Channel partners understand how cybersecurity ecosystems are supposed to work, which allows them to support a range of organisations, from those with a fulltime CISO and a well-staffed SOC to those that require an outsourced security solution says Ed Baker at Trellix.
As the region’s enterprises navigate their way to a sustainable future, inspired by government economic diversification programs, they must do so as digital businesses. Government guidelines of programmes such as Kuwait Vision 2035, Saudi Vision 2030, and UAE Vision 2030 call for the use of technology to build smart cities and knowledge-based societies.
As IT and OT infrastructures grow, they will need protection, but cybersecurity is a complex tapestry of issues, from skills gaps to the increase in the sophistication of attacks, implementing the ideal security ecosystem can feel a little like swimming uphill.
This is the sentiment echoed by CISOs surveyed for Trellix’s 2023 Mind of the CISO report, two thirds, 66% of CISOs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia still believe their organisations lack the right people and processes to be cyber resilient and almost three quarters, 74% believe their current technology setup is insufficient.
Fortunately, experts are on hand to help. They have decades of experience of assessing the unique needs of a business and designing a solution that fits. Channel partners know what tools will integrate best into IT and OT mixes. They have the means to support organisations where resources and budget are strained. Channel partners are advisors, architects, implementors, and administrators, all in one.
Partners with security expertise can be invaluable to regional businesses that do not know where to begin their cyber-maturity journey. Partners understand how cybersecurity ecosystems are supposed to work, which allows them to support a range of organisations, from those with a fulltime CISO and a well-staffed SOC to those that require a complete outsourced security solution.
Partners can advise the CISO on the procurement of the right platform to streamline existing security architecture, or they can guide startups through awareness training and penetration testing. Channel partners are ideally placed to bolster cyber resilience and provide the region’s organisations with strong ROI on their security investments.
Budgets and teams
The GCC has shown impressive resistance to the inflationary issues faced by the rest of the world. From Saudi Arabia’s 17-month low inflation rate in September of 2% to the UAE’s dramatic drop to 2% in June from 3% in May, we have seen the region shrug off the worst of global price rises.
But businesses are keen to learn lessons from the woes of their global peers. Uncertainty is a cross-border concern that effects how enterprises invest. They understandably look for stable returns and a promise of value, and these needs have seeped into IT procurement.
Strong security requires a budget to match and often this budget is not available. Smaller businesses that have managed to build dedicated in-house security teams are struggling to keep them intact and those that are committed to building a team from scratch are finding it even more difficult. Every business needs a team of professionals with the skills to mitigate threats.
If it becomes impossible to have this team on staff, then the obvious alternative is outsourcing. Managed security service providers, MSSPs are a great way to reduce cyber risk. They have the expertise to manage a security stack and the resources and technology to deliver a strong threat posture.
The channel is also set up to advise customers on the security solution that is right for them. Distributors and system integrators can provide bespoke services that include strategy and training during the procurement process. This transparency and flexibility can prove extremely useful in maximising the value of the security investment, especially as channel partners advise customers on the pros and cons of each solution instead of being bound to a particular vendor.
Individualised augmentation
When consulting channel partners who are product-neutral and give open advice on purchasing decisions and the implications of integrating new security solutions, CISOs gain more confidence in the process. Channel partners adapt to a range of requirements, from support of in-house SOCs to the outsourcing of the entire security function.
Whatever the engagement level is, the channel partner is able to individualise the augmentation of each customer’s security setup, which maximizes Roi every time.
As cloud migration and other factors continue to expand the attack surface for regional organisations, security solutions must necessarily become more advanced to protect more complex infrastructures. According to the same research cited earlier, 92% of CISOs polled across the UAE and Saudi Arabia said their organisation was using anywhere between 11 and 35 separate tools.
Tool mountains are not the answer. They lead to more false positives and leave analysts drowning in a white noise of red flags. A more strategic, less cluttered approach like those offered by channel partners will enhance visibility of the internal IT estate and the external threat landscape, which is under constant flux.
Channel partners like value added resellers and systems integrators are specialists in the consolidation of security solutions. MSPs and MSSPs can rid a business of the damaging silos that exist when multiple point solutions are in place. Their customers can then navigate complex environments and protect both IT and OT infrastructures with greater ease.
Accessible cybersecurity
Uncertainty creates a desire to tightly monitor returns on investment. When moving from siloed solutions to a unified platform, think XDR, this return is measurable. Channel partners offer customers the flexibility to select, under guidance, the products from one or more vendors that can play well with one another and the existing technology mix to advance the organisation’s cyber maturity.
Channel partners make cybersecurity more accessible to more customers. They drive sales by raising market confidence at a time when solutions are constantly changing. The channel landscape is as adaptable as the threat landscape, which is what makes it such an apt adversary for today’s cybercriminals.
Channel partners are crucial to the ongoing fight for the region’s security and economic wellbeing. They have the greatest potential in the industry for unlocking value on behalf of end-customers. They can help with strategy; they can help with resilience; they can help with business continuity and compliance.
Steered by a customer’s business goals, partners can infuse enterprises with positive security cultures and become long-term collaborators that maintain robust threat postures across the region.
