acquisition expands ScanSource’s total addressable market, adds new services capabilities, and provides greater visibility into end-user needs.” — Mike Baur, chair and CEO, ScanSource Inc.
Black Kite finds ransomware concentrates on the midmarket
Black Kite analyzed 13,336 ransomware incidents and risk signals across 120,128 North American and European midmarket organizations.
Key findings from the report include:
- 73% of observed ransomware victims were midmarket organizations with $10 million to $1 billion in revenue.
- More than half of victims had less than $50 million in revenue; more than one-quarter were manufacturers.
- Among assessed organizations, 28.3% had a known exploited vulnerability and 48.1% had a vulnerability rated CVSS 8 or higher.
Impartner adds partner-first CPQ to its PRM platform
Impartner launched a self-service quoting capability inside its PRM platform with vendor-controlled catalogs, tier-based pricing, approvals and support for multiple CRM environments.
Key quote from the press release:
“Quoting should not be the point where a partner opportunity slows down. In a direct sales model, sellers have the tools and authority to move an opportunity from one stage to the next. Vendor companies have historically had to bridge the partner quoting gap through manual processes and internal team intervention. We’re changing that dynamic by giving partners a direct path to act while preserving the controls vendors need to run their business. The result is a partnership motion that can move at the speed of the opportunity, not the speed of the process.” — Robert Harris, vice president of product management, Impartner
SolarWinds finds AI delivers ITSM returns while adding workload
SolarWinds surveyed more than 800 IT professionals about AI adoption, return on investment, workload and operating costs.
Key findings from the report include:
- 84% said AI met or exceeded return-on-investment expectations.
- 52% said workload increased after AI adoption.
- Only 7% said costs matched the original plan.
IGEL makes Emergency Mode generally available for endpoint recovery
IGEL made Emergency Mode generally available. This allows administrators to reboot supported dual-boot endpoints into IGEL OS while preserving the Windows partition during ransomware incidents or outages.
Key quote from the press release:
“Organizations have invested heavily in the ability to quickly recover data and infrastructure, but few can recover user access at the endpoint just as quickly. IGEL Emergency Mode closes that gap by giving administrators a controlled way to reconnect people to authorized resources in minutes.” — Klaus Oestermann, CEO, IGEL
Barracuda finds an average of 20 vulnerabilities per web application
Barracuda’s Application Security Insight research found an average of 20 security vulnerabilities per web application and concentrated exposure in seven categories.
Key findings from the blog post include:
- The average web application had 20 security vulnerabilities.
- Seven categories represented about 90% of the vulnerabilities identified.
- Information disclosure represented 25%, brand impersonation 24% and client-side vulnerabilities 14%.
Netwrix adds AI agent inventory and Azure Files detection
Netwrix released PingCastle 4.0 and Threat Manager 3.3 with 102 Entra ID risk checks, AI agent identity inventory and new Azure Files threat detection.
Key quote from the press release:
“Earlier this year, we gave organizations visibility into what AI agents can access. This release goes a layer deeper: which agents exist at all. Our research found fewer than one in five organizations fully govern nonhuman identities, and agents are the fastest-growing category. You can’t review access for an identity you don’t know you have.” — Jeff Warren, chief product officer, Netwrix
Commvault expands Cloud Rewind coverage for Azure applications
Commvault expanded Cloud Rewind’s Azure configuration coverage, recovery integration and policy-based resource enrollment for cloud application recovery.
Key quote from the press release:
“Modern applications depend on interconnected cloud services, infrastructure, and configurations that must be recovered together. Cloud Rewind helps organizations recover cloud applications through a unified experience in Commvault Cloud, increasing customers’ confidence in their ability to recover following a cyberattack or outage.” — Pranay Ahlawat, chief technology and AI officer, Commvault
Fortinet acquires Virtue AI to expand AI security testing and protection
Virtue AI will add automated red teaming, agent protection, governance, continuous validation and guardrails to Fortinet’s AI security portfolio.
Key quote from the press release:
“AI is fundamentally changing enterprise computing, and security must evolve just as quickly. Virtue AI’s technology will advance our vision for continuous AI assurance, helping customers govern and protect AI systems throughout their lifecycle and while operating them confidently at enterprise scale.” — Ken Xie, founder, chairman of the board and CEO, Fortinet
Huntress details a Google Docs phishing chain aimed at DEF CON attendees
Huntress documented a targeted campaign that used social media outreach, a legitimate Google Doc and a ClickFix-style prompt to deliver macOS and Windows malware.
Key findings from the blog post include:
- The lure impersonated a CoinDesk executive and moved the target into a legitimate Google Doc.
- A custom Apps Script sidebar displayed a false decryption failure and instructed the target to run a command manually.
- The macOS path delivered Atomic macOS Stealer while Windows paths included a Ledger-focused implant, NetSupport and proxy tooling.
Pure IP relaunches FinOps with AI-powered intelligent cost management
The redesigned platform combines AI, automation and carrier-neutral visibility to help control technology spend, identify billing discrepancies and uncover savings faster.
Key quote from the press release:
“Enterprises don’t need more data; they need to know where their money is going and where they can take action. With this relaunch, we’re bringing together visibility, automation and AI to make technology spend easier to understand and manage. The result is fewer billing surprises, faster decisions and measurable savings for our customers.” — Clari Rosa-Garcia, product director, Pure IP FinOps
Google adds enterprise security controls for Workspace Studio
New identity, access management, auditing, governance and runtime protections help admins safely expand no-code agentic automation use cases across Google Workspace.
Key facts from the blog post include:
- Workspace Studio is adding enterprise controls for agent identities, agent access management, auditing and observability, human-in-the-loop settings and runtime protections.
- New Studio flows will run with least-privileged agent identities and unique auditable identifiers, rather than the full privileges of the flow owner.
- Admins will be able to decide whether flow actions are attributed to the owner or to the flow itself, with owner information visible.
- Studio audit events will include configuration and execution activity, while related actions in apps such as Drive and Gmail will include flow context.
- An Agent access management dashboard will let admins suspend all flows or targeted OAuth scopes for individual flows.
Keeper Security adds a secrets connector for Azure Logic Apps
Keeper Security launched a certified Power Platform connector that retrieves secrets at runtime for Azure Logic Apps without hardcoding credentials in workflows.
Key quote from the press release:
“Workflow automation is only as secure as the secrets powering it, and most organizations are still hardcoding those secrets which creates massive cyber risk. This connector eliminates that exposure by bringing Keeper’s zero-knowledge architecture directly into the Microsoft automation layer: secrets stay encrypted in the vault and are retrieved only at the moment they are needed, so there is nothing hardcoded to steal.” — Darren Guccione, CEO and co-founder, Keeper Security
Zero Networks expands Palo Alto integration for automated containment
Zero Networks expanded its Palo Alto Networks integration with asset-level containment, Strata Cloud Manager visibility, Linux traffic redirection and controls connecting AI Segmentation with Prisma AIRS.
Key quote from the press release:
“Zero Networks controls which connections are allowed, Palo Alto Networks provides deep inspection. Together, we can contain malicious activity before it can move across the environment.” — Benny Lakunishok, co-founder and CEO, Zero Networks
Portnox gives enterprises a network kill switch to instantly cut off risky AI agents
The cloud-native access control platform extends continuous, policy-based enforcement to AI agents and other nonhuman identities across networks, applications and infrastructure.
Key quote from the press release:
“AI agents are becoming active participants in the enterprise, but many organizations are still relying on access models built for human users and managed devices. Every identity that can connect, access data or act must be continuously verified and governed. Portnox gives organizations the ability to immediately restrict access when trust changes without waiting for an AI agent to create a larger security incident.” — Denny LeCompte, CEO, Portnox
Addigy and ScalePad team up to turn Apple device management into MSP profit
The new integration automatically syncs Apple device and contact data from Addigy into ScalePad Lifecycle Manager. This improves asset visibility, QBR planning and advisory workflows.
Key quote from the press release:
“MSPs didn’t get into this business to move data between systems. They got in to be the trusted advisor their clients can’t run without. This integration gives them a reliable, automated flow of Apple device information from Addigy into Lifecycle Manager. With a complete view of each client’s Apple environment, MSPs can operate more efficiently, plan proactively and expand their Apple services without adding unnecessary administrative work.” — Jason Dettbarn, founder and CTO, Addigy
Bradley Gross named exclusive MSP legal resource for MSP OneShare and IBPI members
The partnership gives MSP OneShare and IBPI members access to legal guidance, educational resources and member benefits tailored to MSPs.
Key quote from the press release:
“Having someone with Brad’s experience and reputation supporting our community is an incredible benefit for our members. Legal guidance is essential to building and protecting a successful MSP, and Brad has spent decades helping providers strengthen their businesses. We’re excited to welcome him as our exclusive legal resource and look forward to delivering even more value to our members through this partnership.” — Lynn Williams, director of MSP partnerships and programs, MSP OneShare
➡️ See Bradley Gross present at an upcoming ChannelPro event near you >>
Cribl advances AI-powered security operations with new AI SOC acquisition
The acquisition of Radiant Security technology assets adds autonomous triage, investigation and alert-resolution capabilities to Cribl’s telemetry data platform.
Key quote from the press release:
“Too much of the $121 billion security market is trapped in data silos, giving security teams incomplete information. We’re breaking that cycle. By pairing AI SOC technology with Cribl’s open telemetry platform, we’re ending the era of siloed solutions and giving security teams the intelligence they need, right when AI is reshaping the entire operations landscape.” — Clint Sharp, co-founder and CEO, Cribl
Flashpoint report tracks dark web insider recruitment and access trends
Flashpoint’s monthly Insider Threat Report found threat actors are increasingly targeting the human element. They are recruiting insiders or buying access from employees advertising credentials and services on illicit channels.
Key findings from the report include:
- Flashpoint uncovered 7,282 unique insider threat posts this year. An average of 34 unique posts appeared daily.
- In July 2026, Flashpoint analysts identified 12,653 insider posts, including 1,132 unique posts.
- “Other” industries accounted for 58.6% of total insider threat posts in July. This suggests that adversaries are diversifying beyond historically targeted sectors such as telecom, retail and financial services.
- Financial services accounted for 150 unique insider posts in July, followed by retail with 112, technology with 84 and telecom with 74.
Hexnode introduces Context Layer to enable agentic AI for endpoint management
The new intelligence layer connects Hexnode Genie AI with live UEM context and specialized agents to translate natural-language requests into endpoint management workflows.
Key quote from the press release:
“IT admins today sit at the intersection of every incident, every access decision and every compliance check, and the tools they use have not kept up. Hexnode’s focus is on bringing these areas onto one intelligent platform, so admins can spend their time acting on the fleet, not navigating between systems built to manage it.” — Apu Pavithran, CEO and founder, Hexnode
As ChannelPro’s online director and tech editor for over a decade, Matt Whitlock has spent years blending sharp tech insight with digital know-how. He brings more than 25 years’ experience working in the technology industry to his reviews, analysis, and general musings about all things gadget and gear.
Images: Corsica, Black Kite, Impartner, SolarWinds, IGEL, Barracuda, Huntress, Google, Portnox, Flashpoint
