SMB Cyber Defense 2026: Expert Strategies for Staying Ahead of Threat Actors
Six channel veterans provide playbook for MSPs
AI powered attacks and human vulnerabilities are putting SMB clients at unprecedented risk. For MSPs this is the moment to step up. The role is no longer about support. It is about becoming the trusted partner who ensures business survival and resilience.
Why It Matters
The $282 Billion Economic Engine: Security services are the fastest-growing segment of the IT channel, with the total cybersecurity channel market expected to reach $282 billion by 2026.
What’s Inside
Insights from Industry Thought Leaders
This analysis is grounded in the real-world experience of distinguished leaders who are shaping the future of the IT channel and cybersecurity. Their insights provide a clear roadmap for navigating the challenges ahead. We feature commentary from:
- Ryan Weeks, CISO at Vimeo
- Jay McBain, Chief Analyst at Canalys
- Rob Rae, CVP of Community and Partner Experience at Pax8
- Austin McChord, Founder of Datto, Slide and Cork
- Chris Day, CEO of ScalePad
- Jon McNeill, CEO of DVx Ventures
Highlights
On the Complacency of SMBs:“My top concern is that SMBs are not overly concerned about ransomware… They either think, ‘I’m too small. I’m not even on an attacker’s radar,’ or they have an ‘it won’t happen to me’ mentality.” – Ryan Weeks, CISO, Vimeo
On the Channel’s Economic Opportunity:“For every dollar of cybersecurity products (software and hardware), channel partners sell two dollars. Managed security services represents over half of that services spend. Most importantly, managed services is growing faster than the products themselves.” – Jay McBain, Chief Analyst, Canalys
On the Industry’s Transformation:“We’ve seen a lot of pivots in the channel and in tech, and I think we’re now at the next big pivot moment around cybersecurity… we need to make sure MSPs are ready to keep pivoting.” – Rob Rae, CVP of Community and Partner Experience at Pax8
On the Need for Modern Technology:“When you look at the MSP solutions on the market today, they’re practically ancient… we saw a real opportunity to hit the reset button and build something exponentially better.” – Austin McChord, Founder, Datto, Cork, Slide
On Shifting to a Proactive Mindset:“Too many MSPs are stuck narrating the past when they should be authoring the future. QBRs shouldn’t read like a post-mortem, they should be the boardroom blueprint. When we’re looking through the rearview mirror, we’ve already missed the turn. Strategic MSPs use every client meeting to chart what’s next, not just recap what’s done.” – Chris Day, CEO, ScalePad
On the New AI-Powered Adversary:“The cybersecurity challenge is no longer just about defending against human adversaries; it’s about defending against AI-powered adversaries operating at machine speed.” – Jon McNeill, CEO, DVx Ventures
One request…