Increasing Cybersecurity Regulation Challenging MSPs, Customers

KASEYA DATTOCON — Managing regulatory restrictions across North America borders in North America is a growing issue for MSPs serving international customers, according to one Canadian executive.

Expera Information Technology CEO Vincent Fung participated in a panel discussion alongside several other MSP leaders on Tuesday at Kaseya DattoCon 2024 in Miami Beach, Florida, where they talked about best practices for making a profit, as well as their day-to-day challenges. Fung brought up his company's efforts to prepare for existing and future regulations revolving around NIST CSF, CMMC and CIS Controls.

Expera's Vincent Fung

"One of the biggest challenges that MSPs face, as well as keeping on top of all the different tools that we have to maintain, is managing all of the different threats that we're constantly having to watch," Fung said. "The thing in Canada right now, unlike the U.S., we don't have a lot of legislation yet [affecting cybersecurity and MSPs]. So we're watching what's happening in the U.S., and we're starting to implement a lot of things from there already. Because I predict that for those of you that are based in Canada, over the next two years, we're going to start seeing some legislation actually come and hit hard, and we need to be prepared for that."

Related:Class Action Lawsuit Against Evolv Alleges Misconduct in Sales to Channel Partner

Fung noted two other variables that he believes are driving interest in MSPs in the last few months: customers' desire to meet certain cybersecurity requirements, as well as a growing need for cyber insurance.

The Expera CEO's words rang true with the consistent themes expressed at DattoCon, which emphasize the important role that MSPs hold in the current tech economy and how they help protect customers from mailicious actors who target and disrupt smaller businesses that might not have the same protections as larger companies.

News at 2024 DattoCon

Kaseya unveiled a number of major changes to its product line during Kaseya CEO Fred Voccola's opening remarks on Tuesday, most notably the debut of the User version of Kaseya 365. The company also announced the acquisition of SaaS Alerts.

DattoCon has more than 5,000 attendees this year, with 3,500 of those being MSP owners and employees.