IT Nation Secure 2024 keynote recap: Enhanced solutions to safeguard MSPs and develop cybersecurity expansion

The atmosphere of an IT Nation event with the inspiration and energy of our partners is hard to beat. This year, IT Nation Secure™ was just as inspiring and filled with community-driven spirit as always.

Over 1,200 people came to Orlando, making this one of the largest IT Nation Secure events in its history. Aside from connecting directly with ConnectWise partners, my favorite part is always the ConnectWise keynote that opens the conference. Let’s dive into some of our most exciting announcements.

Opening keynote

I participated in the ConnectWise opening keynote session with my colleagues Patrick Beggs, CISO, ConnectWise; Jay Ryerse, VP, IT Nation; Ameer Karim, Executive VP and GM, Cybersecurity and Data Protection; and John Helms, Director of Product, Cybersecurity.

We focused on the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, the ever-changing threat landscape and the challenges it brings to the table, and how ConnectWise is reinventing cybersecurity through partnership, solutions, and community.

Finally, we rounded with incredibly exciting news, revealing a broad range of product innovations and enhancements across our Cybersecurity and Data Protection portfolio, which I’ll touch on below.

The future of our Cybersecurity and Data Protection portfolio

My colleagues and I had the opportunity to introduce a broad range of ConnectWise product innovations and enhancements, hoping to empower you and the managed service provider (MSP) community with the needed resources to withstand today’s sophisticated cyberattacks and help you grow your business.

While we were excited about all the revolutionary announcements, I’d like to highlight just a a couple notable releases:

• ConnectWise Security360™: Delivered on top of the ConnectWise Asio™ platform, ConnectWise Security360™ enables MSPs to establish more connections between solutions, aggregating all the data from disparate security tools, and then normalizing those inputs to derive an MSP Security Score. This score clearly communicates the risk exposure across an MSPs’ client base and allows them to visualize the effectiveness of their security services.
• ConnectWise Sidekick™ for Security: With ConnectWise Sidekick™ for Security, we’re expanding the usage of its generative AI and industry-leading natural language processing models to cybersecurity. This solution allows MSP owners and technicians to query using natural language prompts to quickly generate an executive report on their, or their customer's overall security posture, and identify high-priority security areas on which to focus their next actions.

Other notable announcements

In addition to the exciting news above, The State of SMB Cybersecurity in 2024 report and the Service Leadership Index® 2024 Annual IT Solution Provider Industry Profitability Report™ were released.

• The State of SMB Cybersecurity in 2024
  A recent study titled "The State of SMB Cybersecurity in 2024" conducted by Vanson Bourne reveals that small and midsized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. The research shows that 94% of SMBs have experienced at least one cyberattack, a significant increase from 64% in 2019. This highlights the growing threat landscape faced by SMBs and the need for effective cybersecurity measures. However, the study also indicates that 76% of SMBs lack the necessary in-house skills to address security issues, leading to increased reliance on MSPs who can provide expertise and services in cybersecurity.
• Service Leadership Index® 2024 Annual IT Solution Provider Industry Profitability Report™
  Service Leadership, Inc. has released its 19th Annual IT Solution Provider Industry Profitability Report, revealing that the best-in-class IT solution providers (TSPs) have experienced a record fourth consecutive year of 20%+ adjusted EBITDA profitability. This demonstrates the sustained success of the TSP industry. Despite macroeconomic recessionary fears and moderate M&A volume, TSPs have achieved the highest approximate company valuations since 1999, with an approximate 22% increase from 2022 across all Predominant Business Models™ (PBMs™). The report also highlights the continued strong growth of MSPs in terms of total revenue and adjusted EBITDA, while value-added resellers (VARs) experienced a slight drop in revenue growth but had strong adjusted EBITDA dollar growth.

We always look forward to connecting with our partners at a personal level at community events such as IT Nation Secure. We continually get partner feedback that industry event attendance adds incredible value to their work life. This includes everything from problem-solving to industry knowledge to meaningful peer connections that drive individual business success.

Upcoming IT Nation and ConnectWise events

Below are two upcoming and ongoing industry events that I recommend to ConnectWise partners:

IT Nation Connect™ in Orlando | November 6-8, 2024

The premier thought-leadership conference for MSPs designed to promote education, inspiration, and networking in the community. Learn more today.

ConnectWise User Groups™ | Quarterly in a city near you

Happening across the globe throughout 2024, attend a User Group for networking, learning, and ConnectWise product training. Learn more today.