Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Valentine’s Day is all about perfect pairs, and in cybersecurity, nothing creates more operational harmony than natively integrated services working together. That’s where unified cyber protection shines. Whether it’s the synergy of RMM and EDR, RMM and backup or email security and security awareness training, natively integrated cyber protection delivers efficiency and resilience that standalone tools can’t match.

In 2026, an antivirus solution may seem old-fashioned at first glance, like something from the era of floppy disks and dial-up. But that thought couldn’t be further from the truth. Today’s threats to your home network have evolved beyond classic malware.

As the threat landscape evolves and client environments grow more complex, managed service providers (MSPs) are rethinking how their technology stacks work together. According to the new Acronis MSP integration trends 2025 report, this past year marked a decisive shift toward security‑first, automation‑centric and platform‑driven operations.

Deepfake technology is now a legitimate enterprise level threat. What started as a potentially disturbing AI capability has rapidly become a powerful tool for cybercriminals and one that exploits the most fundamental element of business communication: trust. A new report from Info‑Tech Research Group, Defend Against Deepfake Cyberattacks, breaks down how to understand and assess the risk deepfakes pose to organizations of all sizes.

Cybersecurity plays a critical role in preventing attacks through controls such as firewalls, endpoint protection and email security. Despite these investments, breaches still happen. According to the World Economic Forum, 87% of respondents identified AI-related vulnerabilities as the fastest-growing cyber risk in the past year.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Australia and New Zealand are struggling to secure their operations. The threats they face are constantly growing in both number in severity, but SMEs often lack the time, resources or in‑house expertise to protect themselves. Fortunately, the Cyber Health Check from the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) offers a simple, practical way for organisations to assess their cyber maturity and understand where they can improve cyber protection.

Compliance with data sovereignty regulations in New Zealand can be complex to navigate, especially for organisations operating hybrid or cloud deployments. Managed service providers (MSPs) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in New Zealand that want to take advantage of the benefits of the cloud must make sure they’re in compliance with regulations.

For the fifth consecutive year, CRN has recognized Alex Ruslyakov as a Channel Chief. The honor for 2026 highlights Ruslyakov’s continued commitment to helping managed service providers (MSPs) deliver modern cyber protection successfully year after year. The annual CRN Channel Chiefs list spotlights the most influential leaders across the IT channel, celebrating those who champion collaboration, drive innovation and empower their partners and customers to achieve shared success.

In January 2026, the AV-TEST Institute published results from a rigorous advanced threat protection (ATP) test that examined how effectively current security products defend Windows systems against sophisticated malware attacks. As attackers increasingly leverage legitimate features and subtle techniques to penetrate defenses, this test provides insight into which solutions can truly recognize and mitigate these threats.