Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Connected products, whether IoT, IIoT, embedded, mobile, or other such devices, serve to either strengthen or undermine an organization’s security posture and reputation. As device ecosystems grow in complexity, manufacturers must secure embedded hardware, firmware, over-the-air (OTA) update mechanisms, companion mobile applications, cloud services and APIs, and RF interfaces. Each layer introduces distinct attack surfaces that adversaries actively target.

Managed Detection and Response (MDR) providers are indispensable to organizations seeking to bolster their cybersecurity posture, but it’s important to know what questions to ask during the search process. Here are nine essential questions and follow up inquiries to ask when assessing an MDR vendor to ensure the right fit for your organization.

The cybersecurity industry’s leading channel publication CRN, named LevelBlue to CRN’s Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list for 2026 in the Security MSP 100 category. “The companies on our 2026 MSP 500 list are redefining what exceptional managed services look like—helping organizations of every size stay agile, maximize their IT investments and scale with confidence,” said Jennifer Follett, VP of U.S. Content and Executive Editor, CRN, The Channel Company.

LevelBlue is proud to announce it has been named a Representative Vendor in the just-released 2026 Gartner Market Guide for Outsourced Managed Security Services (OMSS). OMSS, which is a subset of Managed Security Services, provides organizations with specialized external expertise and operational support for critical cybersecurity functions.

The Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert this week based on an attack that struck Poland’s energy sector in late 2025. The attack compromised the operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) in 30 renewable energy and heating plants, impacting 500,000 people and also that nation’s manufacturing sector.

A fragmented collection of security tools and services can’t deliver the protection modern organizations require. True resilience comes from integrating those capabilities into a unified, coordinated defense. LevelBlue recognizes that the full value of Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is realized when it operates as more than a standalone service. When positioned as the central nervous system of a broader security ecosystem, MDR connects signals, actions, and intelligence across the environment.

Chief Information Security Officers are realizing, in greater numbers than ever before, that cybersecurity can no longer be viewed as a siloed technical function but instead as a core enabler of business growth, innovation, and AI adoption, according to LevelBlue’s latest Persona Spotlight: CISO.

Ransomware attack groups have ramped up their efforts, launching attacks on the education sector with recent incidents striking a range of targets from an Australian institution of higher learning to a school district in North Carolina. These facilities contain a large amount of very valuable data, such as student records, intellectual property, and financial information that threat groups can leverage for financial gain. An additional reason education is targeted is that it must stay in operation.

For many organizations, the challenge isn't a lack of security tools, it’s the overwhelming "noise" those tools create. When your team is sifting through 12 million events per day, they are not doing anything else and are likely having tremendous difficulty finding threats. LevelBlue Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is an industry-leading service operated by the world’s largest pure-play Managed Security Services Provider (MSS) that will change that narrative.

There are many NSFW instances in which substituting a single letter in a word can make the difference between a person retaining their job and finding themselves scanning career sites for a new position. Luckily, this does not carry over when looking at the difference between SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) and SSE (Security Service Edge). Both deliver security, but the two solutions deliver different outcomes, so choosing which is right for your organization is key.