Channel partners should look to leverage Cybersecurity Innovation in 2020

Adoption of cloud services has exploded in recent years, and the trend looks set to continue, as organizations seek flexibility and functionality to accommodate day-to-day working practices. With pressure to maintain a high level of integrity, coupled with a lack of internal skills, there is an opportunity for managed security service providers to step up and ensure organizations can make this migration securely.

The relationship between cybersecurity and business operations, and between cybersecurity and the business leadership, continues to be an area of evolution. With security teams stretched, organizations are looking for innovative technology from providers who can offer support, experience and knowledge to keep systems running and data secure. Channel partners need to be on the lookout for technologies that will help them align with these relationships and deliver on the cybersecurity promise – secure by design.

Technology is stepping-up

Cybersecurity solutions are evolving to help boost the visual representation of an organization’s attack surface, making it easier for top executives to appreciate the type of vulnerabilities that are distributed across the whole environment. This visual representation includes all forms of assets – whether they are digital or industrial.

Another area that continues to see an overhaul is data intelligence, particularly for the security team. As an illustration, the number of vulnerabilities, threat reports, new malware variants, and more that are being identified daily produce detailed log reports and dashboards that most security teams do not have time to digest. Historically, the vital information about the organization’s risk posture is captured, but the team is blinded by false positives and theoretical rather than true risk.

Timely then is the final element of this complex puzzle – solutions that offer intelligence to focus the business on what it is doing, and where, for technology adoption is finally being realised.

Alluded to for years, solutions powered by AI and machine learning algorithms are coming to market that can instantaneously digest feeds from thousands of sources. These tools connect all the dots to build a picture of the enterprise to focus in on the business’ critical assets and the actual threat they face, rather than the theoretical risks that may be present.

The final stroke of innovation is the ability to see assets represented, not just by criticality of vulnerability, but also by their possible impact on business as security technologies ingest data feeds from a multitude of solutions. This holistic picture does not just focus on asset types, or where they reside in the enterprise, but considers the criticality of the asset to the business and the actual risks faced.

This intelligence finally allows the business to make informed decisions based on actual data that can demonstrate how effective effort and investment will be aligned to business objectives.

Organizations are looking for guidance and support to capitalise on these cybersecurity innovations.

Are you ready?

To be successful, the channel must work hard to develop, foster and maintain strong relationships – both with customers and the vendors within their portfolio.

As a vendor, we look for partners that do more than just sell products. We expect to see commitment from channel partners since this is what customers demand. Channel partners need to be ready to invest and leverage cybersecurity innovation, whilst building services and value around complementary technologies, to move to the next level of engagement expected by their customers.

The truth remains – people buy from people and those that forget to put the customer’s needs first will find 2020 challenging.