Tubbservatory Round-Up #9 – September 2022

Stephen McCormick

Tubbservatory Round-Up #9 – September 2022 image

Tubbservatory Round-Up – Tools and Resources for Your MSP

Each week Richard throws a spotlight on five resources Managed Service Provider (MSPs) business owners should take note of in the IT industry. The Tubbservatory is a weekly video broadcast featuring useful articles, podcasts and events that bring value to IT business owners.

Tubbservatory Round-Up #9 – September 2022 is a collection of all of the Tubbservatory broadcasts made in the month of September. It’s edited together for you to watch at your convenience. The items are summarised below, with links to the resources mentioned in the video.

This month’s topics include: Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing. GDPR, Productivity and MSP Podcasts.

Tubbservatory: The September 2022 Round-Up Video

Tubbservatory Round-Up #9: September – Week 1

#1 Lloyd’s to End Insurance Coverage for State Cyber Attacks

Lloyd’s of London has indicated that it will instruct its insurance groups to exclude “catastrophic” nation-state cyber attacks from cyber insurance policies from 31st March 2023.

Underwriting director Tony Chaudry said Lloyd’s remained strongly supportive of cyber insurance, but said state-backed attacks have the potential to greatly exceed what the insurance market is able to absorb.

It follows a trend where affordable coverage is becoming harder to acquire for smaller businesses, and so it’s worth watching out for.

‘State-backed attacks have the potential to greatly exceed what the insurance market is able to absorb’ - Tony Chaudry, Lloyds of London Click to Tweet

#2 Zomentum: Inside the SMB SaaS Technology Buying Process

In April 2022, Revenue Platform provider Zomentum commissioned an independent study to look into SaaS buying for small to medium-sized businesses.

The aim was to find out how SMBs view technology, what they look for from their technology providers, and how it drives the growth of their business.

The report also explains why partners are critical to the buying process for SMBs, and how to influence decision makers. Therefore, it’s definitely an interesting read for any MSP who provides Software-as-a-Service.

#3 SuperOps: What are Some of the Biggest Time Drains for MSPs?

As we all know, the world of MSPs has evolved from an open table of opportunity to a highly competitive field, and one in which time is a precious commodity in short supply.

This article from SuperOps highlights four areas that can easily consume our precious time if we let them get out of hand.

The areas highlighted include:

Project Management
IT Documentation
Asset Management
Team Training

#4 Managed Services Summit London 2022

Celebrating its 12th year, the Managed Services Summit UK was held again in London on 14th September 2022.

The event centred around the changing role of the MSP in today’s market, and featured a number of presentations, panels and networking opportunities. As well as the split sessions aimed at business leadership, or technology leadership, held throughout the day.

#5 The Most Popular Tech on the Year You Were Born

What was the big mover and shaker from the tech world in the year you were born?

This fascinating list, compiled by Adrian Willings of Pocket-Lint, includes an impressive collection of iconic and game-changing pieces of technology from 1960 right up to 2020.

Items include: The Atari 2600, the Sony Walkman and the yuppie favourite, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X cell phone, amongst many others.

Tubbservatory Round-Up #9: September – Week 2

#1 Webinar: Building a Security Stack for SMEs

Navigating the current cybersecurity landscape can be challenging.

So, if you need advice on building a security stack for small & medium sized businesses, then this on-demand video from a recent joint webinar from Atera, Threatlocker and JumpCloud will help you.

In the video, Danny Jenkins, CEO, ThreatLocker, Gil Pekelman, CEO, Atera, and Rajat Bhargava, CEO, JumpCloud, discuss the best-in-class security tactics you need to implement to help stop emerging threats.

They also offer tools and resources that will help you make informed decisions, saving you time, money, and resources in the long run.

#2 The CompTIA Information Sharing and Analysis Organization -ISAO

With so many sophisticated cyberthreats out there, it can be tough for technology companies to keep themselves and their clients safe.

The CompTIA Information Sharing and Analysis Organization, or ISAO, tailors proactive threat intelligence and actionable analysis to meet the needs of technology vendors, managed services providers (MSPs), solution providers, integrators, distributors, business technology consultants and their customers.

This organisation gives members access to a number of industry peers and is a resource well-worth checking out.

#3 7 Useful Productivity Chrome Extensions for Marketers

You can be the best IT company in the world, but if nobody knows about you, what is the point?

To help you market your MSP, Nikita from Snov.io wrote a guest post for Wishpond sharing 7 Useful Productivity Chrome Extensions For Marketers.

These extensions will help with:

Text verification
SEO optimization
More convincing writing styles

#4 Floppy Disks in Japan: Minister Declares War on Old-Fashioned Technology

Despite its reputation for innovative, high-tech gadgetry, Japan still has some paradoxical habits when it comes to storage and communication.

BBC Tech reports that a Japanese minister has declared war on the old-fashioned floppy disk, which is still shockingly being used in over 1,900 government processes in Japan!

This is the minister who, in 2018, confessed to having never used a computer.

Have you got any clients still using floppy disks? We would love to hear about it in the comments!

#5 DattoCon 2022 and the Managed Services Summit 2022

MSP conference season began this September and it kicked off with two big events on either side of the pond.

Sept 11th-13th saw DattoCon 2022 from Washington, DC.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, Richard Tubb attended the Managed Services Summit in London on September 14th.

Tubbservatory Round-Up #9: September – Week 3

#1 LastPass Issue Notice of Security Incident Affecting Their Development Environment

Password management organisation LastPass issued a security notice this month. An unauthorised party gained access to portions of the LastPass development environment through a single compromised developer account.

They took portions of source code and some LastPass technical information, but no user systems were affected.

LastPass are to be commended for being so transparent about this incident, and this should not put anyone off using password managers as part of their security protocols.

#2 Pax8: The View from a Security Expert – Video

When was the last time you reviewed your MSPs cybersecurity policy?

In this video, Cybersecurity Expert and former MSP owner Mostyn Thomas joins Phylip Morgan from Pax8 to share the biggest threats to MSPs and the practical steps you can take to ensure your organisation remains protected against those looking to profit from your hard work.

Mostyn Thomas is a highly respected expert in this field, and so I’d strongly encourage every MSP to watch this video.

#3 The Pax8 Cybersecurity Masterclass Takes Place in November 2022

Pax8 announced their next Cybersecurity Masterclass for UK partners on 24th November in Bristol.

The Cybersecurity Masterclass is a practical and collaborative one-day event that helps you and your clients navigate the complexities of cybersecurity.

Amongst other benefits, attendees will learn what is needed to achieve Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus – two very important milestones for MSPs.

#4 Spear Phishing: Top Threats and Trends

Cybercriminals are constantly refining their tactics and making their attacks more difficult to detect.

So this free eBook from Barracuda on spear phishing: ‘Top Threats and Trends’ is an essential resource for MSPs.

In the eBook, Barracuda shares the latest methods attackers are using to trick their victims, and the best practices to protect your business from these ever-evolving threats.

#5 Ultimate MSP Podcast Crossover – September 2022

During the month of September, our very own Richard Tubb was one of a number of MSP podcasters taking part in the Ultimate MSP Podcast Crossover event.

As part of the event, each contributor shared their best piece of business advice.

Along with Richard Tubb’s podcast, there were podcast episodes from:

Adam Walter (Humanize IT)
Ian Luckett (The IT Experts)
Kevin Clune (MSP Growth Hacks)
Paul Green (MSP Marketing Edge)
Praveen Ramesh (SuperOps)
Todd Kane (Evolved Management Consulting)

All of this culminated in a special broadcast, which went out on 30th September.

Tubbservatory Round-Up #9: September – Week 4

#1 Paul Green’s MSP Marketing Podcast Ep129 – A Clever SEO Idea for MSPs

In a recent podcast by MSP Marketing expert Paul Green, he mentions a clever Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) idea for MSPs.

The idea, which involves local news site and back links, should help you to rank better for local searches in Google.

Make sure to download the episode in your favourite podcast player to listen!

#2 Alternative Cloud Providers Can Help MSPs Grow Their Business Faster Than Hyperscalers

Richard Tubb was recently interviewed by Swapnil Bhartiya for the TFIR video show to talk about how the Alternative Cloud Provider Can Help MSPs Grow Their Business.

Alternative cloud providers like Linode can help you to reduce the cost of support, so you can increase your profits.

Furthermore, alternative cloud providers are more relatable to MSPs, and it’s much easier to scale up with alternative cloud partner in tow.

#3 What Will the Data Reform Bill Mean for UK Businesses Operating in the EU?

That’s the question Peter Galdies, founder and senior consultant at DQM GRC, asks in this article for Computer Weekly.

At the heart of the reform, the proposals seek to lessen the administrative burden on small businesses while maintaining rights of the individual.

Despite the good intentions, the reality is that there will be a lot of work required to achieve the necessary compliance.

GDPR has not gone away with Brexit, and UK MSPs should read this article to be aware of the upcoming challenges for their clients.

#4 Microsoft 365 Masterclass with Jason Kemsley of Uptime Solutions and Scott Riley of Cloud Nexus

Do you need help with your 365 work? Want to get to the right answer quicker? Would you like access to PowerShell scripts and how to guides that will speed up your 365 support and projects?

If so, this short video will help. Jason Kemsley at Uptime Solutions talks to their partner, Scott Riley at Cloud Nexus, about their new M365 Masterclass.

If you use M365 in your MSP business, the M365 Masterclass is well worth being aware of.

#5 The Women in Tech Festival – London, 3rd November 2022

The Women in Tech Festival 2022 takes place in London on 3rd November.

Diversity, Innovation and Empowerment are the themes for this event organised by Computing and CRN.

Some of the amazing ladies in tech who are presenting include:

MSP Branding Expert Claire Jenks
Samantha Kempe of IMMO Investment Technologies
Jane Deal, the IT Director of the Law Society

Tubbservatory Round-Up #9: September – Week 5

#1 The 5 Kinds of People a Founder Should Have Around Them

SuperOps CEO Arvind Parthiban has started his own blog, entitled “Stories by Arvind”, and it’s packed full of wisdom and insights from this serial entrepreneur.

“The 5 Kinds of People a Founder Should Have Around Them”, is a great example. It highlights the importance of how having the right people around you can make the difference between success and failure.

Here, he isn’t talking about the hard-skill subject matter experts but the strategic thinkers and energetic go-getters who can help you leave your entrepreneurial mark on the landscape.

#2 Keepabl – Privacy and Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance

Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (or ESG) is fast becoming a key focus for businesses looking to make a difference to people and the planet.

Privacy is a fundamental area of ESG. This article from Robert Baugh of Keepabl, a GDPR platform for MSPs, gives a step-by-step guide to privacy and ESG.

For those MSPs who want to be seen to be more than just an IT provider, this knowledge will set you apart from the competition.

#3 The ComputerWeekly Downtime Upload Podcast

An interesting podcast that caught our attention this week was the ComputerWeekly Downtime Upload Podcast.

Hosts Clare McDonald, Brian McKenna and Caroline Donnelly talk about a variety of interesting topics for IT businesses.

The episode on the “Metaverse and Women in Software” is a good place to start.

#4 Acronis – Advanced File Sync and Share

Do you have clients with regulatory requirements or high-levels of security precautions? If so, then you may want to consider Acronis Advanced File Sync and Share for secure collaboration and productivity.

There’s support for Apple and Android smartphones and tablets, Windows PCs, Macs, and all popular web browsers. Advanced File Sync and Share features encryption, embedded e-Signing and even notarization and signature certificates.

Also, Acronis are currently offering a promotional rebate for MSPs when you switch to Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud.

#5 Standardization Sells: How Consistency Shortens Your Sales Cycle

An upcoming webinar, “Standardization Sells: How Consistency Shortens Your Sales Cycle” is to take place on Wed 5th October.

The event features Zomentum’s Ben Spector speaking with Yusuf Yeganeh, the Managing Director of Microbyte Solutions. The two will discuss the secrets of selling standardized services, and how this can save you both time and money.

Registration is now open.

Links to the Resources Mentioned in this Round-Up

From Week 1

Mentioned in Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

And Week 5

How You Can Help

That’s all from the Round-Up for September 2022!

There was so much going on this month, did we miss anything?

Have you discovered a useful tool or resource that Richard might be interested in? Please let us know in the comments.

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Managed Services, MSP News, Resources, Tubbservatory, Tubbservatory Round-Up, Video

STEPHEN MCCORMICK

I'm a small business owner, technical writer and blogger, with 15 years experience in corporate IT. I frequently attend MSP peer groups and create content relevant to IT service providers and business owners.

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