“Audit every SSL VPN and remote access appliance for MFA enforcement on administrative accounts within 24 hours — this is the active exploitation vector for Akira right now.”
August 2026 Patch Tuesday: Critical Azure AD EoP (CVSS 9.9) and Entra Provisioning Flaws Patched
Microsoft's August 2026 Patch Tuesday addressed roughly 400 vulnerabilities spanning Windows, Azure, Exchange, SharePoint, Teams and more. Notably, CVE-2026-50481 (Azure Active Directory EoP, CVSS 9.9) and CVE-2026-59115 (Entra Provisioning Service path traversal, CVSS 9.9) were both rated critical — apply the August cumulative updates immediately for any tenant with Azure AD or Entra in scope. No workaround; patching is the fix.
Read more →Azure Kubernetes Service (CVE-2026-50516, CVSS 9.4) and Copilot Cowork (CVE-2026-59118, CVSS 9.3) — Critical EoP Bugs Patched
CVE-2026-50516 is a missing-authentication flaw in Azure Kubernetes Service allowing an unauthenticated attacker to elevate privileges over the network; CVE-2026-59118 is an improper-authorisation bug in Microsoft Copilot Cowork that could let an unauthenticated attacker access or manipulate data across connected M365 services. Both were patched in the August 2026 Patch Tuesday release. No workaround; patching required.
Read more →SonicWall SSL VPN Exploited in Akira Ransomware Intrusion — MFA Absent on Targeted Account
A credential-spraying campaign in early August 2026 successfully compromised a SonicWall SSL VPN account lacking multi-factor authentication, initiating an Akira ransomware intrusion. This highlights that patching alone is insufficient — attackers are targeting edge devices where nearly 29% of vulnerabilities show exploitation evidence on or before their public disclosure date. Immediate action: enforce MFA on all SonicWall VPN accounts and audit local administrator accounts on all internet-facing network appliances.
Read more →AI Agentic Tools Reshape MSP Service Desk — 67% of MSPs Now Sell AI Services
A 2026 industry snapshot found that 67% of MSPs now sell AI-related services and 53% already use AI to automate ticketing, patching, and monitoring, with providers reporting ticket resolution up to 40% faster. However, more than half of MSPs using AI have only automated about a quarter of their workload, pointing to a focus problem rather than a tooling shortage. The emerging 'agentic' tier — tools like Neo Agent and SuperOps that handle judgement-based L1 work autonomously — represents the highest-leverage but lowest-adoption layer for Australian MSPs.
Read more →CRN Australia Channel Awards 2026: MSP and MSSP Categories Expanded Due to Record Applications
CRN Australia has announced the shortlist for its 2026 Channel Awards, with MSP of the Year and Service Provider of the Year categories split into headcount-based sub-categories due to an overwhelming volume of applications — reflecting significant growth in the Australian MSP sector. The awards honour MSPs, Solution Providers, and MSSPs alongside ESG and IT project categories, with a Lifetime Achievement Award to be announced on the night. Australian MSPs not yet engaged with the CRN community should consider the channel awards as a business development and brand-building opportunity.
Read more →This is what you get — every weekday, free.
Subscribers get the full “From the Floor” take with every issue — not just the news summary you just read.
Written from 12 years on the helpdesk floor. Always free.