Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Five worthy reads is a regular column on five noteworthy items we’ve discovered while researching trending and timeless topics. This week, we explore the convergence of software asset management (SAM), SaaS, and FinOps.

Microsoft 365 has no shortage of security features. Conditional Access, Defender, Intune, MFA, mailbox controls, identity management, and more give MSPs plenty of tools to secure their customers. What we do (or rather, don’t do) with these tools is what causes issues. These tools and settings must be configured correctly across every tenant, and we need to be sure they stay that way.

OpenAI’s open letter on collective cyber defense warns that defenders have a limited window to strengthen security. It urges organizations to fix their highest-risk weaknesses, build least privilege and strong access controls, verify fixes, and make agentic identities traceable and accountable.

For most of the history of the FedRAMP program, it has been more or less isolated. Despite sharing much of the same cybersecurity DNA with other frameworks, like CMMC and ISO 27001, no formal reciprocity ever came into being.

We log into dozens of apps every day. Each one asks for a password, and some eventually force a password reset. Passwords create friction for users and risk for businesses because attackers can steal, reuse, or phish them. Passwordless authentication replaces this weak point with stronger ways to verify identity. A passkey, biometric scan, security key, or badge tap gives users another way to prove who they are.

Access is just one part of security. What a privileged account does after logging in is equally important. Credentials can be compromised. Once inside, attackers move laterally, escalate privileges, and exfiltrate sensitive data without raising an alarm. Traditional network defenses like firewalls and VPNs are no longer reliable. VPNs grant broad network-level access, giving users a direct pipe into your core infrastructure.

Netwrix formed a dedicated in-house Security Research team on July 15, 2025, led by Huy Kha, Director of Security Research. The team includes Senior Staff Security Researcher Darryl Baker, a recognized authority on Active Directory and identity security. They research identity, data security, AI, and cloud threats, with the goal of translating security research into practical improvements across Netwrix's product portfolio.

Brand Impersonation protection software should do more than find and remove impersonating assets. Buyers should also examine what a platform helps their organization understand and do about the customer and business risk created while the campaign remains active. The Anti-Phishing Working Group recorded 971,181 phishing attacks in Q1 2026, up 13.8% from the previous quarter. Across monitored social platforms, impersonation accounted for 43.8% of threats. Takedown is necessary.