Everyone keep their fingers crossed so the snow stays away. Could be the first week without snow or ice in like nine months or so. Enjoy it, but keep an eye on the clouds.
Security news always comes fast, and it comes faster and furiouser during the RSA conference each year. Security issues big and bigger grabbed all the headlines, leaving plenty of news behind in the whirlwind of press releases and sound bites. Adding to the snow storm (ack!) of white paper from PR agencies, the Channel Partners show created a pile of news last week as well. Read on and catch up.
The RSA Conference news blizzard. Early hacker script kiddies now have advanced hacking degrees, so it takes ever-more advanced protection to stay safe. The Symantec Targeted Attack Analytics add-on for Advanced Threat Protection users is one of the latest options. Already, the new system has tracked incidents at over 1,400 firms, including the Dragonfly 2.0 attack that targeted dozens of energy companies.
Where do cloud applications often run today? Containers. Hello to McAfee Cloud Workload Security v5.1, scheduled for release Q2 this year.
Barracuda (data protection) and RedLock (cloud threat defense) teamed up to implement a broad Cloud Threat Defense strategy across the three top cloud environments (AWS, Azure, and Google).
Fortinet mashed some tools together and announced a purpose-built NOC-SOC that bridges workflows, analysis, and automated response across operational and security processes.
BluVector and Endace did some mashing of their own involving BluVector Cortex and EndaceProbe Analytics Platform to produce AI-driven network threat detection with high-speed network recording, playback, and analytics.
Forcepoint unveiled its Dynamic Data Protection tool, a new “Risk-Adaptive Protection” program.
Cylance showed off its new AI-driven endpoint detection and response solution. cylanceOPTICS got new machine learning threat detection modules as well.
SentinelOne added risk and vulnerability management to its SentinelOne Endpoint Protection Platform.
VMware equipped its AppDefense solution to protect containerized workloads.
Teramind announced a new “user-centric security approach to monitor[ing] employee behavior.” In a nutshell, it combines file anti-exfiltration analysis with data loss prevention software.
OneLogin enhanced its Identity-as-a-Service cloud platform.
CrowdSrike added a new threat analysis subscription module, CrowdStrike Falcon X, to its CrowdStrike Falcon platform, and also added real-time response and real-time query features to its Falcon Insight EDR product.
Say hello to the FireMon Global Policy Controller.
The Thales Bring Your Own Encryption solution now covers AWS S3, Azure Files, and Google Cloud Storage.
Some may overlook IoT security, but not Forceshield, which announced GatewayShield, a plug-and-play appliance for IoT devices and operational technology networks.
Fidelis Cybersecurity announced that the latest release of the Fidelis Elevate platform now protects cloud assets.
The new cPacket Networks cStor 40G solution captures packets for security forensics and performance monitoring purposes at the full speed of 40Gps networks.
Uplevel Systems rolled out a DNS security solution with SMBs in mind.
News from the Channel Partners show in Las Vegas. The Vonage Business Cloud put a chatbot named Vee into beta. Ask and ye shall get answers.
AVANT Communications signed a “rebilling” agreement with BluLogix to enable its partners to generate personalized invoices on their own.
Speaking of AVANT, TPx named it a National Master Agent and did the same for Telecom Consulting Group. It also introduced an “Install Guarantee” for its sales partners—if TPx fails to meet or exceed the installation deadline you negotiated with your customer, they’ll pay you $500.
Reinvent Telecom announced support for interactive and broadcast webinars on its private-label, cloud-based unified communications, collaboration, and contact center products. It teamed up with Edgewater Networks as well to enable private-label resellers to manage networks from edge to core.
Ready for some news that isn’t from Vegas? Networks running IoT devices along with Cisco tools will see some cool improvements soon. Like the Cisco Identity Services Engine, which doubles the number of IoT devices that can be automatically classified and identified.
Amazon Web Services accelerated your time-to-blockchain with its new AWS Blockchain Templates.
Epson America used the new WorkForce Pro ET-8700 EcoTank All-in-One printer (pictured) to print its own press release about the newest addition to the company’s line of cartridge-free EcoTank inkjets.
Aerohive Networks shipped a unified SD-WAN and SD-LAN user and app traffic management tool.
Addigy (Apple management) now supports Apple’s Mobile Devices Management protocol. Result? Unified Apple Device Management for MacOS and iOS in the cloud.
The Razer Phone now tastes like an Oreo. Oops, the Razer Phone now runs Android 8.1 Oreo.
IGEL’s UD7 Universal Desktop software-defined thin client now goes high performance with access to multiple, high-quality displays. Businesses with CAD design suites, newsrooms, operations centers, and even hospital diagnostics centers could benefit.
The ADTRAN SDX 810-RG and 810-AP bring enterprise class Wi-Fi functionality to the home.
Morro Data (cloud-first global file services) added support for Microsoft’s Azure Active Directory and local Active Directory to its CloudNAS hybrid-cloud file serve.
Not from Vegas, not about products. Tech Data announced a smooth leadership transition plan. In June 2018, COO Rich Hume will succeed Bob Dutkowsky as CEO. Dutkowsky will become executive chairman.
8x8 (voice and more) announced that Bill Corbin has taken on the newly created role of senior vice president of channels and alliances.
Intermedia (cloud solutions) made a seat at the big table for Gerhard Bette (pictured), senior partner emeritus at McKinsey & Company.
TeamViewer (remote access) appointed Finn Faldi president of TeamViewer Americas, made John Hald head of sales and services for TeamViewer Americas, and named Ray Kemper vice president of marketing for TeamViewer Americas.
Passportal hired Mike Byrne to lead its new Community Department, which is responsible for educating the company’s more than 1,500 MSPs.
- Skykick announced that it's beat the deadline for complying with the EU's GDPR regulation well over a month before the deadline.
- Vista Equity Partners (of Datto/Autotask fame) signed the papers to acquire LogicMonitor and its SaaS-based monitoring platform.
- Digium (Asterisk) signed some papers as well, in this case, an agreement with ScanSource to distribute Digium’s Switchvox UC business phone system, IP phones, gateways, and telephony cards in the U.S. and Canad
- Jenne (value-added distributor) launched a new two-day, hands-on, interactive workshop for Avaya users with IP office admin responsibilities
- Schneider Electric announced grants funding deployment and upgrades of edge IT infrastructure. You know, to get ready for IoT project rollouts. The associated Schneider Electric Edge Contest enters buyers of Connected Smart-UPS products with APCSmartConnect to win $10,000 worth of IT equipment. If that customer is yours, meanwhile, you win a $1,000 credit of your own.
- Xerox Managed Print Services said it will track paper usage by customers and plant the number of trees needed to replace that paper. Sounds shady.
This week’s stats ticker:
Datto’s second annual State of the MSP survey drilled into the business issues and preferences of about 2,300 MSPs worldwide. Interesting stuff, like 60 percent of MSPs have fewer than 100 clients and 20 percent have 100 to 200 clients. Not surprisingly, sales and marketing challenge are top of mind for 53 percent. Three quarters still offer break-fix services. The most important survey result? 68 percent prefer Star Wars to Star Trek. May you ingrates drown in Tribbles.
Yes, it’s 4/20. Today is 4/20, so you know what that means: Tonight the stores will run out of chips and Twinkies. Sure, that’s an easy joke, but according to global cannabis technology company MJ Freeway, the “420 holiday” will spike marijuana sales about 300 percent. Sales should be up to $80 million, nearly 50 percent higher than 2017.
Why? It’s Friday, for one thing. Bet alcohol sales jump up on Friday as well as folks prepare to spend the weekend toasting the brilliance and amazing leadership skills of their bosses (just checking to see if you read this far down the page).
Surprisingly, when adjusted for population, Colorado outsold California 3x in total dollar sales on 4/20/16, and the trend continued in 2017. Maybe if houses weren’t so expensive in California, they could buy more joints (to ease the pain of high housing costs).
What else is necessary for this holiday? Music, like in Atlanta, Denver, and Washington D.C. Just don’t invite Jeff Sessions.
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About the Author
JAMES E. GASKIN is a ChannelPro contributing editor and former reseller based in Dallas.
