Monday Morning Impact – October 25

CompTIA: New Mindset Needed to Take on Cybersecurity Complexities

New thinking on cybersecurity policies, processes, people, and products are necessary for organizations to enhance preparedness, according to a new report from CompTIA, a technology trade association based in suburban Chicago.

“Complexity is the common theme across the cybersecurity landscape,” said Seth Robinson, senior director for technology analysis at CompTIA. “As a result, organizations must approach cybersecurity with a completely different mindset. Practices considered good enough in the recent past are no longer sufficient.”

Three in 10 survey respondents said they are “completely satisfied” with their organization’s approach to cybersecurity, while 27% feel the general state of cybersecurity is “improving dramatically.”

Top of mind for companies are the volume and variety of attacks, cited by 49% and 43% of respondents, respectively. Privacy concerns (40%), greater reliance on data (38%) and quantifying security issues (34%) are other factors companies must account for when developing cybersecurity policies, implementing new practices, and making investments.

Antivirus software (54%) and firewalls (52%) remain the most commonly deployed solutions, with both becoming more robust in the protections they provide. Other products that are getting a closer look are password managers (44%), identity and access management tools (43%) and security information and event management solutions (41%).

While supply chain attacks have grabbed recent headlines ransomware continues to be a powerful threat, with the average cost of remediating a ransomware attack estimated at $1.85 million.

CompTIA’s “2021 State of Cybersecurity” report, which examines current cybersecurity strategies, is based on a Q3 2021 survey of 400 business and technology across the United States.

Channel Impact^®
The report underscores the opportunity for channel partners to offer better protection to their customers at a time when Zero Trust security architectures are gaining momentum.

Tata Communications and Cisco Expand Global Partnership

Tata Communications and Cisco Systems have expanded their strategic global partnership, adding the Cisco Meraki product line to Tata Communications’ cloud-managed Wi-Fi and SD-WAN services.

The combination is expected to enable customized and enhanced end-user experiences such as guest Wi-Fi authentication services and location-based analytics across sectors including retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality, amongst others. Solutions can be managed through a single pane of glass, offering greater mobility and centralized control.

“We believe the converging LAN and WAN protocols with better wireless and software-defined technologies is imperative for enterprises’ digital transformation journeys,” said Genius Wong, Chief Technology Officer at Tata Communications.

“As organizations accelerate their migration to a hybrid cloud world, they’re looking for solutions that maximize value, including more managed services,” said Jason W. Gallo, Vice President of Cisco Global Partner Sales. “Meraki’s award-winning cloud architecture and ease of management, combined with Tata Communications managed services capabilities and reach, will help create new services with more network visibility and remote troubleshooting for deployments of any size.”

Channel Impact^®
The combined value proposition is expected to insure smoother lifecycle management and superior user experience to the enterprises’ stakeholders with greater security, efficiency, and agility.

Forcepoint Enhances Global Partner Ecosystem to Accelerate SASE

Forcepoint, an Austin, Texas-based cybersecurity vendor, has updated its channel program to more fully accommodate Secure Access Service Edge, (SASE), a technology framework intended to maximize both security and application performance.

Highlights include the creation of an elite tier of partners delivering the highest levels of technical skills and services. The company is also automating its support infrastructure and introducing a more efficient engagement model with broader incentives.

“The most successful companies stand on the shoulders of partners, and partner-led growth is central to our strategy,” said Parag Patel, senior vice president of channel sales for Forcepoint. “When 98 percent of our commercial business is through the channel, we’re confident we know what our partners need.”

In addition to the establishment of the Titanium partner level, enhancements include a new rebate program that rewards partner-led growth, a new deal registration program, and an enhanced portal with tools to make it faster and easier to complete deal registrations, manage business, access training and premium technical content, and integrate the quoting and ordering process with partner systems. New enablement offerings and technical guidance have also been added.

An expanded distribution structure will include strategic, regional and specialist distributors, adding to Forcepoint’s network of more than 12,000 resellers. The changes will go live on November 15th.

Channel Impact^®
The program is expected to simplify how partners work with the company while rewarding partners that invest.