CompTIA Focuses On Cybersecurity as It Expands CompTIA ISAO

COMPTIA EMEA CONFERENCE — CompTIA is zoning in on cyber as a theme at its EMEA Member & Partner Conference. It coincides with the expansion of the CompTIA ISAO (Information Sharing and Analysis Organization) to the UK.

The IT trade association says the CompTIA ISAO dedicates itself to “advancing the cybersecurity resiliency of the global technology industry.”

The CompTIA ISAO, launched in the U.S. in 2020, has approximately 1,200 member companies. Industry partners include Axcient, ConnectWise, Dark Cubed, Dell Technologies and Sophos.

Organizations can share real-time threat intelligence, analysis of potential impacts, coordinated countermeasure response efforts, cybersecurity best-practice adoption and workforce education.

CompTIA will “serve as the focal point” for dealing with cyberthreats. It specified threats to technology vendors, MSPs, solution providers, integrators, distributors, and business technology consultants.

MJ Shoer, SVP, executive director of the CompTIA ISAO, said this is a time of unprecedented and malicious hacking activity.

CompTIA’s MJ Shoer

“Much of which is targeted specifically at technology product, service and solution companies,” he said.

Shoer said CompTIA would bring together “the know-how and power of the industry.” The goal is to deliver “timely, relevant, actionable threat intelligence that companies can use to protect themselves and … keep their customers safe and secure.”

Information Sharing

Shoer joined CompTIA president and CEO Todd Thibodeau on stage for CompTIA’s “State of IT of the Industry” keynote.

“People need to begin to understand that cyber is not something they can do entirely on their own. They need a community; they need support,” he said. “We need to get involved in information sharing. Because we give our members critical information about what’s going on, things to be listening for.”

He described “active communities that share government sources, private sources [that] collaborate together, a group of trusted peers.”

Shoer revealed CompTIA is developing a “rapid response” process for cyberattacks.

“We have over 80 MSPs, vendors and a couple of distributors come forward and have agreed to be a volunteer [for the response]. If we get wind that a member gets hacked, you’ve got this diverse [group] of volunteers, that in some cases are willing to hop in cars, get on planes, and certainly help remotely.

“We’re trying to put some systems in place [to] play matchmaker to help you get as quickly as possible.”