MSP technology news headlines for the week of August 10, 2026
SonicWall is expanding its MSP focused endpoint security portfolio with new EDR and managed MDR options, ConnectSecure is adding Microsoft 365 remediation and AI-assisted assessments, and Blumira is introducing an AI command center for security operations and compliance. Meanwhile, new research digs into ransomware, AI supply chain threats and machine-to-machine security gaps, while Nutanix and other vendors push ahead with tools for governed agentic AI.
If you’re ready for more of this week’s MSP news and partner program updates, scroll on down!
SonicWall launches MSP-focused endpoint security with EDR and managed MDR options
SonicWall Endpoint Security gives MSPs a standalone EDR option or a SonicSentry-managed MDR service with automated response, ransomware rollback and multitenant administration.
Key quote from the press release:
“MSPs shouldn’t have to choose between enterprise-grade protection and margin viability. SonicWall Endpoint Security ends that trade-off. It gives MSPs and their customers the same detection and response technology enterprises rely on, built into a platform that’s easy to deploy, easy to manage and priced for real-world budgets.” — Chandro Prasad, chief product officer, SonicWall
ConnectSecure adds Microsoft 365 remediation and AI-assisted training assessments for MSPs
ConnectSecure made Microsoft 365 Auto Remediation and AI-assisted Training Assessments live on its platform, as well as Patch 360.
Key quote from the press release:
“MSPs are under pressure to do more than point out problems. They need to help clients fix gaps, prove progress and build stronger security habits over time. M365 Auto Remediation and Training Assessments extend that mission by giving partners practical tools to close security gaps, demonstrate progress and make effective cybersecurity more accessible to the businesses they protect.” — Peter Bellini, CEO, ConnectSecure
ArmorPoint expands security operations platform for MSPs, MSSPs and resellers
ArmorPoint expanded its cloud security operations platform with shared incident, risk and compliance context backed by a 24/7 U.S.-based SOC.
Key quote from the press release:
“Midsized companies are not going to build security operations centers at scale, and most security products are still built as if they will. Security for the middle of the market will be delivered by service providers, or it will not be delivered at all. We built ArmorPoint on that conclusion, and we intend to be the solution behind that shift.” — David Trapp, CEO, ArmorPoint
Anthropic explains how Claude will mark AI-generated content
Anthropic says supported Claude models will add machine-readable marks to generated text and files as part of its transparency commitments under the EU AI Act’s Code of Practice.
Key facts from the support post:
- Claude models launched in the EU on or after Aug. 2, 2026, will support machine-readable marking at launch.
- Generated text from supported models will carry embedded watermarks that are not visible to users and do not change the meaning, quality or readability of the response.
- Supported generated files, including .svg, .png and .jpg files, will include digitally signed provenance metadata using the C2PA open standard.
- Marking will apply across supported Claude surfaces, including Claude Platform, Claude, Claude Code, Claude Cowork and Claude Tag. However, some platforms or features may not support every marking type.
- Detected marks are signals, not definitive proof of authorship. Heavily edited text, short passages, stripped metadata or unsupported file types may not carry a detectable mark.
Blumira launches Hearth AI command center for security operations and compliance
Blumira introduced Hearth for AI-assisted incident investigation, compliance evidence, approved response orchestration and fleet-wide MSP visibility.
Key quote from the press release:
“Teams have been told to either consolidate their tools or keep the best-in-class solutions they chose. Hearth ends that tradeoff. Hearth reasons across the environment a team already has, and produces resources that outlive any single case and compound security intelligence over time.” — Matt Warner, CEO, Blumira
Huntress details Akira ransomware attempt to disable EDR through Windows Safe Mode
Huntress documented an Akira affiliate using Windows Safe Mode to suppress security tools after entering through a SonicWall SSL VPN account without MFA.
Key findings from the report include:
- The Akira affiliate entered through a SonicWall SSL VPN account that did not have MFA enabled.
- The operator attempted to reboot into Windows Safe Mode so endpoint security tools and Microsoft Defender would not run normally.
- The ransomware crashed before encryption completed, but credentials and file-share information had already been collected.
Flashpoint midyear report tracks ransomware growth, credential exposure and AI abuse
Flashpoint’s midyear report covers illicit AI activity, infostealer infections, exposed credentials, disclosed vulnerabilities and ransomware-as-a-service growth.
Key findings from the report include:
- Flashpoint counted 22 million illicit discussions related to AI across the first half of 2026.
- Infostealer activity affected 7.4 million hosts and exposed 1.7 billion credentials, according to the supplied report copy.
- The report counted 21,600 disclosed vulnerabilities and a 45% increase in ransomware-as-a-service activity.
Nozomi Networks and Sophos integrate OT telemetry with Sophos Fusion
The integration sends Nozomi Vantage OT telemetry, asset intelligence and threat data into Sophos Fusion for correlated investigation and response across IT and OT environments.
Key quote from the press release:
“The intersection of IT and OT environments has long been misunderstood by the cybersecurity industry, leading to inefficiencies and potential danger for critical infrastructure. This partnership helps solve these problems by seamlessly integrating OT intelligence into IT security investigations so teams have the full picture when assessing their increasingly expanding attack surface.” — Matt Cowell, vice president of strategic alliances, Nozomi Networks
Searchlight Cyber launches preemptive threat exposure management platform
Searchlight Cyber combined external asset discovery, exploitability validation and attacker intelligence in a preemptive threat exposure management platform available to security teams and MSSPs.
Key quote from the press release:
“Artificial intelligence has fundamentally changed the economics and velocity of cyberattacks. Attackers can now discover vulnerabilities, develop exploits and launch campaigns at unprecedented speed, leaving organizations with no time to react. Detecting attacks faster and responding efficiently remain essential, but in the AI era they are no longer enough. The challenge today is reducing exploitable exposure before attackers have the opportunity to act” — Michael Gianarakis, CEO, Searchlight Cyber
NeuShield adds data exfiltration controls to Data Sentinel for MSP ransomware defense
NeuShield added controls that can block protected-file access through command-line tools, scripts, remote sessions, malware and ransomware while preserving secure Windows Explorer access.
Key quote from the press release:
“Cybercriminals have become remarkably effective at exploiting legitimate credentials to move through an organization unnoticed. Traditional security determines whether someone is authorized to access data. Exfiltration Protection adds another layer by controlling the methods used to reach protected files. When malware or ransomware attempts to access those files outside approved workflows, the request is denied before data can be stolen or encrypted.” — Yuen Pin Yeap, CEO, NeuShield
Nutanix releases open-source MCP server for governed AI operations on its cloud platform
Nutanix’s open-source Model Context Protocol server lets AI assistants invoke Prism v4 API actions while inheriting Nutanix Cloud Platform access controls and governance.
Key quote from the press release:
“Nutanix has a long history of using automation to simplify complex cloud operations. The MCP server is an exciting next step on our journey, allowing us to bring the power of autonomous AI agents to cloud management. By creating a secure gateway between AI tools and our platform, we are giving customers the confidence to safely use AI to operate and govern their hybrid multicloud environments.” — Thomas Cornely, executive vice president, product management, Nutanix
New LiteLLM analysis warns of broad CI/CD and credential exposure
New analysis of the LiteLLM compromise estimates that thousands of organizations and hundreds of thousands of CI/CD pipelines may have been exposed to credential theft.
Key findings from the report include:
- The analysis estimated that more than 2,500 organizations may have used affected LiteLLM packages.
- About 434,000 CI/CD pipelines may have been exposed through the software supply chain.
- Potentially exposed secrets included cloud credentials, SSH keys, Kubernetes tokens and large language model API keys.
NetFoundry survey finds machine-to-machine access is a major AI security gap
A survey of 200 U.S. CISOs and chief technology officers found near-universal concern about AI-driven attack surface growth and low confidence in controls for machine workloads.
Key findings from the report include:
- All respondents said AI is expanding their attack surface and expected an average 14% increase over the next 12 months.
- Only 15% were very confident that current security tools could adequately protect AI deployments.
- Just 8% said current identity systems were very sufficient for AI-driven or other nonhuman workloads, while 85% were evaluating or exploring new approaches.
Alteryx report finds organizations struggle to supply business context for AI
Alteryx research found that organizations are increasing AI investment while struggling to give AI systems usable business context and self-service access to trusted data.
Key findings from the report include:
- Fifty-three percent of respondents said translating business context into AI systems is difficult.
- Sixty-seven percent said AI initiatives fail without business context; 77% called contextual data critical.
- Only 18% reported full self-service access to the data needed for AI work; 55% said they trust their data.
Oxylabs analysis identifies the technology skills holding up in a turbulent U.S. jobs market
An analysis of about 850,000 U.S. technology job postings tracked demand for cloud platforms, Excel and other tools from January 2025 through March 2026.
Key findings from the report include:
- AWS appeared in 30% of the technology job postings analyzed and a major cloud platform appeared in 42%.
- Excel appeared in 15% of postings, indicating demand for a long-established business tool alongside cloud skills.
- First-quarter 2026 postings represented 39% of the dataset, 3.7 times the volume recorded for first-quarter 2025.
Image Star adds Capsul 24-inch and 27-inch business monitors to house brand portfolio
The two-model line gives resellers a spec-competitive, margin-protected option for office refresh and fleet deployment quotes.
Key quote from the press release:
“On a refresh quote, displays are usually the highest-count line on the page, so the monitor decision often determines whether the whole deal clears procurement. Giving our resellers a spec-competitive display at a protected margin means they can compete on those deals without discounting everything else on the order.” — Philip Crean, chief commercial officer, Image Star
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: Blumira, Huntress, Flashpoint, CloudSEK, Oxylabs
