MSP Risk Landscape, Assume Breach Mindset and more, with Ryan Weeks

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This month’s guest on the Cyber Insider is Ryan Weeks. As the former Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Datto, Ryan built and piloted Datto’s industry leading Information Security program prior to the 2023 acquisition of the company. Currently, Ryan is advising IT Channel cybersecurity startups and is the Partner and Director of Content for Right of Boom, a cybersecurity education company purpose built for MSPs. Ryan loves sharing his knowledge and experiences of all things cybersecurity almost as much as he loves his family, fishing and surfing. 
The risk landscape for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Ryan highlights the pivotal year of 2018 when MSPs became a prime target for cyberattacks. He explains, "There was a large spate of attacks against MSPs, and it completely turned the risk landscape on its head." This shift in focus by threat actors towards MSPs has created unique challenges for the industry. 
Ryan emphasizes the importance of understanding the threat landscape and the need for MSPs to adopt a threat-informed cyber defense approach. He states, "You can't have an effective cyber defense if you don't have some resemblance of an understanding of your adversary and how they might seek to compromise your business." MSPs must be aware of the industries they serve and the specific threats they face to build resilient cybersecurity programs.  
Rather than viewing a breach as a failure, Ryan encourages organizations to see it as an opportunity for improvement. He states, "The breach isn't the bad thing; it's the motivation for us to make ourselves better so that when it happens, we're more prepared to operate through it." Adopting this mindset allows organizations to focus on building robust capabilities and response plans to mitigate the impact of cyber incidents. 
Looking ahead, the future of cybersecurity relies on continuous education, collaboration, and the development of robust capabilities. As our guest aptly puts it, "The breach isn't the bad thing; it's what you do when you get breached that matters." With the right mindset, knowledge, and proactive measures, organizations can turn cyber incidents into opportunities for growth and improvement in the ever-changing world of cybersecurity. 
All this and much more is discussed in this episode of The Cyber Insider podcast by Emsisoft, the award-winning cybersecurity company delivering top-notch security solutions for over 20 years.   
Be sure to tune in and subscribe to The Cyber Insider to get your monthly inside scoop on cybersecurity. 
 
Hosts:  
Luke Connolly – partner manager at Emsisoft  
Brett Callow – threat analyst at Emsisoft  
 
Intro/outro music: “Intro funk” by Lowtone.