Cybersecurity's New Frontier: Why Going It Alone Isn't an Option

Over the past two decades, the cybersecurity landscape has dramatically transformed. As threats have become more sophisticated, so have the defences designed to combat them, evolving from simple point solutions to sophisticated, interconnected platforms.

Today, the basic firewall and antivirus protection of the past has expanded into a diverse, multifaceted ecosystem covering network security, endpoint protection, and the cloud. These changes reflect the increasing sophistication of cyber threats and the growing complexity of the solutions designed to combat them.
 

A complex cybersecurity landscape

For cybersecurity leaders, this means making a greater effort not only to learn about new threats but to evaluate new technologies and update strategies to effectively mitigate these risks. For instance, the rapid rise of generative AI has made deep fake protection an increasingly important priority.

In response, new cybersecurity tools have been developed, with as many as half a dozen different solutions arriving within a short span of 12 months. For beleaguered cybersecurity leaders, this means yet another topic to research, test, and integrate into already complex security frameworks.

Tool bloat is another rising concern. It is estimated that the average enterprise today has a security toolset of over 60 distinct solutions, which they struggle to manage and consolidate. This not only complicates integration efforts but can also lead to potential gaps in security coverage. Maintaining a competent in-house team to manage the growing number of solutions is becoming nearly impossible.

As organisations navigate an ever-growing landscape of tools and technologies, the challenge of building a resilient and effective cybersecurity strategy has never been more crucial or daunting. This is where channel partners can play a pivotal role in helping businesses manoeuvre the labyrinth of security solutions and integrate them.
 

Deep integration experience

In an ever-changing threat landscape, a good channel partner is a valuable ally for providing unbiased, vendor-agnostic assistance to customers. And channel partners do more than fulfil product orders or provide technical support; they also add value by offering integration advice and support.

Depending on their needs, enterprises can rely on a proficient partner to facilitate the deployment of cybersecurity tools in the cloud, enhance product fulfilment, or assist with integration efforts for a cohesive and comprehensive security posture.

Cybersecurity product integration is crucial even for enterprises that have consolidated their cybersecurity suite into a handful of platforms. For instance, enterprises using a privileged account management solution will want to integrate it with an identity and access solution for multi-factor authentication. Similarly, a vulnerability scanning platform will need to work with an identity and access solution to perform automated vulnerability scanning within a private network.

With broad experience across multiple tools and cybersecurity best practices, channel partners can guide enterprises through the intricacies of integration, ensuring that components work seamlessly together for robust protection against evolving threats.
 

Domain expertise across multiple solutions

As enterprises increasingly turn to the public cloud for infrastructure deployments, some have turned to cloud marketplaces for their cybersecurity needs, bypassing channel partners. However, this approach can lead to unforeseen challenges, including a lack of support or unexpected integration issues.

Common problems include delays due to time zone differences with overseas support teams, prohibitively expensive fees for assistance, or an absence of local support in certain regions. This lack of support stems from providers not operating in specific countries or geographical areas, leaving customers in those locations without access to crucial services or assistance. Unfortunately, these issues often come to light only when support is needed, potentially sparking a crisis as the enterprise scrambles to resolve it.

In contrast, channel partners, with their comprehensive knowledge and experience across various systems are typically available and responsive. They provide cost-efficient assistance when needed, ensuring rapid resolution in today’s multifaceted, highly integrated solutions environment without time-wasting finger-pointing. In addition, channel partners now offer cybersecurity solutions that can be deployed in the top cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.
 

A partner for the future

CISOs today face a constant barrage of challenges, from ever-evolving regulations and new cybersecurity threats to finding the right tools to protect their organisations. Staying up to date is difficult, and manpower constraints often mean there are always some technical competencies lacking in-house.

A good channel partner focuses on building a long-term relationship as a trusted advisor who is always available. Supported by experienced engineers with multidisciplinary skills, the partner can offer strategic guidance and timely support.

Ultimately, partnering with the right channel partner with boots on the ground isn't just about convenience, but is essential for robust, responsive protection.