EChannelNews Podcast

EChannelNews
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IT and Cybersecurity news geared towards people involved in the IT industry including vendors, VARs, MSPs, MSSPs, SOCs, NOCs, Resellers, and other industry professionals. Our topics cover industry news, partner programs, cybersecurity, AI and more.

  1. 9h ago

    Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem Episode 14: Rethinking the Cyber Stack

    Send us Fan Mail Presenters: Julian Lee, Publisher, Community Builder, Speaker, Channel Ecosystem Developer with a focus on cybersecurity, AI and Digital Transformation Paolo Del Nibletto, Editor, eChannelNews Randal Wark, Owner, MTech Cyber (MSP & Cybersecurity) ★ Conference Host ★ Mastermind Facilitator ★ Podcast Host ★ Journalist The Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem aims to assist Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in becoming more cybersecurity-oriented amidst industry disruptions caused by AI and regulatory changes. In Episode 14 of the Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem Podcast, host Julian Lee is joined by Paolo Del Nibletto and Randal Wark to analyze critical takeaways from recent industry events, including Check Point Software’s Advantage event in Toronto, Proofpoint’s Protect 2026 conference in San Diego, and the CDE Summit in Edison, New Jersey. They highlight a dangerous shift toward agentic AI email exploits, where embedded payloads trigger automated mail-parsing agents before human intervention occurs, underscoring the necessity of inline (rather than traditional API-based) email security and zero-trust isolation tools like ThreatLocker. Beyond technical vectors, the discussion emphasizes the strategic shift toward proactive remediation, human-centric intent detection, and grass-roots community building through regional CDE chapters and peer masterminds to navigate vendor sprawl and emerging AI risks. Click here to watch previous episodes on Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem To learn more on Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem, visit: https://cybersecuritydefenseecosystem.com/

  2. 1d ago

    PlexTrac: Balancing Automation and Context in Modern Penetration Testing

    Send us Fan Mail PlexTrac founder and CEO Dan DeCloss joins host Julian Lee to discuss the rapid evolution of penetration testing from an annual compliance formality into a continuous, data-driven security discipline. Drawing on his background with the U.S. Department of Defense and enterprise security teams, Dan outlines how the rise of automated and AI-driven threat capabilities requires defenders to pair continuous testing with human-in-the-loop automated remediation. PlexTrac addresses this challenge not by conducting pen tests directly, but by serving as an orchestration and reporting platform that integrates data from disparate scanning tools. By replacing manual reporting with centralized workflows, PlexTrac reduces analyst burnout, speeds up vulnerability prioritization, and enables MSPs and MSSPs to deliver scalable “pen testing as a service” that helps organizations maintain a defensible security posture.

    PlexTrac: Balancing Automation and Context in Modern Penetration Testing

  3. Sep 18

    How AI and Automation Are Reshaping Help Desk Operations

    Send us Fan Mail David Schwartz, CEO of PIA, challenges the notion of an impending “SaaS-pocalypse.” He argues that while AI capabilities like vibe coding allow users to build quick custom features, they do not replace full-scale Software-as-a-Service platforms. Developing and maintaining reliable enterprise software requires ongoing DevOps support, bug fixes, R&D, and strict adherence to security and compliance frameworks like SOC, HIPAA, and GDPR. For most businesses, attempting to build and maintain custom alternatives internally creates unsustainable overhead and introduces significant operational and security risks compared to established SaaS vendors. David also discusses his transition to leading PIA, an AI-driven help desk automation platform built by MSP veterans for the MSP market. Drawing from his background co-founding Wireless Watchdog and working in IT services, he explains how PIA addresses persistent labor challenges by automating level-one service desk tickets and streamlining repetitive workflows. See our 2025 interview with David: https://www.e-channelnews.com/update-interview-with-pias-new-ceo-david-schwartz/

    How AI and Automation Are Reshaping Help Desk Operations

  4. Sep 10

    Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem Episode 13: From Private LLMs to Real-World Channel Challenges

    Send us Fan Mail Presenters: Julian Lee, Publisher, Community Builder, Speaker, Channel Ecosystem Developer with a focus on cybersecurity, AI and Digital Transformation Paolo Del Nibletto, Editor, eChannelNews Evgeniy Kharam, Publisher, Community Builder, Speaker, Channel Ecosystem Developer with a focus on cybersecurity, AI and Digital Transformation Cybersecurity Architect | Evangelist | Consultant | Advisor | Podcaster | Visionary | Speaker | Randal Wark, Owner, MTech Cyber (MSP & Cybersecurity) ★ Conference Host ★ Mastermind Facilitator ★ Podcast Host ★ Journalist The Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem aims to assist Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in becoming more cybersecurity-oriented amidst industry disruptions caused by AI and regulatory changes. In Episode 13 of the Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem podcast, host Julian is joined by industry experts to discuss the evolving security landscape, vendor consolidation, and the operational impact of emerging AI technologies on MSPs. The panel explores the trade-offs between public and private Large Language Models (LLMs), highlighting growing concerns over token costs, data privacy, guardrail restrictions, and the risk of corporate shadow AI. They also examine industry shifts while emphasizing that MSPs must rigorously audit their own internal security postures to protect client environments effectively. The discussion also dives into threat intelligence, using the exposure of the Aurora ransomware group to illustrate how attacker playbooks rely on AI-assisted tools, repeatable workflows, and targeted cross-industry extortions. Addressing human and operational bottlenecks, the speakers caution against over-relying on unvetted AI-generated outputs for client deliverables and technical documentation. They advocate for structured AI governance, granular non-human identity management, and continuous workforce training to prevent operational missteps. Ultimately, the panel stresses that while AI provides powerful efficiencies, MSPs must maintain strict oversight, human-in-the-loop validation, and strong core security fundamentals to effectively safeguard the technology channel.

  5. Sep 10

    Navigating Channel Headwinds: Why Tech Financing is the New Competitive Advantage

    Send us Fan Mail In this podcast, Julian sits down with Jim Moschos, National Sales Director for Technology Finance at Mitsubishi HC Capital Canada, to address the mounting market headwinds facing MSPs and the broader IT channel. Jim highlights that ongoing global AI infrastructure demand, supply chain disruptions, fluctuating exchange rates, and freight costs have created severe hardware shortages and price volatility, with component costs rising 20% to 80% and broad product prices increasing roughly 15% to 20% year-over-year. Because vendors and distributors are holding price quotes for as little as two to four weeks, channel partners risk getting squeezed if they attempt to absorb these unforeseen spikes themselves. To weather these challenges through 2027 and beyond, Jim advises MSPs to shift from order takers to trusted business advisors by offering flexible financing and payment plan options. Financing allows clients to convert unpredictable, ballooning upfront capital costs into manageable monthly expenses—even when purchase orders change prior to delivery. Furthermore, he explains that brand-agnostic payment plans unlock significant cost savings on software and cybersecurity licensing by allowing customers to lock in multi-year subscription discounts with upfront capital while maintaining predictable monthly payments. Ultimately, incorporating financial structuring into sales strategies provides MSPs with a key competitive differentiator to help customers maintain tech refresh cycles amid economic uncertainty.

    Navigating Channel Headwinds: Why Tech Financing is the New Competitive Advantage

  6. Aug 31

    RB Cyber: Streamlining MSP-Level Cyber Risk Mitigation

    Send us Fan Mail Ken Rayner and Kenrick Bagnall of RB Cyber, detailed how RB Cyber’s Lloyd’s of London-backed underwriting model evaluates risk at the MSP level rather than forcing individual end-clients through lengthy questionnaires. By leveraging the MSP’s existing technical stack and security controls, the platform delivers automated, online quotes in under ten seconds. They highlighted features such as bulk-client uploading for proactive outreach, accessible pricing, and integrated incident response services to cover residual risks like human error or delayed patching. To listen to other interviews with RB Cyber, click here

    RB Cyber: Streamlining MSP-Level Cyber Risk Mitigation

  7. Aug 27

    Drowning in Data: The SIEM Breaking Point

    Send us Fan Mail Matteo Rebeschini, Strategic Solutions Engineer at real-time data platform vendor Hydrolix, discussed the operational challenges traditional Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems face when attempting to process modern enterprise data volumes. He explained that legacy SIEM platforms struggle to scale cost-effectively, forcing organizations into complex data tiering or “freezing” processes that delay threat investigations by days. He highlighted that while small businesses often rely on MSPs and MSSPs to handle SIEM deployment for compliance or cyber insurance requirements, larger enterprises are increasingly shifting toward agentic AI, automated SecOps, and specialized data lakes to handle massive telemetry inputs without exploding software licensing budgets.

    Drowning in Data: The SIEM Breaking Point

  8. Jul 29

    The 50 Best Managed IT Companies Assessment: Why Every MSP Needs a Visit to the “Business Shrink”

    Send us Fan Mail Julian Lee and Paolo Del Nibletto talk about the 50 Best Managed IT Companies assessment and the value of this survey (a free 200+ question assessment). Paolo describes it as visiting a “business psychiatrist” once a year, forcing MSP leaders to pause, ask tough questions about valuation and operations, evaluate their business health, and benchmark performance across their leadership teams. Winning the top-50 award gives MSPs a trustworthy badge of excellence that boosts their credibility with potential clients. Using a decade of survey data with strict privacy rules, AI tools can map this data by location to reveal market sentiment, partner coverage gaps, and how individual sales reps affect brand perception.

    The 50 Best Managed IT Companies Assessment: Why Every MSP Needs a Visit to the “Business Shrink”
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About

IT and Cybersecurity news geared towards people involved in the IT industry including vendors, VARs, MSPs, MSSPs, SOCs, NOCs, Resellers, and other industry professionals. Our topics cover industry news, partner programs, cybersecurity, AI and more.

Information

  • Creator
    EChannelNews
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    129
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 EChannelNews Podcast
  • Show Website
    EChannelNews Podcast