Full Report
We believe it’s time for MSP vendors to level up cybersecurity community efforts, so we’re taking the first step with a $100,000 contribution to DIVD.
Analysis Summary
# Industry News: Huntress Funds $100K Initiative to Secure the MSP Supply Chain
## Summary
Huntress has announced a $100,000 contribution to the Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD) to bolster the security of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Small-to-Midsize Businesses (SMBs). The initiative aims to fund professional staff for DIVD and establish a dedicated bug bounty program specifically for software used within the MSP ecosystem.
## Key Details
- **Date:** January 11, 2022
- **Companies Involved:** Huntress (Security Vendor), Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure (DIVD)
- **Category:** Partnership / Community Investment
## The Story
Following a series of devastating supply chain attacks in 2021—most notably the Kaseya VSA exploit—Huntress is taking a proactive stance on vendor accountability. The $100,000 donation is split into two strategic pillars:
1. **Operational Support ($50,000):** Funding to help DIVD hire its first full-time staff, transitioning the group from a volunteer-only organization to a sustainable professional entity.
2. **Incentive Program ($50,000):** The creation of a bug bounty program focused exclusively on MSP and SMB IT tools (such as RMM, PSA, and billing software).
Huntress is explicitly calling for other major MSP vendors to follow suit, arguing that the industry must destigmatize vulnerability disclosures and collaborate to protect the "99%" (the SMB market) that forms the backbone of the economy.
## Business Impact
### For the Companies Involved
- **Huntress:** Solidifies its position as a "community-first" thought leader and advocate for the MSP channel. It gains strategic influence over how vulnerabilities are managed in the ecosystem it protects.
- **DIVD:** Receives critical capital to scale operations and formalize its responsible disclosure processes.
### For Competitors
- **Pressure to Participate:** Competing vendors (Kaseya, ConnectWise, N-able) face increased pressure to match this transparency and financial commitment to community security.
- **Raising the Floor:** If competitors don't improve their security posture, Huntress’s advocacy may position them as the "safer" alternative in the eyes of risk-averse MSPs.
### For Customers
- **Safer Tools:** SMBs and MSPs will benefit from more rigorous, independent testing of the tools they use to run their businesses.
- **Reduced Downtime:** Earlier detection of zero-day vulnerabilities reduces the likelihood of mass ransomware events that lead to business interruption.
### For the Market
- **Supply Chain Hardening:** By incentivizing researchers to look at "niche" MSP software, the market is moving toward a more mature, enterprise-grade security model for small business software.
## Technical Implications
The establishment of a specific DIVD-led bug bounty program provides a legal and ethical framework for researchers to "break and pwn" MSP tools. This is critical because many MSP tools are proprietary and historically lacked formal disclosure channels, often leaving researchers hesitant to report findings for fear of legal retribution.
## Strategic Analysis
- **Market Positioning:** Huntress is pivoting from being a mere product vendor to a category steward. They are leveraging their Series B funding to buy "trust equity" in the channel.
- **Competitive Advantage:** By leading the charge on transparency, Huntress forces competitors to either follow their lead (validating Huntress's strategy) or stay silent (appearing less secure).
- **Challenges:** $100,000 is a significant start but a small drop in the bucket for global cybersecurity. The success of this move depends on whether other well-funded vendors join the cause.
## Industry Reactions
- **Expert Commentary:** The move has been widely praised by the security community for addressing the "underside" of the supply chain—the tools that manage thousands of businesses but often fly under the radar of major bug bounty platforms like HackerOne.
- **Market Response:** Initial sentiment among MSPs on platforms like Reddit has been positive, viewing this as a necessary step to stop the cycle of "shame-based" security.
## Future Outlook
- **Standardization:** Expect to see DIVD become a central clearinghouse for MSP-specific vulnerabilities.
- **What to Watch for:** Monitor whether other "Big MSP" vendors contribute to this fund or create their own competitive community initiatives in the next 6–12 months.
## For Security Professionals
Practitioners should note that the "Gold Mine" for attackers has shifted to the MSP supply chain. The opening of a dedicated bug bounty program by DIVD offers a structured way for researchers to contribute to SMB safety while being compensated, potentially surfacing a wave of disclosures in RMM and PSA tools in the coming year.