Datto Named to Ransomware Task Force by Institute for Security and Technology

By AIT News Desk On Jan 15, 2021

Representing MSPs, Datto joins Microsoft, Rapid7, Citrix, and other global leaders to combat growing cyber threats

Datto Holding Corp., the leading global provider of cloud-based software and technology solutions purpose-built for delivery by managed service providers (MSPs), announced it was invited by the Institute for Security and Technology to join its Multi-Sector Ransomware Task Force. As a founding member, Datto joins other world-renowned experts in the fight against cyber crime and will represent the MSP community, focusing on the interests and needs of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs).

“Security has been at the heart of Datto’s ethos from the start, both culturally and built into our technology. But we have learned that a focus on security is a lifetime journey and requires constant attention and investment. Entities must continuously raise their defenses and stay vigilant to escalating threats”

“Cybercriminals learn from each others’ attacks by sharing information and continuously evolving their tradecraft,” said Ryan Weeks, CISO at Datto. “All organizations – governments, enterprises, and SMBs – need to approach the serious threat of cyberattacks with the same collaborative concept. Working in silos against these sophisticated attackers is no longer an option. Threat actors have built successful businesses exploiting the fragile cyber defenses and recovery practices at many organizations. Only by working together across industries and sectors can we hope to make progress against these threat actors.”

Cyberthreats, particularly ransomware attacks, are a growing concern to organizations across industries and the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting widespread shift to remote work, combined with the adaptability and sophistication of attacks created a perfect storm for a wide array of threat actors. In fact, the FBI claimed that cyberattacks have increased by more than 400% since the start of the pandemic¹.

“Security has been at the heart of Datto’s ethos from the start, both culturally and built into our technology. But we have learned that a focus on security is a lifetime journey and requires constant attention and investment. Entities must continuously raise their defenses and stay vigilant to escalating threats,” said Tim Weller, CEO of Datto. “For these reasons, we are humbled to be a founding member of the Ransomware Task Force and to work alongside some of the brightest minds in arenas like policy making, law enforcement, and cyber insurance. We look forward to the conversations ahead, the policies we will influence, and to making cyber resilience more accessible to the MSP community.”

MSPs are on the frontlines of a cyber war, protecting both their own infrastructure and the IT systems of the SMB customers they serve from threats such as ransomware. According to Datto’s 2020 Global Ransomware Report, ransomware remains the most common cyber threat to SMBs, with 60% of MSPs reporting their SMB clients were hit in the first half of 2020. As part of the Ransomware Task Force, Datto will help educate and empower SMBs to make cyber resilience a top priority in 2021. Only by taking the necessary precautions can SMBs avoid the costly downtime and disruptions that occur in the aftermath of an attack.