HYPR: Overcoming AI-Accelerated Identity Attacks

Send us Fan MailIn this podcast, host Julian Lee speaks with Brendan Griffin, Director of Threat Research at N-Able, to unpack the findings of their “AI Fog” report, which surveyed nearly 600 cybersecurity decision-makers across the US and UK. The report reveals a striking paradox in the industry: while over 80% of organizations are rapidly adopting AI tools to accelerate threat detection and operational efficiency, only 24% fully trust automated AI outcomes. Furthermore, 87% of respondents admitted to making minor security concessions to roll out AI tools in production. Navigating this “fog” requires explainable AI and human-in-the-loop oversight to ensure automated decisions remain transparent, controlled, and aligned with business logic.The conversation also highlights the vital role MSPs play in protecting small-to-medium businesses against an increasingly fast-moving threat landscape. As attackers and defenders both leverage AI to speed up operations, traditional security postures like Zero Trust must adapt to balance data access for AI models with risk containment. Rather than viewing security as a static destination, Brendan advocates for a practical, defense-in-depth strategy to clear the fog and build long-term operational resilience.

Send us Fan MailEric Parent, Founder and CEO of EVA Technologies, discusses the systemic vulnerabilities plaguing modern cybersecurity and introduces his company’s newly commercialized security platform. Drawing on 30 years of military and enterprise cybersecurity experience, Eric argues that most organizations focus on superficial “checkbox compliance” rather than addressing the root causes of their technological debt. As AI accelerates threat actor capabilities and automates targeted attacks, there is an urgent need for realistic, business-aligned risk management that goes beyond blaming end-users for systemic engineering flaws and default configuration errors.To help close this maturity gap, EVA Technologies is opening up its proprietary, battle-tested security toolkit to the broader market as a white-label platform for MSPs. The platform automates complex compliance auditing, vulnerability mapping, and end-of-life hardware tracking using built-in video guidance, policy template generators, and custom AI engines. Supported by back-end execution services and the upcoming EVA Technologies University training program, the platform enables MSPs to deliver high-level, virtual CISO-quality risk assessments without needing to build an expensive internal team of cybersecurity experts.Eric will be presenting at our once-a-year Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem Summit in Toronto! See details at https://www.channelnext.ca/event/cybersecurity-defense-ecosystem-summit-2026-canada/

Send us Fan MailHost Paolo Del Nibletto speaks with Brian Harmison, CEO of Corsica Technologies (a national MSP based in Greenville, SC), regarding their industry survey of 600 mid-market decision-makers. The research highlights an “MSP Trust Gap”: while 95% of mid-market organizations express overall trust in their current MSP, roughly two-thirds (65%) are open to evaluating alternative service providers. This sentiment isn’t driven by dissatisfaction with basic help desk support or response times, but rather by client “FOMO”, a fear of missing out on advanced future capabilities such as AI readiness, data integration, continuous cybersecurity, and transparent, predictable flat-rate billing.

Send us Fan MailDenis Villeneuve, Cybersecurity and Resiliency Practice Lead at Kyndryl, talks about the evolving threat landscape driven by frontier AI models and autonomous agentic hacking. While core attack vectors remain familiar, AI has shifted cyber threats from human speed to machine speed, altering the scale, velocity, and economics of cyber risk. With over 40,000 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) identified in the first half of 2026, Denis highlights the necessity of Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM), continuous penetration testing, and passwordless authentication.The discussion also explores the growing security gap for non-profit organizations operating near the “cybersecurity poverty line,” emphasizing the need for AI governance frameworks, supply chain risk management, and rigorous testing of minimum viable recovery plans.

Send us Fan MailHost Julian Lee speaks with David Cottingham, President of rf IDEAS, about how the company automates secure access workflows by extending ubiquitous employee badges and mobile credentials beyond door access into application logins. David explains how replacing traditional passwords with encrypted 256-bit RFID badges, FIDO keys, or BLE/mobile credentials eliminates password fatigue, reduces help desk costs, and mitigates account takeovers across high-touch environments like healthcare and manufacturing. By partnering with single sign-on (SSO) providers and print OEMs, rf IDEAS provides a channel-first solution that enables MSPs to upgrade customers from vulnerable legacy credentials to modern zero-trust access control.

Send us Fan MailDirectly from Black Hat SecTor in Toronto, eChannelnews host Paolo Del Nibletto speaks with Bojan Simic, CEO and Co-Founder of HYPR, regarding the evolving landscape of identity assurance and authentication bypass threats. Bojan emphasizes that traditional passwords, one-time codes, and session tokens remain vulnerable to AI-accelerated browser spoofing, interception, and help desk impersonation attacks (such as social engineering and insider threats). To mitigate these risks, Bojan advocates for true phishing-resistant passkeys and device-bound cryptography paired with multi-factor human verification. Because passkeys require physical human presence that automated AI agents cannot replicate, enterprises are increasingly adopting passkey architectures to establish verifiable trust, enforce zero-trust access controls, and prevent unauthorized AI-driven actions.

Send us Fan MailPresenters: Julian Lee, Publisher, Community Builder, Speaker, Channel Ecosystem Developer with a focus on cybersecurity, AI and Digital TransformationPaolo Del Nibletto, Editor, eChannelNewsRandal Wark, Owner, MTech Cyber (MSP & Cybersecurity) ★ Conference Host ★ Mastermind Facilitator ★ Podcast Host ★ JournalistThe Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem aims to assist Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in becoming more cybersecurity-oriented amidst industry disruptions caused by AI and regulatory changes.In Episode 14 of the Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem Podcast, host Julian Lee is joined by Paolo Del Nibletto and Randal Wark to analyze critical takeaways from recent industry events, including Check Point Software’s Advantage event in Toronto, Proofpoint’s Protect 2026 conference in San Diego, and the CDE Summit in Edison, New Jersey. They highlight a dangerous shift toward agentic AI email exploits, where embedded payloads trigger automated mail-parsing agents before human intervention occurs, underscoring the necessity of inline (rather than traditional API-based) email security and zero-trust isolation tools like ThreatLocker. Beyond technical vectors, the discussion emphasizes the strategic shift toward proactive remediation, human-centric intent detection, and grass-roots community building through regional CDE chapters and peer masterminds to navigate vendor sprawl and emerging AI risks.Click here to watch previous episodes on Cybersecurity Defense EcosystemTo learn more on Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem, visit: https://cybersecuritydefenseecosystem.com/

Send us Fan MailPlexTrac founder and CEO Dan DeCloss joins host Julian Lee to discuss the rapid evolution of penetration testing from an annual compliance formality into a continuous, data-driven security discipline. Drawing on his background with the U.S. Department of Defense and enterprise security teams, Dan outlines how the rise of automated and AI-driven threat capabilities requires defenders to pair continuous testing with human-in-the-loop automated remediation. PlexTrac addresses this challenge not by conducting pen tests directly, but by serving as an orchestration and reporting platform that integrates data from disparate scanning tools. By replacing manual reporting with centralized workflows, PlexTrac reduces analyst burnout, speeds up vulnerability prioritization, and enables MSPs and MSSPs to deliver scalable “pen testing as a service” that helps organizations maintain a defensible security posture.

Send us Fan MailDavid Schwartz, CEO of PIA, challenges the notion of an impending “SaaS-pocalypse.” He argues that while AI capabilities like vibe coding allow users to build quick custom features, they do not replace full-scale Software-as-a-Service platforms. Developing and maintaining reliable enterprise software requires ongoing DevOps support, bug fixes, R&D, and strict adherence to security and compliance frameworks like SOC, HIPAA, and GDPR. For most businesses, attempting to build and maintain custom alternatives internally creates unsustainable overhead and introduces significant operational and security risks compared to established SaaS vendors.David also discusses his transition to leading PIA, an AI-driven help desk automation platform built by MSP veterans for the MSP market. Drawing from his background co-founding Wireless Watchdog and working in IT services, he explains how PIA addresses persistent labor challenges by automating level-one service desk tickets and streamlining repetitive workflows.See our 2025 interview with David: https://www.e-channelnews.com/update-interview-with-pias-new-ceo-david-schwartz/

Send us Fan MailPresenters: Julian Lee, Publisher, Community Builder, Speaker, Channel Ecosystem Developer with a focus on cybersecurity, AI and Digital TransformationPaolo Del Nibletto, Editor, eChannelNewsEvgeniy Kharam, Publisher, Community Builder, Speaker, Channel Ecosystem Developer with a focus on cybersecurity, AI and Digital Transformation Cybersecurity Architect | Evangelist | Consultant | Advisor | Podcaster | Visionary | Speaker |Randal Wark, Owner, MTech Cyber (MSP & Cybersecurity) ★ Conference Host ★ Mastermind Facilitator ★ Podcast Host ★ JournalistThe Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem aims to assist Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in becoming more cybersecurity-oriented amidst industry disruptions caused by AI and regulatory changes.In Episode 13 of the Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem podcast, host Julian is joined by industry experts to discuss the evolving security landscape, vendor consolidation, and the operational impact of emerging AI technologies on MSPs. The panel explores the trade-offs between public and private Large Language Models (LLMs), highlighting growing concerns over token costs, data privacy, guardrail restrictions, and the risk of corporate shadow AI. They also examine industry shifts while emphasizing that MSPs must rigorously audit their own internal security postures to protect client environments effectively.The discussion also dives into threat intelligence, using the exposure of the Aurora ransomware group to illustrate how attacker playbooks rely on AI-assisted tools, repeatable workflows, and targeted cross-industry extortions. Addressing human and operational bottlenecks, the speakers caution against over-relying on unvetted AI-generated outputs for client deliverables and technical documentation. They advocate for structured AI governance, granular non-human identity management, and continuous workforce training to prevent operational missteps. Ultimately, the panel stresses that while AI provides powerful efficiencies, MSPs must maintain strict oversight, human-in-the-loop validation, and strong core security fundamentals to effectively safeguard the technology channel.