IT vs. Security: The Ironic Pendulum Swings

Empath Cyber Weekend Reader

So the long weekend is in front of us my friends. 🙌 🏖️🍖

You made it! So here’s a few awesome things to focus on during your downtime. 👇

A thought on the IT vs Security Lifecycle

Jim Barksdale, a former CEO of Netscape, once famously proclaimed there are “only two ways to make money in business: one is to bundle; the other is unbundle.”

Well guess what? We’re seeing the exact same thing play out right now in the channel.

Any quick perusal of Reddit looks like this:

“I want to get out of the evil empire of ConnectWise / Kaseya / _______. What alternatives are there for me?”

Unbundling in action. The behemoths have gotten too large and MSPs are looking for alternatives.

But compare that to the same conversation, this time about security:

“I’ve got too many tools. Anyone have a recommendation on the best security vendor that can do it all for me?”

Do you see the irony? Bundling. In security we want it. A complete juxtaposition.

And that’s ok. Just realize it’s there.

Right now in cybersecurity, many MSPs are moving hard and fast to not just do more with less, but to centralize their tool stack, reduce complexity, and sort out tool sprawl.

But it comes at a price. Eventually the MSP security vendors will consolidate. And they’ll become the same empire that has occurred in the IT space. And the pendulum will swing once again.

Just remember this newsletter in 7 years when MSPs are asking how to unbundle from security and bundle up with PSA and RMM! (Or RPA which is just RMM v2.0.)

It’s all about marketing.

So said this famous guy. Agree? Probably. But what Steve Jobs really speaks to is about how we convey our brand. That’s something I think we could all really think (and dream!) about this weekend.

Ever wonder how to be even better at using ChatGPT?

AI marketing expert Rowan Cheung covers how to go from zero to hero with ChatGPT. He taught me a whole bunch of things that you should know too.

I’m curious to hear how you’re using ChatGPT to run your business. And I’m telling you… if you aren’t… it might just be worth walking through this thread and getting familiar.

Speaking of which, if you aren’t subscribed to Rowan’s newsletter, do yourself a favor right here:

A Huge Event Awaits Us

Next week I’m diving deep into the FTC Safeguards.

It’s crazy. In some senses, it’s turning a great many (and unprepared) businesses into operating a little bit like a bank.

And they aren’t ready for it.

FTC Safeguards isn’t just slapping on MFA and EDR and calling it a day. There’s much more to it.

Policies. Programs. Responsibilities. And more. Oh my.

So we’re addressing that. Next Tuesday May 30th, we’re going to dive deep into all the implications of FTC Safeguards. This is a free event for everyone, not just Empath Cyber members!

Want to join? You can do that right here below. But beware, only Empath Cyber members will have access to the recording. So don’t miss this!

Yet another reason I don’t use Android.
(Just kidding please don’t unsubscribe for this dadjoke!)

We’ve seen this happen before. Quite a number of times actually. Commerial spyware. What could go wrong here?

While these sophisticated tools are intended for exclusive use by governments to counter serious crime and combat national security threats, they have also been abused by customers to surveil on dissidents, human rights activists, journalists, and other members of the civil society.

That's all for now!

If you have any interesting projects or ideas, please reach out to us by [email protected] or hit me up on LinkedIn. As always, thanks for reading, and see you next time. 🫡

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