In The Channel

Do or do not: SonicWall’s Michael Crean on what MSPs keep getting wrong on security

SonicWall’s 2026 Cyber Protect Report frames SMB security failures as seven predictable, preventable sins. In The Channel sat down with SVP Michael Crean – who built one of the early SOC-as-a-service MSSPs before SonicWall acquired it – to dig into what the framework actually means for partners.

Podcasts
Podcasts

The Buzz: AI job cuts top 100,000 for the year, Keeper Security targets phishing at the credential level, and Pia brings zero-touch service desk to Microsoft Teams

More than 100,000 tech jobs have been eliminated industry-wide in the first four months of 2026, with AI cited as a direct cause in nearly half of the cuts. Keeper Security launches real-time phishing defence at the point of credential entry. And Pia’s new Teams-native application brings zero-touch ticket resolution to MSP service desks.

Channel Programs

Palo Alto’s Michael Khoury on what’s actually changing for partners in the NextWave revamp

Palo Alto Networks’ Michael Khoury joins In The Channel to walk through the ground-up redesign of the NextWave partner program – from the elimination of discount caps to the new platform adoption incentives and the CyberArk identity opportunity.

In The Channel

Your tools are the threat: ESET’s Tony Anscombe on MSP supply chain risk

A 277% spike in RMM abuse. MFA bypasses through inherited VPN configurations. Attackers targeting backup infrastructure before they even start encrypting. In this second conversation with ESET Chief Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe, we dig into how the tools MSPs rely on every day have become the primary attack surface – and what the practical path forward looks like.

Identity

Okta’s Canadian bet: Data cell, 600 employees, and a plan to triple the business

Okta is running over 80 percent of Canadian revenue through partners and betting big on regulated verticals with a new Montreal-based data cell. Country manager Ryan Sydor talks about what that investment looks like and where it’s headed.

In Case You Missed It

ICYMI: SonicWall names the seven deadly sins, Cisco pulls deal reg, and Lenovo bets on services

This week’s In Case You Missed It: SonicWall reframes SMB security around seven predictable, preventable failures. Cisco eliminates compute deal registration amid rising memory costs. Lenovo evolves its partner framework toward services as hardware headwinds build. And CDW Canada delivers sobering Canadian-specific data on the state of enterprise cybersecurity.

Identity

Beyond the password vault: 1Password’s channel chief makes the case for identity security as an MSP practice

1Password’s Larissa Crandall joins the podcast to discuss why identity security has become the front door of the security conversation and what that shift means for MSPs. From the company’s evolution beyond password management to the staggering 82-to-1 ratio of non-human to human identities, Crandall makes the case that the identity opportunity is bigger – and more urgent – than most partners realize.

In Case You Missed It

ICYMI special: RSA Conference 2026, curated for the Canadian channel

A special midweek edition of In Case You Missed It, cutting through the RSA Conference 2026 noise to highlight what actually matters for Canadian IT channel partners. From the dominant agentic AI security theme to new partner revenue opportunities from Barracuda and Sectigo, here’s what you need to know.

Security