MSP Technology News Headlines for the Week of 5/18/2026
Dell Technologies World set the tone for this week’s news cycle. Dell pushed hard on AI-ready infrastructure, agentic AI, cybersecurity and modern data center innovation as organizations race to prepare for increasingly autonomous workloads. Across the industry, vendors are echoing the same themes: governed AI, zero trust controls for AI agents, smarter automation and growing concern over whether businesses can secure and manage the rapidly expanding AI attack surface. Meanwhile, a wave of new research highlights a sobering reality. AI is accelerating everything from phishing to software supply chain risk, but many organizations still lack the visibility, governance and workforce readiness needed to keep up.
If you’re ready for a rundown of this week’s MSP news and partner program updates, scroll on down!
Dell Technologies World 2026 Highlights AI Infrastructure, Cybersecurity and Modern Data Center Innovation
Dell Technologies used its annual conference to showcase new AI infrastructure and other initiatives aimed at modernizing IT operations and supporting next-generation workloads.
The broad range of announcements at Dell Technologies World 2026 spanned AI-ready infrastructure, operational simplification, data protection and modern workplace technologies. The company emphasized helping organizations manage growing AI demands while balancing performance, security and operational efficiency across hybrid environments.
From The ChannelPro Network:
➡️ Dell Technologies World 2026: Prepare for the ‘AI-native’ SMB
Dell Technologies World 2026 news:
➡️ Dell and its Partners are Reshaping Enterprise AI Innovation
➡️ Dell Technologies Reimagines the Modern Data Center for the AI Era
➡️ Dell Technologies Rewrites the Rules of Storage Modernization and Performance with Dell PowerStore Elite
➡️ Dell Technologies Delivers Production-Ready Agentic AI from Deskside to Data Center
➡️ Abundant Intelligence
PDQ Connect Launches MSP-focused Endpoint Management Capabilities
New enhancements add multitenant management, policy controls, automation and reporting features designed specifically for MSPs.
Key quote from the press release:
“MSPs have always been a core part of who uses PDQ, and we’ve been deliberate about building for how they actually work. These aren’t bolt-on features. They’re the result of listening to MSPs tell us what gets in the way of running a tight operation, and building to remove those blockers.” — Dan Cook, CEO, PDQ
Sola Security Launches Lumina, an Autonomous Security Deep Research Platform for Actionable Risk Intelligence
New AI-powered platform delivers contextualized, pre-investigated risk signals across cloud, identity, SaaS and endpoint environments.
Key quote from the press release:
“Security teams don’t lack alerts. They lack an intelligence layer that knows their environment — including risk tolerance, asset prioritization and history — well enough to tell them which findings actually matter. Lumina Signals closes this critical gap by running Sola’s AI across your entire environment, weighing each finding against your own, pre-determined business context and turning an overwhelming volume of raw data into a ranked, pre-investigated feed.” — Guy Flechter, CEO and co-founder, Sola Security
ESET Launches ESET PRIVATE Global to Deliver Tailored Cybersecurity Services for Large Enterprises and Governments
New offering expands ESET’s enterprise portfolio with customized cybersecurity solutions designed for complex operational, regulatory and geopolitical requirements.
Key quote from the press release:
“ESET’s role is evolving from a commodity vendor to a strategic partner, where we deliver purpose-built security solutions that fit the business, operational and regulatory context of each organization. So whether you’re a bank seeking to protect clients against phishing scams, a long-running manufacturer needing to secure critical legacy OT technology, an energy company requiring threat intelligence to safeguard its distribution network or a government pursuing sovereignty beyond just where data is stored, ESET can do far more than what we are known for.” — David Března, vice president of CS operations and scale up, ESET
More headlines from ESET:
➡️ ESET supercharges AI innovation with investment to address rapidly expanding attack surface
Torq Acquires Jit to Expand AI-powered Security Automation and Cloud Remediation Capabilities
Acquisition brings Jit’s cloud security and remediation technology into the Torq AI SOC Platform to accelerate proactive cybersecurity defense.
Key quote from the press release:
“By uniting Jit’s groundbreaking AI Context Graphs and Agentic technologies with the Torq AI SOC Platform, we’re creating the ultimate proactive cybersecurity defensive offering. With the enhanced Torq AI SOC Platform, enterprises can focus on the right priorities and resourcing with the knowledge that our new AI Context Graph is delivering unprecedented organization-specific clarity, adaptability and protection in a world where every second counts.” — Ofer Smadari, CEO and co-founder, Torq
Cisco Updates CCNA and CCIE Certifications with New AI and Automation Training
Cisco is refreshing its networking certification programs with expanded AI, automation, troubleshooting and workplace skills training. This aims to prepare IT professionals for evolving operational environments.
Highlights from the announcement include:
- A major refresh to the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) blueprint, the first update since 2019. It adds more hands-on, scenario-based validation focused on AI, security and troubleshooting skills.
- A new AI Deploy, Operate and Optimize module for the CCIE certification designed to evaluate how engineers use AI tools in real-world network operations.
- New free “human skills” training modules on Cisco U. This focuses on business communication and critical thinking in AI-enabled workplaces.
More headlines from Cisco:
➡️ The $600B Wake-up Call: New Splunk Research Reveals Downtime is a Systemic Business Crisis
Barracuda Report Highlights Rising Threat from CypherLOC Scareware Campaigns
New threat analysis from Barracuda details how CypherLOC scareware attacks are using fake security warnings, social engineering and remote access tactics to target victims.
Key findings from the report include:
- The CypherLOC campaign uses scareware techniques designed to convince users their systems are compromised and require immediate action.
- Attackers rely on fake browser alerts, fraudulent security pop-ups and aggressive social engineering tactics to pressure victims into contacting scam operators.
- The campaign often attempts to trick victims into installing remote access tools that give attackers control over their devices.
- Barracuda researchers observed attackers impersonating legitimate technology and security companies to build credibility during scams.
Versa Brings Zero Trust Controls to AI Agent Actions
New zero trust MCP architecture extends VersaONE Universal SASE Platform controls to AI agents. This enables policy-driven validation and governance for autonomous AI operations.
Key quote from the press release:
“Enterprise AI is at an inflection point. Until every agent action can be verified, AI in production can turn into a liability, not an advantage. Versa is solving that head-on, and we believe zero trust is the only viable architecture for trustworthy agentic AI.” — Sridhar Iyer, senior director, AI and ML, Versa
WatchGuard Study Finds SMBs Reaching a Cybersecurity Breaking Point Amid Rising AI-driven Threats
New global research shows SMBs are increasingly turning to MSPs for continuous security monitoring, compliance support and AI-powered threat detection.
Key findings from the report include:
- 91% of organizations surveyed said they are concerned about AI-driven cyberattacks.
- 75% experienced at least one cyber incident within the past year.
- 54% said they lack the ability to provide continuous 24/7 monitoring and response capabilities internally.
- 67% reported needing additional support to meet growing compliance requirements.
M-tech Business Solutions Repositions ThreatClarity as a Full CTEM Platform for MSPs
Updated platform positioning aims to help MSPs meet growing cyber insurance evidence requirements while generating recurring cybersecurity revenue.
Key info from the press release, learn more at the M.tech website:
ThreatClarity™ is being repositioned as a full Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) platform designed to help MSPs deliver continuous security monitoring, automated compliance mapping and AI-guided remediation services under their own brand. M-TECH says the move comes as cyber insurers increasingly require ongoing exposure visibility and documentation from organizations seeking policy renewals.
Keeper Security Launches ServiceNow Workflow Integration for Governed Self-service Vault Management
New integration connects Keeper Vault with ServiceNow workflows to automate governed self-service password rotation, vault management and privileged access operations.
Key quote from the press release:
“This integration reflects how we think about enterprise deployments: meet organizations inside their existing platforms and make security frictionless without making it permissive. The Keeper Commander CLI running in service mode on the MID Server gives ServiceNow a direct, secure channel into the Keeper Vault, enabling real automation without compromising our zero-knowledge architecture.” — Craig Lurey, chief technology officer and co-founder, Keeper Security
Alteryx Research Finds 65% of Analysts Say AI Works Best When Business Logic Is Managed at the Business Level
New research from Alteryx highlights growing demand for governed AI workflows, business-led analytics oversight and trusted enterprise automation.
Key findings from the report include:
- 65% of analysts surveyed said AI performs best when business logic is managed at the business level rather than entirely by IT teams.
- Concerns are growing around governance, trust and transparency in enterprise AI deployments.
- Organizations are prioritizing AI systems that combine automation with human oversight and business context.
- Analysts reported that trusted data quality and explainable workflows are still critical requirements for broader AI adoption.
Other World Computing Introduces OWC Stack AI, a Thunderbolt 5 AI Accelerator and Storage Hub
New Thunderbolt 5 platform is designed to help businesses, developers and researchers run larger AI models locally with improved speed, privacy and cost control.
Key quote from the press release:
“AI right now is forcing a lot of organizations into a corner. Either you keep burning tokens and paying growing cloud costs every time someone asks a question, runs a workflow, or deploys an AI agent, or you try to run larger models locally and quickly discover your existing hardware cannot keep up. What makes OWC Stack AI exciting is that it changes that equation without forcing people to rip out and replace the systems they already own. We’re giving businesses, developers, researchers and power users a practical way to own their AI, run larger AI models locally, keep sensitive data on-prem and take more control over the cost, speed and privacy of their AI infrastructure.” — Larry O’Connor, founder and CEO, Other World Computing
Hack The Box Report Reveals AI-driven Shift Reshaping Cybersecurity Skills and Talent Strategy
New research highlights how AI adoption is transforming cybersecurity training priorities, workforce development and hiring expectations across the industry.
Key findings from the report include:
- Organizations are prioritizing AI-related cybersecurity skills as enterprises integrate AI technologies into security operations and infrastructure.
- Demand is rising for hands-on offensive and defensive security expertise that combines traditional cybersecurity knowledge with AI-driven workflows.
- Cybersecurity leaders reported concerns about widening skills gaps as AI technologies evolve faster than existing training and certification programs.
- Many organizations are shifting hiring strategies toward candidates with demonstrated practical problem-solving and threat analysis abilities rather than purely theoretical knowledge.
Veriff Deepfakes Report 2026 Finds Americans Struggle to Identify AI-generated Content
New research from Veriff highlights growing public confusion around deepfakes, rising AI-driven fraud concerns and increasing difficulty distinguishing synthetic media from authentic content.
Key findings from the report include:
- Many Americans overestimated their ability to detect deepfake content despite consistently failing identification tests.
- AI-generated scams and synthetic identity fraud were a growing concern for consumers and businesses alike.
- Anxiety rose about misinformation, impersonation scams and manipulated video or audio content.
- The research highlights a widening gap between public confidence in identifying deepfakes and actual detection performance.
Verizon DBIR Finds Breaches Increasingly Driven by Third-party Exposure and Human Error
The report highlights rising exploitation of third-party ecosystems, continued credential abuse and growing operational security challenges for organizations worldwide.
Key findings from the report include:
- Third-party involvement in breaches rose as attackers targeted more partners, suppliers and shared service providers.
- Credential theft and abuse still was the most common initial access vectors observed in investigated incidents.
- Human error and social engineering attacks, including phishing and pretexting, played a major role in successful compromises.
- Ransomware and extortion attacks were widespread across organizations of all sizes and industries.
JFrog Report Warns AI Governance Gaps Are Increasing Software Supply Chain Risk
New research highlights rising software supply chain attacks, growing AI governance concerns and increasing enterprise exposure tied to insecure development practices.
Key findings from the report include:
- Software supply chain attacks reached record highs as threat actors increasingly targeted open-source ecosystems, package repositories and development pipelines.
- Many organizations adopted AI-assisted development tools faster than they implemented governance and security controls.
- Researchers identified growing risks tied to insecure AI-generated code, unverified dependencies and inadequate software artifact validation.
- Organizations still struggle with visibility into software components, transitive dependencies\ and third-party code exposure.
Blancco Report Finds Cybersecurity Anxiety Is Driving Organizations to Destroy Working Devices
New research from Blancco highlights how data protection concerns, compliance pressures, and AI adoption are influencing IT asset disposal and sustainability practices.
Key findings from the report include:
- 38% of organizations experienced a data leak within the last 12 months.
- 43% of mobile devices, 35% of laptops and desktop PCs, and 44% of data center assets were still functional at the time they were destroyed.
- 60% of respondents increased spending on data privacy and protection, with average spending rising 40% year over year.
- 90% of organizations deployed AI in the last year. 99% of those organizations reported destroying more devices as a result.
Flashpoint Report Examines How Threat Actors Are Operationalizing AI for Cybercrime
New research showed how cybercriminals are integrating AI tools into phishing, fraud and malicious operational workflows.
Key findings from the report include:
- Threat actors are moving beyond experimentation and using AI for practical operational purposes that improve speed, scale and efficiency.
- AI is helping attackers create more convincing phishing lures, impersonation campaigns and multilingual social engineering content.
- Cybercriminal communities are actively discussing and sharing methods for using AI tools in scams, identity deception and financially motivated attacks.
- Underground forums still exchange jailbreaking techniques and methods for bypassing safety restrictions in mainstream AI platforms.
- AI-powered attacks often build on existing tactics while lowering technical barriers and accelerating malicious activity.
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: Dell, Torq, Barracuda, WatchGuard, Alteryx, OWC, Hack The Box, Veriff, Verizon, JFrog, Flashpoint
