Channel Brief: H.I.G Capital, Thoma Bravo Acquire CompTIA

Tech employment held steady in October, according to CompTIA's latest Tech Jobs Report, against a backdrop of market distortions caused by weather events and labor strikes.

CompTIA's analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report data reveals the tech unemployment rate for the month was essentially unchanged at 2.6%. The national unemployment rate at 4.1% was also unchanged, according to the report.

Tech professions increased by 70,000 in October, to nearly 6.5 million workers in the aggregate, according to the data. Employer job posting data indicates broad-based hiring across software, cybersecurity, support, data, and infrastructure.

Employment within the tech industry sector declined by 4,029 jobs for the month, according to the data. The report found that the gains in cloud infrastructure and software were not quite enough to offset losses in tech manufacturing, telecommunications and tech services.

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Grab your coffee. Here's what you need to know today.

Today’s Tech, Channel and MSP News

1. H.I.G. Capital and Thoma Bravo acquire CompTIA: H.I.G. Capital (H.I.G.) and Thoma Bravo will acquire the brand and IT certification and training business and products of the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the companies said in a statement. CompTIA is the largest vendor-neutral credentialing program for technology workers, providing education, certification, training and research in cybersecurity, emerging technologies, networking, cloud computing, and technical support. CompTIA has awarded over 3.5 million globally recognized certifications to professionals. Following the transaction's closing, CompTIA will operate as a for-profit company under H.I.G. and Thoma Bravo's ownership. Its existing membership-based, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization will be separated from CompTIA and continue its mission of service to the IT industry. The transaction is expected to close in early 2025 and is subject to customary regulatory approval. Macquarie Capital, Ropes & Gray LLP, and Polsinelli LLP are serving as advisors to H.I.G. and Thoma Bravo. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is serving as exclusive financial advisor to CompTIA and Husch Blackwell LLP is serving as legal advisor.

2. CYREBRO launches MDR for Google Workspace, MSFT: AI-native MDR firm CYREBRO today launched Workspace Protect, the only MDR solution customized for Google Workspace, the company said in a statement. CYREBRO also announced the launch of M365 Protect, a similar solution tailored for Microsoft 365. Both Workspace Protect and M365 Protect offer MSPs continuous 24/7/365 SOC monitoring and protection with proactive threat hunting, advanced AI-based risk detection and machine learning capabilities to investigate threats and respond to active attacks, and recommendations to improve security posture and mitigate future attacks, CYREBRO said. The new MDR solutions cover a wide variety of threats, including account hijacking/abuse, suspicious login attempts, malicious traffic, rogue apps (app exploitation), privilege escalation and data exfiltration.

3. Pax8 launches Voyager Alliance partner program: Cloud commerce marketplace Pax8 has launched a new partner program, Voyager Alliance, that allows partners to chart a customized, scalable, strategic growth path via a tiered model, the company said in a statement. Voyager Alliance partners have access to elevated enablement, education, and support throughout their journey. As partners reach higher levels in the program, they receive new benefits; early benefits include curated event experiences and tiered pricing for professional services projects to help manage costs, Pax8 said. Partners can also expect to receive higher levels of technical support as they advance through the program. In addition, Pax8 Voyager Alliance introduces flexible payment options, offering multiple solutions dependent on a partner’s tier to aid in making financial business decisions. Future program benefits will include Pax8 Voyager Alliance Rewards, which partners can accrue and then invest back into their business by applying them to Pax8 services, education, and Pax8 Marketplace purchases.

4. Moovila teams up with MSP+ to offer PM education, training resources: AI project automation platform Moovila announced a strategic partnership with MSP+, a consulting and education hub for MSPs. This collaboration will deliver project management education and resources to MSP+’s extensive network of MSPs, addressing a significant gap in professional services leadership, Moovila said in a statement. Many communities still lack sufficient project management educational resources. This partnership aims to bridge that gap by offering free access to project management education and thought leadership through MSP+’s online communities, webinars, and consulting services.

5. CISA: U.S. election systems secure amid low-level cybersecurity intrusions: Officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have reiterated the robustness of U.S. election systems against cybersecurity threats despite an increase in low-level distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and disinformation campaigns ahead of Tuesday's polls, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. CISA Director Jen Easterly emphasized the lack of evidence suggesting that the results of the presidential election would be affected by any malicious activity, including intrusions from Chinese state-backed threat operation Salt Typhoon. "...I can say with great confidence that our election infrastructure has never been more secure, and that the election community has never been better prepared to deliver safe, secure, free and fair elections," said Easterly. Domestic extremist groups are also not expected to launch cyberattacks against election systems, according to CISA Senior Advisor and Election Lead Cait Conley. These statements follow alerts from the FBI, CISA, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence attributing election disinformation videos to Russian threat operations.