Forging Trust
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Compliance as a Core Offering, and Digital Trust Architecture

Compliance as a Core Offering, and Digital Trust Architecture

IT channel and business news with a focus on regulatory compliance.

Blacksmith Team
January 14, 2026

📌 Turn Compliance Into a Core MSP Offer, Not an Add-On

When you package security and compliance into clear tiers aligned to real-world frameworks and vertical pressures, you change how clients perceive you — from IT utility to trusted risk and compliance partner. Done well, a structured compliance program stabilizes margins, differentiates you in a crowded market, and makes every renewal conversation less about tickets and response times and more about protecting revenue, passing audits, and winning deals your competitors cannot touch…

🏢 Building a Digital Trust Architecture

As organizations lean into AI, automation, and always-on digital services, they need more than scattered controls; they need a coherent architecture that makes trustworthy behavior the default across the board. In many sectors, this kind of deliberate digital trust strategy is emerging as a competitive differentiator — clients and regulators now expect it, and brands that lack it are falling behind…

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⚠️ Threat Updates

🔴 Windows 0-Day Added to CISA KEV After January Patch Tuesday (01/13/26)

Microsoft’s January 2026 Patch Tuesday fixed 114 Windows vulnerabilities, including a Desktop Window Manager flaw now tracked as CVE-2026-20805 that’s already being exploited in the wild and has been added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Federal civilian agencies must patch the bug by February 3, 2026, and enterprises are urged to prioritize remediation given CISA’s warning that this class of vulnerability is a frequent initial access vector. Organizations should fast-track January Windows updates, validate deployment across endpoints and servers, and ensure KEV-listed CVEs are explicitly tracked in their vulnerability SLAs. » More Info

🔴 California & Oklahoma Accelerate Data Breach Notification Timelines (01/01/26)

As of January 1, 2026, California now mandates notification of affected individuals within 30 calendar days of discovering or being notified of a qualifying data breach, and requires notice to the Attorney General within 15 days if more than 500 residents are impacted. Oklahoma’s amended breach law, also effective this year, similarly tightens timelines and expands the definition of personal information to include identifiers like government IDs and biometrics, while adding AG notification when breaches hit 500 or more residents. Companies handling data on residents of these states must revisit their incident response plans, legal-review workflows, and communication playbooks to ensure investigations, decision-making, and notifications can reliably occur within the new statutory deadlines. » More Info

🗨️ Parting Words

"The right decision is the wrong decision if it's made too late." — Lee Iacocca

Are you a vCISO or MSP looking to operationalize security programs? Let’s discuss how Blacksmith Infosec proves that compliance is an opportunity, not a struggle that has to be packaged in FUD!