ChannelPro: Disrupting the Cyber Status Quo: How Cork and UKON Aim to Drive MSPs to Own the Risk Conversation

When Dan Candee joined AWS several years ago, then-CEO Andy Jassy made one thing clear: Security is job zero. That mindset stuck with Candee. Fast forward to now, when the CEO of Cork Protection Inc. had a three-hour coffee meeting with UKON CEO Cole Knuth, it helped shape a new vision for MSPs. Both leaders saw a gap between cybersecurity tools and the financial protection SMBs need to survive modern threats.

Together, the two men formulated a partnership that melds Cork’s real-time risk insights and UKON’s insurance marketplace. Their goal was to help MSPs shift from technical operators to true cyber risk advisors.

Candee, appointed CEO of Cork last year, brings deep enterprise experience — including with AWS and Dell — to a company focused on empowering MSPs. Knuth, meanwhile, recently led the rebrand of FifthWall Solutions to UKON, signaling a sharper focus on connecting insurance capacity with the channel.