Did you know that 94% of cyberattacks start in email, yet over 60% of small and midsized businesses (SMBs) still rely on basic spam filters as their primary line of defense? That stat illustrates why today’s managed service providers (MSPs) and IT leaders need more than a checklist approach to security. So, during Workshop Wednesday at IT Nation Connect™ Global 2025, I’ll be leading Cybersecurity Distilled, a hands-on session designed to help you reimagine cybersecurity as both an art and a science.
Instead of another compliance talk, I’ll compare building a cybersecurity strategy to the craft of distilling spirits. Think of basic antivirus (AV) and password policies as “gin.” They follow the recipe but stop at the minimum requirements. A true cybersecurity program, however, is like a well-aged whisky; refined, continuously monitored, and resilient enough to stand the test of time.
Here’s a sneak peek at what we’ll cover in the sessions.
Key takeaways
- Cybersecurity “gin” vs. “whisky”: A checklist approach, including basic antivirus, password policies, and audit logs, may satisfy compliance, but it leaves clients exposed. True resilience requires a “whisky” mindset; continuous refinement and layered protection.
- Endpoint protection is the “heart cut”: Moving from signature-based AV to endpoint detection and response (EDR) and behavioral analytics ensures threats are detected and contained early.
- Monitoring never stops: Security information and event management (SIEM) and managed detection and response (MDR) tools bring “the master distiller’s eye,” enabling real-time threat detection and expert response.
- Identity and access are the gatekeepers: Identity and access management (IAM) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) are essential for building a zero-trust environment that controls who enters the “stillhouse.”
- Resilience is the aged cask: Immutable backups and tested business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) plans preserve client data, ensuring business continuity after any breach or outage.
- People matter as much as tech: Security awareness training transforms employees into a human firewall, reducing risks from phishing and social engineering.
Cybersecurity distilled: what you’ll experience in the session
The “heart cut”: Refining endpoints for pure protection
Endpoints are the raw ingredients of cybersecurity; rich in potential but full of risk. In this session, we’ll explore why signature-based antivirus is the “gin” of security and how moving to EDR with behavioral monitoring delivers a refined “whisky” approach that continuously filters out malicious activity.
The master distiller’s eye: Continuous monitoring
Just like a distiller never leaves the still unattended, MSPs can’t afford blind spots. I’ll show how SIEM and Managed Detection and Response (MDR) bring always-on visibility, advanced correlation, and expert-led analysis to detect the threats that compliance logs alone can’t catch.
The aged cask: Securing resilience
Whisky develops value as it matures in an aged cask, and the same is true for resilience. You’ll learn how immutable backups and robust disaster recovery strategies create a security posture that stands the test of time, ensuring recovery even after ransomware, outages, or accidental data loss.
The secure stillhouse gate: Controlling access
No distillery leaves its gates unguarded, and the same should be said of your clients’ digital environments. We’ll break down how IAM and MFA lock down the “stillhouse” with zero trust controls that allow only authorized users and devices to pass through.
The first filtration: Purifying the inflow
Most threats enter through email. During the workshop, we’ll cover how advanced email security goes beyond basic spam filtering to block phishing, business email compromise (BEC), and malware at the source, keeping the raw “ingredients” clean from the start.
Training the distillers: Forging a human firewall
Even the purest spirit requires skilled distillers. Likewise, no technology is foolproof without trained users. We’ll discuss how security awareness training transforms employees into a human firewall, strengthening defenses against phishing, social engineering, and careless mistakes.
The perfect botanical blend: Compliance without chaos
Compliance frameworks can feel like following a strict gin recipe, but there’s a better way. I’ll show how governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) tools streamline reporting and audits, freeing up MSPs to focus on maturing security from “gin” to “whisky.”
Why attend
Cybersecurity is about building resilience that lasts. At IT Nation Connect Global 2025, Cybersecurity Distilled will challenge you to go beyond checking boxes for compliance and rethink how you protect your clients. Gin may check the recipe, but whisky delivers long-term value.
Building a whisky-worthy cybersecurity strategy requires continuous monitoring, advanced endpoint protection, zero trust access controls, immutable backups, and a well-trained human firewall. That’s exactly what you’ll learn in this workshop, and exactly what ConnectWise delivers.
From ConnectWise RMM™ with advanced patch management, to ConnectWise SIEM™ and ConnectWise MDR™ for 24/7 monitoring, and BCDR tools for tested recovery, our solutions give MSPs and IT teams the layered defense they need to go far beyond the checklist. Add in security awareness training and email security integrations, and you have every ingredient needed to pour a glass of pure, long-lasting cybersecurity resilience.
Join me at IT Nation Connect Global 2025 for Cybersecurity Distilled, because with ConnectWise, you’re not just distilling compliance, you’re maturing cybersecurity into something that stands the test of time.
Special thanks to Lara Sunday for her contributions to this post and support in shaping the “Cybersecurity Distilled” workshop content.
