March 2025 Security News and Microsoft Patch Tuesday Update

04/22/25 • 24 min

Beyond the Horizon: Future-Focused MSP Insights

In this month’s cybersecurity news breakdown, Head Security Nerd Lewis Pope offers a critical overview of current threat activity, nation-state actor updates, and essential guidance for IT professionals and MSPs. This episode also includes a comprehensive look at March’s Microsoft Patch Tuesday and highlights several vulnerabilities and advisories that demand immediate attention.

In This Podcast, You Will Learn:

How Silk Typhoon is shifting to target cloud environments and MSP supply chains
Why low-tech attacks like QR-code-based mail extortion are bypassing traditional controls
The security risks of VMware CVEs and VM-to-host escape exploits
The importance of monitoring for “Living off the Land” remote tools used in ransomware campaigns
Why old CVEs from as far back as 2018 are still active—and how poor patching practices allow it
What "Pastejacking" is and why it's now a rising threat vector in user-targeted attacks
The details and implications of March's Patch Tuesday, including 6 zero-day vulnerabilities and 137 deployment packages
The risks of running unsupported Windows OS versions and how they accumulate unpatched vulnerabilities over time

Key Microsoft Patch Tuesday Highlights for March 2025 (16:24):

59 vulnerabilities addressed (56 new), including:
- 6 Zero-days under active exploitation
- 7 Critical vulnerabilities
Emphasis on patching important-rated zero-days, not just "critical" scores
1218 deployment combinations needed—highlighting the complexity of enterprise patching
Important fixes for:
- USB printer issues on Windows 10/11
- CVE-2025-24983: Win32k EoP vuln on older systems
- Windows Cryptographic Services bypass (CVE-2024-3098)
- Extended impact of CVE-2024-49116 to more Windows Server versions
Windows Server 2022 patch may hang at 100% for extended periods—monitor closely

Disclaimer: This podcast provides educational information about issues that may be relevant to information technology service providers. Nothing in the podcast should be construed as any recommendation or endorsement by N-able, or as legal or any other advice. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by N-able employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of N-able or its officers and directors. The podcast may also contain forward-looking statements regarding future product plans, functionality, or development efforts that should not be interpreted as a commitment from N-able related to any deliverables or timeframe. All content is based on information available at the time of recording, and N-able has no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. https://www.n-able.com

In This Podcast, You Will Learn:

How Silk Typhoon is shifting to target cloud environments and MSP supply chains
Why low-tech attacks like QR-code-based mail extortion are bypassing traditional controls
The security risks of VMware CVEs and VM-to-host escape exploits
The importance of monitoring for “Living off the Land” remote tools used in ransomware campaigns
Why old CVEs from as far back as 2018 are still active—and how poor patching practices allow it
What "Pastejacking" is and why it's now a rising threat vector in user-targeted attacks
The details and implications of March's Patch Tuesday, including 6 zero-day vulnerabilities and 137 deployment packages
The risks of running unsupported Windows OS versions and how they accumulate unpatched vulnerabilities over time

Key Microsoft Patch Tuesday Highlights for March 2025 (16:24):

59 vulnerabilities addressed (56 new), including:
- 6 Zero-days under active exploitation
- 7 Critical vulnerabilities
Emphasis on patching important-rated zero-days, not just "critical" scores
1218 deployment combinations needed—highlighting the complexity of enterprise patching
Important fixes for:
- USB printer issues on Windows 10/11
- CVE-2025-24983: Win32k EoP vuln on older systems
- Windows Cryptographic Services bypass (CVE-2024-3098)
- Extended impact of CVE-2024-49116 to more Windows Server versions
Windows Server 2022 patch may hang at 100% for extended periods—monitor closely

Previous Episode

Beyond the Horizon – Backup Gets Smart

In this behind-the-scenes conversation from Empower 2025 in Berlin, your hosts catch up with Stefan to unpack what's new and what’s next for cloud-based data protection, automation, and AI in the MSP space. From executive summary reports and billing APIs to Google Workspace backup and AI-powered recovery assurance, this episode is packed with insights for MSPs aiming to drive efficiency, reduce risk, and scale smarter.

Whether you're navigating cloud migrations, looking for ways to simplify invoicing, or just curious about the future of SaaS protection — this quick but impactful episode has you covered.

What You'll Learn:

Why automation and efficiency are top priorities for MSPs globally
How new billing APIs in Cove Data Protection are saving technician time and integrating with PSA tools like Halo & Roost
The rise of SaaS backups – with Google Workspace and Unitrends on the roadmap
Why cyber resilience now means more than just backups: anomaly detection, honeypots, config monitoring
How AI is improving recovery accuracy — without writing your checks for you
A sneak peek at hosted recovery and what it means for DRaaS in 2025

Next Episode

Evolving MSP Go-to-Market Strategies

In this week’s Beyond the Horizons podcast, N-able’s VP of Partner Experience, David Weeks, explores how go-to-market strategies are shifting for Managed Service Providers MSPs. As MSPs grow past the $10 million revenue mark, many are embracing white-labeling and third-party services to scale faster and meet client demands with specialized expertise. David outlines the critical differences between co-managed and co-partnered service models and explains how MSPs can strategically evolve their business by forming deeper partnerships with clients — even earning seats at board meetings.

He discusses the changing mindset required to overcome hesitation toward outsourcing key services and emphasizes the importance of building ecosystems through partnerships rather than trying to do everything in-house. The conversation also touches on market maturity trends globally, post-COVID shifts in MSP-client relationships, and how co-managed/co-partnering strategies are influencing higher valuations from private equity firms.

David leaves listeners with a powerful reminder: Know where you fit in the customer's strategy and focus on being a true business consultant, not just a technology vendor.

Key Topics Discussed:

White-label and third-party service models for MSPs
Co-managed vs. co-partnered service structures
Overcoming fear of losing control through outsourcing
Building stronger revenue streams via strategic partnerships
Why MSPs over $10M are more aggressive with third-party augmentation
The impact of COVID-19 on customer demand and market evolution
How ecosystem thinking drives growth and opportunity
Global differences in adoption: U.S., Europe, Nordics, South Africa
Increased private equity interest based on co-managed/co-partnering contracts
Why MSPs must evolve from technical vendors to strategic advisors

N-able also produces Now That's It: Stories of MSP Success. This Podcast explores stories of how leading MSPs and other Channel leaders built their businesses, and how they overcame the challenges they faced to get to where they are today. Inspiring, educational, and often heartfelt this is a must for anyone looking to build their own business. You can listen to Now That's It on your favourite streaming service or watch it on YouTube.

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