‘Too many providers think, “I’m too small, attackers aren’t after me,”’- GTIA’s Wayne Selk on the channel’s patchwork cyber attitudes

The trade association’s head of cybersecurity programmes talks about the impact of AI on cyber threats, global standards and fluctuating cyber attitudes

Artificial intelligence, regulation and resilience are reshaping how managed service providers think about cybersecurity, according to GTIA’s Wayne Selk.

As head of cybersecurity programmes at the trade association, Selk oversees a portfolio of initiatives that aim to professionalise and protect the IT services community.

From threat-intelligence sharing to the development of the Cybersecurity Trustmark, his team is helping partners adapt to a threat landscape that’s evolving faster than most small businesses can track.

“We’ve had an AI Advisory Council for six to nine years now, so GTIA has long been at the forefront of helping the IT channel understand and apply AI,” Selk says.

“That council has continually published and shared guidance as the technology evolved and that work isn’t slowing down.”

AI’s double edge

AI, of course, cuts both ways. The same technologies that automate detection and bolster defences are increasingly being weaponised by attackers.

“AI is a double-edged sword in cybersecurity,” Selk says.

“We use it for defence, but attackers are using it too, through deepfakes, voice clones, and phishing campaigns that are getting harder to spot.

“It’s why organisations need processes and checks in place, not just tools.”

That pragmatic stance, balancing innovation with governance, runs through GTIA’s wider work on cybersecurity.

As MSPs and IT solution providers find themselves at the sharp end of regulatory scrutiny and client expectation, GTIA’s programmes are evolving to meet them where they are.

Cutting through the noise

At the core of that work sits GTIA’s Information Sharing and Analysis Organisation (ISAO), which gathers and distributes threat intelligence across the association’s membership.

“Through our Information Sharing and Analysis Organisation, we’re the one-stop shop for threat intelligence,” he explains.

“The challenge is managing the firehose of data, giving members enough information to act without overwhelming them.”

Filtering that noise into practical guidance is a recurring theme in GTIA’s approach.

Whether that’s helping MSPs interpret new frameworks or building foundational policies, the goal is to raise the floor for security competence across the ecosystem.

Building maturity, not just compliance

That’s where the Cybersecurity Trustmark comes in. The Trustmark is a framework GTIA has developed to help MSPs move beyond reactive, checkbox compliance toward long-term resilience.

“The Trustmark helps MSPs build a foundational security programme, complete with policies, processes, and safeguards that raise awareness and resilience,” Selk says.

Unlike one-off audits, the Trustmark is designed for continuous improvement. Participating MSPs work through regular assessments and third-party reviews, guided by GTIA and independent assessors accredited through CREST International.

“The Trustmark isn’t pass or fail, it’s a maturity path,” Selk adds.

“Every MSP starts in a different place. Independent assessors review their plans and progress, not to punish, but to ensure continuous improvement.

“That’s the real mark of resilience.”

Aligning with global frameworks

“We’ve mapped the Trustmark to existing frameworks like NIST 800-171, ISO 27001, and GDPR, tailoring them to the service provider world,” Selk explains.

“So, when new frameworks arrive, whether it’s Cyber Essentials Plus or something else, members already have most of the bases covered.”

That global lens reflects GTIA’s ambition to unify best practice across regions, while also preparing members for increasingly localised legislation, from the UK’s Cyber Resilience Act to US state-level privacy laws.

The small-business blind spot

For many smaller MSPs, the key challenge remains mindset rather than regulation.

“Too many providers think, ‘I’m too small, attackers aren’t after me,’” Selk says.

“What they don’t realise is they’re just an address on the information superhighway. Threat actors don’t know who you are until they’re in your systems.”

That misplaced sense of safety, he argues, is what leaves supply chains exposed.

“We’ve seen it time and again where attackers breach through small service providers or contractors with access to larger clients. Size isn’t protection.”

More carrot, less stick

GTIA’s approach isn’t to name and shame, but to elevate the collective baseline. This extends to its advocacy work across national cybersecurity bodies.

“We stay out of politics, but we work closely with the NCSC, National Police Resilience Centres and others to build bridges between MSPs and small businesses,” Selk says.

“The goal is for both sides to speak the same risk language so conversations are about business impact, not fear.”

That focus on shared language and risk understanding, rather than punitive enforcement, is something Selk believes will drive longer-term cultural change across the channel.

Despite the UK’s reputation as a mature MSP market, Selk cautions against complacency.

“If you look at MSPs globally, maybe the top five per cent are truly mature,” he says. “Around 80 per cent are still somewhere along that journey, and 15 percent are lagging behind.

“Our role is to move that middle group forward, to help them keep improving year after year.”

That continuous improvement ethos is what Selk sees as most urgently needed in the current cybersecurity climate.

“Some frameworks only require reassessment every three years, but a lot can change in three years, he concludes.

“We want to see progress annually because threats evolve annually.”