Episode Details

By Doug Green

“Cybersecurity has to be part of every conversation now.”

At MSP Summit in Orlando, I sat down with Rick Mancinelli of C3 Complete to discuss two issues that were everywhere at the event: cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Mancinelli’s message went beyond treating cybersecurity as simply another requirement MSPs and their customers have to meet. He sees cybersecurity as a business opportunity.

C3 Complete is a hybrid technology consulting group offering cloud, telecom, cybersecurity and managed services. Mancinelli says the company’s goal with partners is straightforward: “We aim to complete your portfolio, but not compete with it.” For MSPs and technology advisors, that means creating opportunities to capture more of a customer’s technology spend while adding services that customers increasingly need.

Cybersecurity moves from requirement to opportunity

Mancinelli says the security environment has changed dramatically.

“We’ve gone from just strict regulatory and compliance-related issues and basic defense to literally a 24/7 state of vigilance.”

MSPs themselves are increasingly attractive targets because they are custodians of their customers’ data and systems. “As a fellow MSP, I know,” Mancinelli said. “We are the custodians of our clients’ data. And so if we’re the soft spot, we’re not really doing our clients any favors.”

That creates a dual responsibility for MSPs. They have to secure their own operations while also helping customers build the layers of protection needed to address hacking, data leakage, privacy concerns and other threats. But Mancinelli argues that security should not be approached simply as another burden.

“We actually counsel our clients to think of it as a selling tool.”

Organizations bidding on government contracts or working with financial institutions and other regulated industries increasingly have to demonstrate that they meet specific cybersecurity requirements. Mancinelli pointed to frameworks and standards including CSF, SOC 2, ISO 27001 and CMMC. The result, he says, is a shift in the cybersecurity conversation from something organizations simply have to do to “a true opportunity both for fellow MSPs and for their clients.”

AI creates opportunity — and new exposure

The same combination of opportunity and risk is emerging around artificial intelligence. Mancinelli expects organizations of every size to increasingly use AI tools, whether as part of a company-wide initiative or through individual employees adopting tools such as ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms.

He compared the trend to the earlier era of shadow IT, when employees adopted their own applications and services outside the traditional IT organization.

“That’s happening today with AI,” he said.

That makes governance increasingly important. Mancinelli says companies need established frameworks, guardrails and p