An SMB cybersecurity certification and cynicism about industry messaging about AI were among the topics of conversation when the SMBiT Professionals Sydney chapter met on Tuesday night.
Cybersecurity was the main theme at this month’s get-together at the Union Hotel on Sydney’s north shore.
SMBiT Professionals CEO Wayne Small explained that the group is working closely with those behind the SMB1001 cybersecurity certification standard for small and medium-sized businesses, which is touted by the certification body as a “a simpler way to ISO/IEC 27001”. SMBiT professionals plans to host a session about SMB1001 at the SMBiT Professionals National Conference in Melbourne in October 2024. Access to the conference is for members only, and a promotion offering discounted membership and conference tickets ends on July 31.
Partners also heard about managed detection and response (MDR) from N-able, whose team laid out how their MDR offering is designed to fit into a layered approach to cybersecurity and into cybersecurity portfolios.
Pax8’s representative talked “foundational” security, frameworks and packaging security, laying out the components of “baseline”, “standard” and “comprehensive” packages.
Away from the official proceedings, conversations over dinner and drinks ranged from comparisons of RMM automation tools to the price of Copilot, business process automation opportunities for MSPs, and fatigue when it comes to AI-industry messaging, among other things.
It was clear that SMBiT Professionals members particularly value this peer-to-peer networking that takes place every month at the chapter meetings.
Retirement was also on the agenda: David Wales, formerly from Correct Solutions, shared some thoughts about his recent retirement after 42 years in the electronics and IT industries.
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