LastPass - Experts & Thought Leaders

The ALSO UK Cloud Summit 2024 hosted a panel of security industry experts this month to explore the latest trends, developments and challenges in artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity for cloud resellers and British SMEs. The expert panel looked at the importance of generative AI (GenAI) in the modern cloud landscape, revealing that 87% of organisations believe AI offers a competitive edge. 2024 has been a big year for generative AI (GenAI), specifically with the launch of Microsoft Copilot for the SMB market. And with continual advancements in technology innovation, it is important that MSPs and cloud resellers not only keep up but stay ahead of the curve. Keynote speakers at this year’s event included David Bowen, Global Business Development Director for Microsoft, and Robert Pritchard, founder of The Cyber Security Expert. Best practices in 2024 and beyond “The ALSO UK Cloud Summit 2024 is a celebration of our key security vendor partners and an opportunity for cybersecurity industry leaders to continue the conversation on best practices in 2024 and beyond,” commented Mark Appleton, Chief Customer Officer for ALSO Cloud UK. “Through bringing together industry experts from our top security vendor partners, ALSO is pioneering the conversation in presenting a unified security strategy for MSP cyberteams." “One message was clear: generative AI presents the biggest security challenges to British MSPs and SMEs. New cyber threats are rapidly developing as GenAI has become more accessible for cyber actors to exploit. The bar of entry for cyberattacks has been lowered, with ransomware attempts becoming easier to create – as they are no longer limited to those with advanced cyber skills to enact them.” 87% of organisations believe AI offers a competitive edge Microsoft’s David Bowen discussed the benefits of Microsoft’s long-term partnership with ALSO In addition to the security challenges posed by GenAI, it is also a key source of business growth for the future of SME operations. In his opening keynote, Microsoft’s David Bowen discussed the benefits of Microsoft’s long-term partnership with ALSO, and how MSPs can support their customers in implementing AI and Copilot tools successfully to accelerate growth.  “ALSO and Microsoft have been successful partners for over 25 years, and we are unified in our missions to empower people and organisations to achieve more through technology,” said Bowen. “With Copilot we expect to continue the value add of AI to organisations and we are working with ALSO and their partners to develop the best customer use cases for AI. It’s important that AI and Copilot projects are more successful when partners support projects to securely implement, support and deliver AI ROI for customers. ALSO partner ecosystem Bowen added: “In the latest Work Trends Index published in May, we found that 79% of organisations believe AI is a business imperative, however, 60% of companies lack a plan and vision to implement the technology, this is where the ALSO partner ecosystem can support customers develop a strategy that quantifies the productivity gains of AI. " “The study also found that 75% of workers are already using AI, and of these 78% are bringing their own AI tools for tasks. These lack the needed levels of security, data protection and compliance, leaving organisations' data exposed. MS Copilot is already enabling much greater productivity levels, allowing teams to spend less time on repetitive tasks and spend more time working on more creative and impactful work." "Employees are also advised to look at developing AI Skills, the study highlighted that 66% of leaders would not hire staff unless they have AI skills. The ALSO AI Academy is a fantastic resource for partners to ensure AI training is accessible for employees to develop capability and support the Era of AI.” The importance of GenAI in the modern cloud landscape Robert Pritchard, founder of The Cyber Security Expert highlighted the importance of AI in the modern cloud landscape. “The world has changed completely in recent years, with cloud-first dominating as the best solution, even though securing it is not without challenges. The old model (‘on-prem’ and trusted network) is outdated, and legislation for service providers is coming as the risk to critical infrastructure now dependent on modern technology services needs protection more than ever.”  Other highlights from the ALSO UK Cloud Summit ‘24 included:  Cybersecurity expert Acronis showcasing the dangers of AI-boosted ransomware attempts, as well as the latest AI tools being developed to counter malicious actors. Password manager LastPass outlined the ongoing compromised credential crisis and the urgent need to address poor cyber-hygiene practices.  Security awareness solutions expert Vade explained how easy and accessible hacking has become with GenAI with their “10 mins to make you a hacker” talk. CrowdStrike demonstrated the potential of GenAI tools when used for good in boosting cybersecurity efforts. AvePoint outlined the business expansion benefits of tools such as Copilot for MS365.  Future of enterprise security ALSO’s Mark Appleton summarised: “Since ALSO launched in the UK last year, we have cemented ties with our trusted security vendor partnerships. These alliances are not just a benefit but a necessity, and this year’s ALSO UK Cloud Summit has been a great way to celebrate our partners and our unique offering whilst paving the way for the future of enterprise security." “Our security vendor partners provide the very best cybersecurity for their clients. By working closely with all of our partners, we not only share insights and collaborate on the best security methods but also provide the very best tailored options for our client base. ALSO is committed to offering solutions that aid in protecting modern businesses across the channel and beyond.”

Acronis, the global pioneer in cyber protection announced the Acronis CyberApp Standard a groundbreaking integration technology. This innovation broadens the Acronis ecosystem to third-party vendors, offering them the means to seamlessly integrate their products and services into Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, equipping service providers with essential tools necessary to drive efficiency and profitability. Acronis CyberApp Standard Acronis CyberApp Standard is the only framework that allows vendors to deeply integrate into the Acronis platform with natively incorporated vendor workloads, alerts, widgets, and reports. This ensures a unified user experience for Acronis-owned and integrated applications, enhancing efficiency and reducing errors. Unique, no-touch digital experience Vendors interested in becoming part of the Acronis ecosystem gain access to the versatile Vendor Portal Acronis CyberApp Standard offers vendors a unique, no-touch digital experience and complete application lifecycle management, unlike other platforms. Vendors interested in becoming part of the Acronis ecosystem gain access to the versatile Vendor Portal. It empowers them to build applications, share application details, upload marketing materials, and publish directly to the Acronis Application Catalogue. Cyber protection "Service providers require seamless integration between tools to stay agile and competitive. These integrations allow them to save time and resources on managing multiple tools and reduce the risk of human errors," said Gaidar Magdanurov, President at Acronis. "We are excited to make the CyberApp Standard available to all vendors and open up the Acronis partner ecosystem with over 20,000 service providers and millions of business customers. CyberApp creates an opportunity for vendors to acquire new customers and increase their profits while reinforcing cyber protection and service provider tools on the Acronis platform." Reduces complexity With the Acronis CyberApp Standard, technology vendors unlock sales and marketing opportunities With the Acronis CyberApp Standard, technology vendors unlock sales and marketing opportunities with the ability to access over 100 distributors and 50,000 channel partners. Benefiting from accelerated time-to-market for integrated solutions, the Acronis ecosystem significantly reduces complexity and leverages more than 50 data centres, enabling vendors to deliver solutions compliant with various local regulations. Diverse software integration “A comprehensive technology ecosystem is a critical success factor in meeting the diverse needs of small, medium, and large MSPs. Innovative integration technology, such as CyberApp Standard, can help deliver a better experience for service providers who have diverse software integration requirements,” said Phil Goodwin, Research Vice President at IDC. “Integrations can encompass endpoint security, network management, and SaaS administration for end-customers while streamlining operational efficiency for service providers.” #CyberFit Technology Partner Program The program enables partners to collaborate on go-to-market strategies, co-branded campaigns Technology vendors can benefit from partnering with Acronis by joining the #CyberFit Technology Partner Program and working together on joint sales and marketing opportunities. The program enables partners to collaborate on go-to-market strategies, co-branded campaigns and product assets, marketing and sales guidance, and access to MDF funds. Seamless integration “Our Partnership with Acronis has been monumental,” said Nikki Meyer, Corporate Vice President of Vendor Experience at Pax8. “Together, we empower managed service providers (MSPs) to scale their business by consolidating and automating industry-leading solutions." "CyberApp Standard creates a seamless integration with any technology, which allows us to position these products as a better-together bundle. Our Partnership helps MSPs to meet and exceed their client's needs by offering hundreds of natively integrated solutions in a single user interface.” Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud  The Acronis ecosystem portfolio includes more than 200 third-party products and services Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud is a comprehensive solution that combines backup and data recovery, cybersecurity, management, and automation built on the Acronis platform. The Acronis ecosystem portfolio includes more than 200 third-party products and services including LastPass, Rewst, SendMarc, Canauri, Infima Security, and Autobahn Security. Automated workflow "The Acronis platform helps us automate our workflows, ensuring all steps are completed consistently," said Josh Aaronson, Director of Operations at HOCS. "The result is exponential time savings as there is no need to jump from console to console."

Dan DeMichele, Vice President (VP), of Product Management for LastPass, said “The latest wave of cyberattacks is a powerful reminder of their increasing sophistication. But there has been a significant target shift – Cybercriminals aren’t just coming for governments, large-scale enterprises, and critical infrastructure, individuals and SMBs are on their radar too." He adds, "The message is clear – everyone at every level needs to be prepared. The good news is that when it comes to cybersecurity, there are proactive things you can do to protect yourself." Three steps  Dan DeMichele continues, “When you receive an alert that there may have been a breach, there are three steps to take." "Firstly, you should always change your account password. Leaked passwords are usually sold on the dark web or added to hackers' databases to crack passwords. Changing a breached password ensures hackers can't log in to your account. If you were using the same password for other web accounts, those need to be changed immediately too." "Secondly, consider using a password manager to help create and store strong passwords, then enter your credentials when you return to a website to log in. Some can also help you keep an eye out for suspicious activity involving your personal information on the Dark Web so you can take action accordingly." "Thirdly, use two-factor authentication to make your accounts more secure. This is when you use an app to generate a code or get a notification on your device and helps to prove the person logging into the account is who they say they are. Any unauthorised access, therefore, gets shut down in real-time.”