ConnectWise Launches Cybersecurity Incident Response Service for MSPs -

ConnectWise has launched an incident response service to help MSPs and their end-customers to mitigate and recover from security incidents.

The incident response service arrives amid continued growth in ransomware attacks, according to the ConnectWise MSP Threat Report, and continued cyberattacks targeting MSPs, according to N-able research.

Moreover, the ConnectWise Incident Response Service:

further extends ConnectWise from IT management and business automation software into the cybersecurity market;

reinforces ConnectWise's focus on MDR (managed detection and response) capabilities; and

highlights the overall MSP software market's growing focus on cybersecurity capabilities and risk mitigation for MSPs, ChannelE2E believes.

ConnectWise Incident Response Service: Initial Details

Raffael Marty, GM, security, ConnectWise — Raffael Marty, GM of cybersecurity, ConnectWise

In a prepared statement about the new incident response service, ConnectWise GM of Cybersecurity Raffael Marty said:

“With a talent shortage, more sophisticated threat actors and more technologies to protect, cybersecurity incidents can quickly overwhelm an MSP and their end client and jeopardize the protection of their client’s critical assets,” said Raffael Marty, General Manager, Cybersecurity, ConnectWise. “Every second counts in a cyberattack, so having a team of security experts at a moment’s notice is a game-changing force multiplier for an MSP’s successful delivery of cybersecurity services. With this service, MSPs can confidently turn to ConnectWise to gain swift understanding and control of the situation to eradicate threats and prevent costly downtime.”

The ConnectWise Incident Response Service is available to both ConnectWise partners and non-partners, the company said. Service Level Agreement (SLA) details in terms of response times and associated costs were not disclosed.

MSP Software Companies Enhance Cybersecurity Focus

ConnectWise sharped its cybersecurity focus in early 2020, and then acquired Perch Security and StratoZen for SOC (security operations center) and SIEM (security information and event management) in late 2020, and partnered with Intel on threat detection technology in March 2022.

ConnectWise rivals such as Kaseya -- which is set to acquire Datto in the second half of 2022 -- have also made multiple cybersecurity moves. Milestones to note include:

January 2022: Datto acquired Infocyte for endpoint detection and response (EDR) and MDR services.

July 2021: Barracuda acquired Skout, a managed SOC and XDR provider to MSPs.

February 2021: Kaseya acquired RocketCyber.

Side note: We'll be watching to see if or how Kaseya coordinates the RocketCyber/Datto Infocyte capabilities once Kaseya's buyout of Datto closes in the second half of 2022.

In the meantime, many of the deals mentioned above compete in some ways with BlackPoint Cyber, Huntress and other businesses that offer MDR to MSPs. Moreover, dozens of dedicated MDR service providers are now in the market.

Still, there are signs of growing security cooperation between MSP software providers. One example involves growing correspondence between CISOs who work for MSP software firms.

So what's next on the security front, particularly for ConnectWise partners? The answers will likely surface during the ConnectWise IT Nation Secure 2022 conference, which is set for June.