Richard Tubb's Blog, page 70

What I learned about the MSP industry at the CompTIA UK Channel Community Event

This is a guest post by my friend Gudrun Lauret, a copywriter and expert in great quality content. Gudrun helps your content marketing work harder and better, and is a valued member of Team Tubb!

I’ve written before about who are CompTIA and how can they help your IT business. 

So when Gudrun recently attended the CompTIA UK Channel Community meeting in Birmingham with me, I thought it would be interesting to get her perspective on the day!

The CompTIA UK Channel Community Event in Birmingham

I’ve been part of Team Tubb and serving IT companies for just over a year now, so I thought it would be a good idea to attend an industry event to develop my understanding further and to find out more about the challenges that managed service providers (MSPs) and vendors face in their businesses.

Attending the Event

The CompTIA event seemed like a good option because it would give me scope to hear from all the various companies involved in providing IT services, and to give greater context to what I’ve learned creating and repurposing content for Tubblog.

I was a bit apprehensive, because I didn’t expect to know anyone, and as a founder of the group, Richard (whose guest I was) would be in high demand from people wanting to catch up with him.

I did know a couple of people from a (completely different) business event I’d been to recently, but I needn’t have worried – from the moment I arrived at the welcome drinks reception, everyone made me feel welcome. I think they were intrigued to know why I was there, as I don’t have any kind of IT background.

I thought the reception and formal dinner was a great idea. For me, it was a way to break the ice before the full day event, and to find out the types of businesses who were there. For almost everyone else, it was an opportunity to catch up with friends, collaborators and suppliers.

As a veteran of conferences, I liked the format of the day – presentations interspersed with workshop sessions for delegates to learn something practical. And of course, plenty of tea breaks!

I was interested to learn about all the moving parts to CompTIA. They have 10 other communities across the globe, with a focus on the specific needs in each area or sector.

I was also taken by their commitment to donating to charity, to increase diversity and to both grow themselves and the businesses of their members. The online training and networking they provide contribute to this aim.

What I Learned from the CompTIA event

I enjoyed the panel discussion on various aspects of the industry. The panel was led by Richard and featured

Chris Ward of Hampshire-based MSP, Vermont Systems
Perry Ashby of London-based MSP, Urban Network
Tracy Pound, of Birmingham-based IT Training and Consultancy company, Maximity
Ian Vickers of Birmingham-based MSP, MET Ltd
Janet O’Sullivan, Channel Marketing Manager at MSP vendor StorageCraft

The future of MSPs is something that’s talked about a lot on the TubbTalk podcast, so it was good to get the perspective of those in the room.

While increasing numbers of competitors and trying to stand out in the marketplace is a familiar concern, it was the advance of AI technology that stood out, which is something I think will impact more roles than we currently realise.

The other key was how to help customers understand technology. As an end user myself, although on a small scale, I think there’s a risk of forgetting, as Tracy said, that there is a human at the end of every computer who’s trying to do a job.

You can watch the recorded live stream of the panel session below.

I attended the ‘unconference’ workshop, as the other option (being a better leader) wasn’t really applicable to me. I didn’t have anything to contribute, but I liked having the opportunity to hear people airing their views ‘in the wild.’ The discussion was confidential, but it gave me food for thought.

Image courtesy of CCS IT Solutions

We had a delicious lunch, and I can highly recommend the food at the Hyatt Regency – outstanding! After some more tea (there’s a theme here!) I was ready for the afternoon.

Stuart Warwick explained the £Million Game Plan, and while I’m not an MSP, the part about selling time for money vs selling assets certainly resonated. It’s a challenge for everyone, especially if (like me) scaling the business isn’t really doable.

He talked about the importance of building over time and provided the ‘accelerators’ that MSPs need to do this. A statistic that stood out for me was that by 2021, there will be a 3.5m lack in workers skilled in cybersecurity. Wow!

I have to confess that I hopped off to check out the rather fabulous Library of Birmingham (well, I AM a writer!) and spent a happy half hour in the Shakespeare Room. This was my first time in Birmingham, so I was pleased to have the opportunity to look around in the sunshine.

However, I made sure I was there for the highly entertaining Marcus Cauchi, who gave a hilarious but very useful presentation about being better at sales (hint – don’t sell). He gave some great insights into how to develop your sales pipeline, and it was interesting to hear him talk about solving your prospect’s pain. This is something I’ve learned a lot about from various sources, but relating it to IT and support organisations were very useful.

Final Thoughts

What did stand out for me during and after the event was that marketing isn’t something that’s high on the priority list for many IT businesses, and in some cases even something they view with suspicion!

I know from conversations with other business owners (in different fields) that it’s hard to make time for marketing when you’re doing everything yourself, but it would be good if they could see the value of content marketing in relation to their own growth.

I really enjoyed the event, and although I was confused in parts (the IT industry needs to reduce its reliance on acronyms!) I feel like I learned a lot.

I’d like to go again and see if what I’ve learned in the intervening months helps my understanding next time.

 

This is a guest post by Gudrun Lauret, a copywriter and expert in making your content marketing work harder and better.

Read more on great quality content from Gudrun at www.gudrunlauret.com

You can also find Gudrun Lauret on Twitter and  connect with Gudrun on LinkedIn.

 

Interested in attending a future event? Find out more about the CompTIA UK Channel Community.

Were you an attendee at the CompTIA UK Channel Community meeting in Birmingham? If so, what was your biggest takeaway? Leave a comment below or get in touch!

You Might Also Be Interested In

Webinar – How to build a successful MSP from scratch
Thoughts on the evolution of the CompTIA UK Channel Community
The CompTIA UK Channel Community – Three Member’s Opinions

The post What I learned about the MSP industry at the CompTIA UK Channel Community Event appeared first on Richard Tubb.

Webinar – How to build a successful MSP from scratch

A heads-up that I’ll be delivering a webinar entitled “How to build a successful MSP from scratch” in conjunction with my friends at CompTIA.

Taking place on Thursday, July 12th at 3 pm GMT, this webinar is free to attend and will be covering the fundamentals of building a great Managed Service Provider (MSP) business.

What are the fundamentals of building a successful MSP?

In this interactive webinar, I’ll be looking at the fundamentals of building a successful MSP from scratch, covering three main areas.

Operations — The delivery of services to clients and the day-to-day running of your business
Sales & Marketing — Attracting new clients and winning new business
Building Relationships — Creating meaningful alliances with your clients, suppliers, peers and the wider business world.

For each of these areas of business, I’ll be providing practical, real-world actionable tips and techniques that you can implement within your MSP business.

Who is CompTIA?

If you’re unaware of CompTIA and you run an IT business, then they are well worth your time learning about.

Most people will be aware of CompTIA as the vendor-neutral certification body behind the A+ certification, amongst others.

CompTIA is also a non-profit trade association serving as the voice of the information technology industry. In addition to professional certifications, CompTIA provides educational programs, research, networking events, philanthropy and public policy advocacy. In short, CompTIA is dedicated to helping advance the IT industry.

I’m a huge fan of CompTIA’s work in the UK. I’ve previously written and recorded an episode of TubbTalk entitled Who are CompTIA and how can they help your IT business? that you will find useful in learning more.

Register for the Webinar – How to build a successful MSP from scratch

Registration for this webinar is free.

You can register for the webinar at https://www.comptia.org/events/view/how-to-build-a-successful-msp-from-scratch.

If you can’t make it for the live event, register anyway and you’ll be sent details of the recording to view on-demand.

Interactive Webinar – Send me your questions now!

As mentioned, this webinar will be interactive, and I’ll be answering your questions live!

Send your questions in now by tweeting me @tubblog with the hash-tag #CompTIA, or by getting in touch.

What’s your biggest challenge in building an MSP business? Let me know and make sure to register for the webinar now!

You Might Also Be Interested In

The CompTIA UK Channel Community – Three Member’s Opinions
A list of User Groups for UK Managed Service Providers
3 Good Reasons to attend your local User Group Meeting

The post Webinar – How to build a successful MSP from scratch appeared first on Richard Tubb.

Loose Ends – Turn your spare time into a great time

Every Friday I share one of my favourite finds of the week — a website, tool or an app that has impressed me.

My Friday Favourite this week is Loose Ends – Turn your spare time into a great time.

What is it?

Loose Ends is an app that makes meeting up with your friends easier.

How can it help me?

I’ve written before about how to schedule meetings within emails within seconds. But scheduling business meetings, and getting friends together are two different things.

Have you ever found yourself wanting to go to the cinema, have a drink or simply get together with friends? It can often feel like herding cats!

To make this happen, do you post an update to social media, and hope that your friends who are free see the message? Or do you send a load of text messages out, and (let’s be honest, here!) run the risk of bothering people.

Loose Ends is an app that lets you post what you want to do, where and when you want to do it, and then helps find friends of yours who want to do the same.

For instance, I was recently travelling in Edinburgh and at a loose end one evening. I have plenty of friends in Edinburgh who may want to join me, so I used the app to share that I wanted to go to dinner, near the Grassmarket (an area in Edinburgh) on Friday evening. My friends with the Loose Ends app could see this and indicate their interest — even at very short notice. No fuss, no muss.

How much does it cost?

Loose Ends is free to sign-up and use.

How can I get it?

You can download the Loose Ends App for iOS and the Loose Ends App for Android.

You can find out more about Loose Ends at https://looseendsapp.co.uk.

You can also visit the Loose Ends Facebook page, or follow @LooseEnds_app on Twitter.

Thanks to Mark Renney of Wubbleyou for recommending this app to me!

You Might Also Be Interested In

Glympse – A Simple Way to Share Your Location in Real-Time
Doodle – The simple way to decide on dates, places & more
X.AI – A Personal Assistant Who Schedules Meetings For You

 

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Ecosia – The Search Engine that Plants Trees!

Every Friday I share one of my favourite finds of the week — a website, tool or an app that has impressed me.

My Friday Favourite this week is Ecosia – The Search Engine that Plants Trees!

What is it?

Ecosia is a search engine that uses the profit it makes to plant trees where they are most needed.

How can it help me?

I’ve written before about how to use Carbon Offsetting to reduce your carbon footprint.

It’s small, easy to take steps like this that I believe can make a huge difference globally.

Searching with Ecosia is like using any search engine — but with one difference. Every time you use Ecosia to do a search, you’re helping to plant trees that help both local communities and the planet as a whole!

I also like the transparency that Ecosia is showing. Ecosia publishes their monthly financial reports, so you can see exactly where their income goes.

I’ve made Ecosia my default search engine.

How much does it cost?

Ecosia is free to use.

How can I get it?

You can visit https://www.ecosia.org/ to start using it to search now.

You can also add Ecosia as your default search engine in Chrome.

Visit Ecosia on Facebook, or follow @Ecosia on Twitter.

Thanks to Matt Barton of MSPComparison.com for sharing Ecosia with me!

You Might Also Be Interested In

Foobot – Home Air Quality Monitor
How To Prevent Waste and Be An Extreme Recycler
How Computer Aid help to reduce IT Waste

The post Ecosia – The Search Engine that Plants Trees! appeared first on Richard Tubb.

Missinglettr – More Traffic for your Blog. Less Hassle with Social Media.

Every Friday I share one of my favourite finds of the week — a website, tool or an app that has impressed me.

My Friday Favourite this week is Missinglettr – More Traffic for your Blog. Less Hassle with Social Media.

What is it?

Missinglettr turns each of your blog posts into a 12-month social media campaign, which is then drip-fed out to your social channels.

How can it help me?

I’ve written before about What are the Benefits of Blogging?. In my opinion, every business should be blogging — it’s a powerful way to build trust and highlight your expertise.

However, if you are a blogger, then writing content is only half of the job. Once you’ve written the content, you need people to read it!

Missinglettr automatically recognises when you’ve published a new blog post, and then creates a campaign of social media updates for you to approve.

These updates feature quotes, images and links back to your original post.

Once approved, this campaign is then drip-fed out to your social platforms across 12 months. This ensures your posts are engaged with by your audience, and drives traffic back to your blog.

We’ve used Missinglettr for Tubblog for a while now after I met founder Benjamin Dell at the New Media Europe 2015 conference. It’s surprising how an automated campaign of this nature can engage readers for your blog — sometimes even 12 months after you’ve published an article (and perhaps even forgotten about it yourself, let alone remembered to promote it manually!)

How much does it cost?

Missinglettr offers three levels of service:-

A free platform for casual bloggers.
A personal account (up to 4 campaigns per week) costs $15 per month.
A business account (up to 10 campaigns per week) costs $40 per month.

How can I get it?

Sign-up for a Missinglettr account here.

You can find out more about Missinglettr on their homepage, follow @Missinglettr on Twitter, visit the Missinglettr Facebook page, or visit Missinglettr on LinkedIn.

You Might Also Be Interested In

My MSP Blogroll – My favourite blogs for Managed Service Providers (MSPs)
Why Great Quality Content is Invaluable for IT Companies
How to build a high traffic blog on WordPress

The post Missinglettr – More Traffic for your Blog. Less Hassle with Social Media. appeared first on Richard Tubb.

What the Datto and Autotask Merger Means for MSPs Worldwide – TubbTalk #26

Richard talks to Rob Rae about the recent merger between Datto and Autotask.

An Interview with Rob Rae
Who are AutoTask and Datto?

AutoTask provide professional service automation, with more than 9,000 customers worldwide relying on them to help them run their Managed Service Provider (MSP) businesses.

They offer end to end IT software, including CRM (customer relationship management), a ticketing system, customer support and detailed reporting. Their aim is to help IT companies to be more efficient, streamlined and profitable to ultimately scale and grow.

Datto focus on data recovery and data protection, helping MSPs to get their clients back up and running quickly when things go wrong. They offer ransomware protection, which is ideal for smaller businesses with only limited in-house IT support. 

They also provide integrated networks to make remote fixes easier, as well as cloud support for data, regardless of where it’s held, and business backup and disaster recovery, both for the MSPs and their clients. 

What Rob Hopes Will Come from the Merger

Vista Equity Partners owned AutoTask, and after they recently bought Datto, decided it made sense to merge the two companies to provide an even more comprehensive support service to both lots of customers.

The new company now has 1,400 employees worldwide, with 35 offices and 45 petabytes of cloud data, making it the largest MSP-only company in the industry. The technologies offered by the two companies are complementary and Rob believes this will benefit MSPs by giving a single pane of glass and one bill, to make life easier, save time and help with profitability.

He said that putting the two companies together “allows us to become creative and innovative with the MSP in mind and do very cohesive and streamlined things.” Key to this is the open ecosystem, so users who don’t want to use Datto can continue to use their existing backup or continuity solution.

The MSPs are not forced to adopt an ‘all-in-one solution’, but Rob hopes that they will offer competitive prices, outstanding products and an MSP-centric company that is the best solution.

How Open Mesh can Help MSPs

Datto decided to focus on networking, because despite the thousands of products available, none are MSP-centric or a viable solution for the channel. This led to them buying Open Mesh a small company with what Rob describes as having “phenomenal technology and affordable access points and switches.”

Datto liked the fact that they were forward-thinking and cloud-based, making them an innovative company. They added a router to Open Mesh’s product range to close the gaps that MSPs have.

Connectivity is a big problem, so if an MSP loses the internet connection to a site, they have to go out and fix the problem, which has a time and money cost to the business. Rather than losing productivity, Datto’s DNA device fills over to 4G to provide that connectivity to allow for troubleshooting and remote fixes.

Why Rob Thinks Security is Important for MSPs

With the introduction of the cloud a few years ago businesses considered migrating from being an MSP to a cloud solutions provider (CSP), although ultimately only a few made this move, with most MSPs simply adding cloud services to their offering.

Security is really important for customers but they struggle with the complexity around it, offering an opportunity to the MSPs. Rob says it’s important that the end user sees their provider staying ahead of the potential problems that could impact their IT systems.

Mentioned in this Podcast

Autotask www.autotask.com
Datto https://www.datto.com/
Vista Equity Partners: www.vistaequitypartners.com
Open Mesh: www.openmesh.com

Interview Transcript
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What the Datto and Autotask Merger Means for MSPS Worldwide – Tubbtalk #26

Richard talks to Rob Rae about the recent merger between Datto and Autotask.

An Interview with Rob Rae
Who are AutoTask and Datto?

AutoTask provide professional service automation, with more than 9,000 customers worldwide relying on them to help them run their Managed Service Provider (MSP) businesses.

They offer end to end IT software, including CRM (customer relationship management), a ticketing system, customer support and detailed reporting. Their aim is to help IT companies to be more efficient, streamlined and profitable to ultimately scale and grow.

Datto focus on data recovery and data protection, helping MSPs to get their clients back up and running quickly when things go wrong. They offer ransomware protection, which is ideal for smaller businesses with only limited in-house IT support. 

They also provide integrated networks to make remote fixes easier, as well as cloud support for data, regardless of where it’s held, and business backup and disaster recovery, both for the MSPs and their clients. 

What Rob Hopes Will Come from the Merger

Vista Equity Partners owned AutoTask, and after they recently bought Datto, decided it made sense to merge the two companies to provide an even more comprehensive support service to both lots of customers.

The new company now has 1,400 employees worldwide, with 35 offices and 45 petabytes of cloud data, making it the largest MSP-only company in the industry. The technologies offered by the two companies are complementary and Rob believes this will benefit MSPs by giving a single pane of glass and one bill, to make life easier, save time and help with profitability.

He said that putting the two companies together “allows us to become creative and innovative with the MSP in mind and do very cohesive and streamlined things.” Key to this is the open ecosystem, so users who don’t want to use Datto can continue to use their existing backup or continuity solution.

The MSPs are not forced to adopt an ‘all-in-one solution’, but Rob hopes that they will offer competitive prices, outstanding products and an MSP-centric company that is the best solution.

How Open Mesh can Help MSPs

Datto decided to focus on networking, because despite the thousands of products available, none are MSP-centric or a viable solution for the channel. This led to them buying Open Mesh a small company with what Rob describes as having “phenomenal technology and affordable access points and switches.”

Datto liked the fact that they were forward-thinking and cloud-based, making them an innovative company. They added a router to Open Mesh’s product range to close the gaps that MSPs have.

Connectivity is a big problem, so if an MSP loses the internet connection to a site, they have to go out and fix the problem, which has a time and money cost to the business. Rather than losing productivity, Datto’s DNA device fills over to 4G to provide that connectivity to allow for troubleshooting and remote fixes.

Why Rob Thinks Security is Important for MSPs

With the introduction of the cloud a few years ago businesses considered migrating from being an MSP to a cloud solutions provider (CSP), although ultimately only a few made this move, with most MSPs simply adding cloud services to their offering.

Security is really important for customers but they struggle with the complexity around it, offering an opportunity to the MSPs. Rob says it’s important that the end user sees their provider staying ahead of the potential problems that could impact their IT systems.

Mentioned in this Podcast

Autotask www.autotask.com
Datto https://www.datto.com/
Vista Equity Partners: www.vistaequitypartners.com
Open Mesh: www.openmesh.com

Interview Transcript
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First Name Email Address We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. Send me the transcript We don't spam! Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit /* Layout */ .ck_form { /* divider image */ background: #fff url(data:image/gif;base64,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) repeat-y center top; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; color: #666; font-size: 16px; border-top: solid 20px #3071b0; border-top-color: #3071b0; border-bottom: solid 10px #3d3d3d; border-bottom-color: #1d446a; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); -moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); clear: both; margin: 20px 0px; } .ck_form, .ck_form * { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } #ck_subscribe_form { clear: both; } /* Element Queries — uses JS */ .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { width: 50%; float: left; padding: 5%; } .ck_form.ck_horizontal { } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: none; } .ck_form.ck_vertical { background: #fff; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content, .ck_vertical .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; overflow: hidden; } /* Trigger the vertical layout with media queries as well */ @media all and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form { background: #fff; } .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; } } /* Content */ .ck_form_content h3 { margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 24px; padding: 0px; } .ck_form_content p { font-size: 14px; } .ck_image { float: left; margin-right: 5px; } /* Form fields */ .ck_errorArea { display: none; } #ck_success_msg { padding: 10px 10px 0px; border: solid 1px #ddd; background: #eee; } .ck_label { font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; } .ck_form input[type="text"], .ck_form input[type="email"] { font-size: 14px; padding: 10px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; /* border radius */ background-color: #f8f7f7; /* layer fill content */ margin-bottom: 5px; height: auto; } .ck_form input[type="text"]:focus, .ck_form input[type="email"]:focus { outline: none; border-color: #aaa; } .ck_checkbox { padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px; display: block; clear: both; } .ck_checkbox input.optIn { margin-left: -20px; margin-top: 0; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt { margin-left: 4px; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt p { display: inline; } .ck_form .ck_subscribe_button { width: 100%; color: #fff; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 10px 0px; font-size: 18px; background: #0d6db8; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; /* border radius */ cursor: pointer; border: none; text-shadow: none; } .ck_form .ck_guarantee { color: #626262; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by { display: block; color: #aaa; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by:hover { display: block; color: #444; } .ck_converted_content { display: none; padding: 5%; background: #fff; }
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How Webroot’s cloud-based cyber security services help MSPs run their businesses more smoothly – TubbTalk #25

Richard talks to Adam Nash of Webroot about how their solutions help MSPs and why cyber security is so important.

An Interview with Adam Nash
Who are Webroot?

Adam Nash is the Sales Manager EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) of Webroot, a next-generation cloud-based cyber security company based in Colorado but operating globally. Their business-led solutions are aimed at MSPs (managed service providers), to deliver security services, make life easier, reduce administration, optimise their customers’ IT environment and improve efficiency.

What do They Offer?

They offer three solutions integrated into one: antivirus, managed straight from the cloud using just cloud intelligence to make detections and DNS (Domain Name Server) web filtering. They also offer security awareness training, which is phishing simulation to prevent users clicking links they shouldn’t. This training is delivered in a targeted way to those users who’ve accidentally fallen foul of a phishing campaign.

Why Adam Believes Cyber Security is Essential

Adam says it’s a software solutions provider’s job to arm an MSP with positioning arguments for their customers, and for that MSP to align themselves with the idea of ‘improved security and reduced infections’ and communicate that clearly to the end user.

Saying that you can drastically reduce the number of threats on a network is meaningless to a customer, so Adam says that MSPs need to talk about things such as productivity improvement, because a business owner understands why getting an extra 15% of working time out of their staff will impact their bottom line.

It’s helpful for the MSP to explain about the damage that a virus can do if a team member clicks on a URL or does something that lets someone into the network, and that the business being offline has a cost.

Why Cloud-Based Security is Important

There is a rapidly changing threat landscape, so Adam says that having up to date information about new threats can make a big difference, especially as there are around 200 million new pieces of malware just for Windows each year. Webroot provides this data and encourages partners to contribute too.

They focus on preventing any type of malware virus worm from running on machines and affecting the way that the machine operates. They scan specific folders where there could be an email loaded into memory, and anything loaded from scripts and websites to reduce the risk of viruses.

More money is made from cyber-crime (over $5m last year) than from traditional methods of fraud and extortion, so inevitably cyber criminals are becoming more innovative, because the rewards are bigger. 

What is Bright Cloud?

Bright Cloud is the cloud intel Webroot use of business solutions – AV, security manager training and DNS filtering – and it classifies URLs and content so traffic can be routed safely.

It integrates with software such as LogRhythm to give detections around things seen in alerts, and it also helps MSPs understand what anomalous behaviour looks like in the IoT (Internet of Things) space. The evolving threat landscape makes it harder to stop attacks coming from different places, so Bright Cloud assists with that.

How MSPs can Help Clients Stay Safe with IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) is making a huge impact on how we do things, both in the home and at work. Adam recommends that MSPs look at what their customer has within their environment and then doing a proper inventory of what internet-enabled devices exist in order to understand what their risk profile looks like.

It’s also good to encourage password best practises for IoT devices, to make sure they’re as strong as possible and that no user or device is using the default username and password set on their devices.  Adam also recommends changing the ports that the devices are accessed from, so that a script key or someone with limited information but who knows which ports certain devices connect with isn’t able to compromise those devices.

Mentioned in this Episode

AutoTask: www.autotask.com
ConnectWise: www.connectwise.com
Kaseya: https://www.kaseya.com/
Continuum: www.connectwise.com
Ninja: https://ninjarmm.com/
Atera: https://www.atera.com
Cisco: www.cisco.com
Palo Alto: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/
F5: www.f5it.com
LogRhythm: https://logrhythm.com/

Interview Transcript
Download the Transcript

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First Name Email Address We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. Send me the transcript We don't spam! Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit /* Layout */ .ck_form { /* divider image */ background: #fff url(data:image/gif;base64,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) repeat-y center top; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; color: #666; font-size: 16px; border-top: solid 20px #3071b0; border-top-color: #3071b0; border-bottom: solid 10px #3d3d3d; border-bottom-color: #1d446a; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); -moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); clear: both; margin: 20px 0px; } .ck_form, .ck_form * { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } #ck_subscribe_form { clear: both; } /* Element Queries — uses JS */ .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { width: 50%; float: left; padding: 5%; } .ck_form.ck_horizontal { } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: none; } .ck_form.ck_vertical { background: #fff; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content, .ck_vertical .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; overflow: hidden; } /* Trigger the vertical layout with media queries as well */ @media all and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form { background: #fff; } .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; } } /* Content */ .ck_form_content h3 { margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 24px; padding: 0px; } .ck_form_content p { font-size: 14px; } .ck_image { float: left; margin-right: 5px; } /* Form fields */ .ck_errorArea { display: none; } #ck_success_msg { padding: 10px 10px 0px; border: solid 1px #ddd; background: #eee; } .ck_label { font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; } .ck_form input[type="text"], .ck_form input[type="email"] { font-size: 14px; padding: 10px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; /* border radius */ background-color: #f8f7f7; /* layer fill content */ margin-bottom: 5px; height: auto; } .ck_form input[type="text"]:focus, .ck_form input[type="email"]:focus { outline: none; border-color: #aaa; } .ck_checkbox { padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px; display: block; clear: both; } .ck_checkbox input.optIn { margin-left: -20px; margin-top: 0; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt { margin-left: 4px; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt p { display: inline; } .ck_form .ck_subscribe_button { width: 100%; color: #fff; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 10px 0px; font-size: 18px; background: #0d6db8; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; /* border radius */ cursor: pointer; border: none; text-shadow: none; } .ck_form .ck_guarantee { color: #626262; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by { display: block; color: #aaa; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by:hover { display: block; color: #444; } .ck_converted_content { display: none; padding: 5%; background: #fff; }
Connect with me

Subscribe to TubbTalk RSS feed
Subscribe, rate and review TubbTalk in iTunes
Subscribe, rate and review TubbTalk on Stitcher Radio
Follow @tubblog on Twitter

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The post How Webroot’s cloud-based cyber security services help MSPs run their businesses more smoothly – TubbTalk #25 appeared first on Richard Tubb.

How WebRoot’s cloud-based cyber security services help MSPs run their businesses more smoothly – Tubbtalk #25

Richard talks to Adam Nash of Webroot about how their solutions help MSPs and why cyber security is so important.

An Interview with Adam Nash
Who are Webroot?

Adam Nash is the Sales Manager EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) of Webroot, a next-generation cloud-based cyber security company based in Colorado but operating globally. Their business-led solutions are aimed at MSPs (managed service providers), to deliver security services, make life easier, reduce administration, optimise their customers’ IT environment and improve efficiency.

What do They Offer?

They offer three solutions integrated into one: antivirus, managed straight from the cloud using just cloud intelligence to make detections and DNS (Domain Name Server) web filtering. They also offer security awareness training, which is phishing simulation to prevent users clicking links they shouldn’t. This training is delivered in a targeted way to those users who’ve accidentally fallen foul of a phishing campaign.

Why Adam Believes Cyber Security is Essential

Adam says it’s a software solutions provider’s job to arm an MSP with positioning arguments for their customers, and for that MSP to align themselves with the idea of ‘improved security and reduced infections’ and communicate that clearly to the end user.

Saying that you can drastically reduce the number of threats on a network is meaningless to a customer, so Adam says that MSPs need to talk about things such as productivity improvement, because a business owner understands why getting an extra 15% of working time out of their staff will impact their bottom line.

It’s helpful for the MSP to explain about the damage that a virus can do if a team member clicks on a URL or does something that lets someone into the network, and that the business being offline has a cost.

Why Cloud-Based Security is Important

There is a rapidly changing threat landscape, so Adam says that having up to date information about new threats can make a big difference, especially as there are around 200 million new pieces of malware just for Windows each year. Webroot provides this data and encourages partners to contribute too.

They focus on preventing any type of malware virus worm from running on machines and affecting the way that the machine operates. They scan specific folders where there could be an email loaded into memory, and anything loaded from scripts and websites to reduce the risk of viruses.

More money is made from cyber-crime (over $5m last year) than from traditional methods of fraud and extortion, so inevitably cyber criminals are becoming more innovative, because the rewards are bigger. 

What is Bright Cloud?

Bright Cloud is the cloud intel Webroot use of business solutions – AV, security manager training and DNS filtering – and it classifies URLs and content so traffic can be routed safely.

It integrates with software such as LogRhythm to give detections around things seen in alerts, and it also helps MSPs understand what anomalous behaviour looks like in the IoT (Internet of Things) space. The evolving threat landscape makes it harder to stop attacks coming from different places, so Bright Cloud assists with that.

How MSPs can Help Clients Stay Safe with IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) is making a huge impact on how we do things, both in the home and at work. Adam recommends that MSPs look at what their customer has within their environment and then doing a proper inventory of what internet-enabled devices exist in order to understand what their risk profile looks like.

It’s also good to encourage password best practises for IoT devices, to make sure they’re as strong as possible and that no user or device is using the default username and password set on their devices.  Adam also recommends changing the ports that the devices are accessed from, so that a script key or someone with limited information but who knows which ports certain devices connect with isn’t able to compromise those devices.

Mentioned in this Episode

AutoTask: www.autotask.com
ConnectWise: www.connectwise.com
Kaseya: https://www.kaseya.com/
Continuum: www.connectwise.com
Ninja: https://ninjarmm.com/
Atera: https://www.atera.com
Cisco: www.cisco.com
Palo Alto: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/
F5: www.f5it.com
LogRhythm: https://logrhythm.com/

Interview Transcript
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First Name Email Address We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. Send me the transcript We don't spam! Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit /* Layout */ .ck_form { /* divider image */ background: #fff url(data:image/gif;base64,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) repeat-y center top; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; color: #666; font-size: 16px; border-top: solid 20px #3071b0; border-top-color: #3071b0; border-bottom: solid 10px #3d3d3d; border-bottom-color: #1d446a; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); -moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); clear: both; margin: 20px 0px; } .ck_form, .ck_form * { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } #ck_subscribe_form { clear: both; } /* Element Queries — uses JS */ .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { width: 50%; float: left; padding: 5%; } .ck_form.ck_horizontal { } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: none; } .ck_form.ck_vertical { background: #fff; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content, .ck_vertical .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; overflow: hidden; } /* Trigger the vertical layout with media queries as well */ @media all and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form { background: #fff; } .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; } } /* Content */ .ck_form_content h3 { margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 24px; padding: 0px; } .ck_form_content p { font-size: 14px; } .ck_image { float: left; margin-right: 5px; } /* Form fields */ .ck_errorArea { display: none; } #ck_success_msg { padding: 10px 10px 0px; border: solid 1px #ddd; background: #eee; } .ck_label { font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; } .ck_form input[type="text"], .ck_form input[type="email"] { font-size: 14px; padding: 10px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; /* border radius */ background-color: #f8f7f7; /* layer fill content */ margin-bottom: 5px; height: auto; } .ck_form input[type="text"]:focus, .ck_form input[type="email"]:focus { outline: none; border-color: #aaa; } .ck_checkbox { padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px; display: block; clear: both; } .ck_checkbox input.optIn { margin-left: -20px; margin-top: 0; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt { margin-left: 4px; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt p { display: inline; } .ck_form .ck_subscribe_button { width: 100%; color: #fff; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 10px 0px; font-size: 18px; background: #0d6db8; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; /* border radius */ cursor: pointer; border: none; text-shadow: none; } .ck_form .ck_guarantee { color: #626262; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by { display: block; color: #aaa; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by:hover { display: block; color: #444; } .ck_converted_content { display: none; padding: 5%; background: #fff; }
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StickK – Achieve Your Goals using Loss Aversion and Anti-Charity

Every Friday I share one of my favourite finds of the week — a website, tool or an app that has impressed me.

My Friday Favourite this week is StickK – Achieve Your Goals using Loss Aversion and Anti-Charity.

What is it?

StickK is an app that helps users define their goal, acknowledge what it will take to accomplish it, and then encourage the user to put money on the line to achieve that goal.

How can it help me?

Most of us have goals, yet nearly all of us struggle to achieve those goals.

I’ve written before about the importance of writing down your goals.

StickK helps you to reduce the gap between writing down your goals and achieving your goals by setting a commitment contract.

A Commitment Contract is a binding agreement you sign with yourself (with a trusted friend as a referee) to make sure that you follow through with your intentions. StickK does this by utilising the psychological power of loss aversion and accountability to drive behaviour change.

For example — a friend of mine wanted to get up earlier every day. He created a Commitment Contract on StickK to say that he would be awake at 5 am every day for one month. He asked me to referee his contract on StickK and help hold him accountable to it.

While the StickK service is free, he gave his credit card details to the website. Why? My friend is a huge Chelsea Football Club fan, and if he failed to get up at 5 am any day (for whatever reason) then Stickk would donate £100 to his chosen “anti-charity”. In this case, his “anti-charity” was The Arsenal Supporters Club.

The idea of losing £100 to an “anti-charity” that you loathe is a powerful motivator. My friend completed his month’s commitment!

A Referee increases your chances of success by up to 2x.
Financial stakes increase your chances of success by up to 3x.

If you have a goal that you’re struggling to achieve, then you can use StickK to put your money where your mouth is and get it done.

How much does it cost?

StickK is free to use.

How can I get it?

You can visit the StickK homepage to sign-up and set your goal.

You can download the StickK app for Android, or the StickK app for iOS.

You can also visit the StickK Facebook page, or follow @StickK on Twitter.

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