Channel Partners: Allies of SMBs and Enterprises in the Cyber Arms Race
Cybersecurity is an arms race, and both cyber criminals and security professionals are proving exceptionally capable and innovative. Cybercriminals are turning to new weapons like ransomware, leveraging-mail to deliver malware, and taking advantage of vulnerabilities in encrypted communications to attack global organizations of all sizes around the world.Let’s be clear – cyber criminals do not conform to a one-size-fits-all profile. It’s true that years ago the overwhelming majority of hackers fit the stereotype of a lone wolf, launching attacks simply to prove they could do it. But today, cyber criminals typically fall into one of three categories: modern day bank robbers who hack for profit; those who hack for pride; and those who hack for destruction such as the criminals responsible for the spread of Petya/ Not Petya. Regardless of the ends today’s cyber criminal has in mind, it is now alarmingly easy to tap into a well-organized marketplace to purchase malware, exploit kits and other tools of the criminal trade. Knowledge is constantly shared, products are improved, and trends emerge as they do in any market. In fact, cyber criminals can even get access to 24/7 help desk support when they have questions about the malware they have purchased!
When the bad guys have an ecosystem this functional, it’s critical that the good guys exhibit the same levels of collaboration. From the vendors behind cybersecurity technology to the businesses that rely on it, it’s vital that expert insight and communication flow freely. Unfortunately, the good guys are short staffed; about 1 million professionals are still needed to fill cyber security roles around the world. In my view, the most effective way to quickly bridge this gap is by turning to one of the first lines of defense we have in today’s cyber arms race – channel partners – and providing them with the continuing education they need to help organizations protect themselves against ever-shifting cybersecurity threats.
Recognizing the need for more channel partner education
Earlier this year my company released our latest SonicWall Annual Threat Report, which highlights the most notable advancements made by security professionals and cyber criminals within the past year. This year, key trends included the explosive 167 times global growth of ransomware as well as emerging risks associated with SSL/TLS encryption which goes a long way to secure web traffic but can also hide malware from company firewalls. Additionally, our research
shows that email continues to be a popular vector for a variety of threats. In speaking with our partners about this data, we learned that they were in urgent need of training on up-to-date cybersecurity threats like these, as well as information on best practices and new technologies. As the global cybersecurity skills gap continues to grow, and both SMBs and enterprises struggle to find trained cybersecurity personnel, partners are stepping in to provide real-time industry offerings to their customers.
Partners needed a formal, in-depth curriculum that evolved with cybersecurity – not casual updates or a one time class, but rather a program designed to deliver ongoing engagement. That imperative drove us to create a new online education and certification resource for our channel partners this year called
SonicWall University. This training platform is updated daily with data on zero-day attacks that have been discovered and stopped by our cloud-based multi-engine sandbox, Capture Advanced Threat Protection, as well as information derived from our network of more than 1 million sensors. At SonicWall, our partners’ response to this new training platform clearly demonstrates the demand for education. Since March 2017, we have provided more than 16,000 hours of online training and administered more than 33,000 successful exams.
By empowering and enabling our channel partners to become experts in cybersecurity, I believe they will be able to more effectively educate businesses on the threats they’re facing and ways to mount defenses that work. As more partners across the industry begin focusing on cybersecurity education, certification and accreditation, we expect the ripple effects to be powerful and wide reaching – far beyond the bounds of any one vendor’s community.
The role of channel partners in the cyber arms race
Channel partners are the face of security expertise to millions of businesses around the world. That’s why it’s so crucial for channel partners to have not only up-to-the-minute awareness of threats and solutions, but also role-based training that is tailored to sales teams, systems engineers and support team members. Today’s threat landscape is so vast, complex and quick-moving that organizations without in-house security staff need to be able to rely on partners to stay ahead of new cybersecurity threats. The NotPetya global attack is one such example – and reflects the rising trend of what we like to call “malware cocktails” where the ingredients are all well known, but the exact mix can be completely new. Partners are in the perfect position to serve as trusted counselors who can provide real-time updates on the ways cyber criminals continue to evolve and combine exploits and attacks in creative ways.
Organizations that are facing in-house shortages of security professionals can rely on their chosen channel partner to take an active interest in not only the sales of cybersecurity technology, but also the implementation and maintenance of a comprehensive security program. It’s a mistake to believe that you can secure an organization with a one-time implementation or by meeting with a customer a couple of times a year to check in. The best technology implementations include ongoing dialogue with customers to help adjust and improve their strategy as the threat landscape and technology evolves. When organizations find themselves struggling to recruit security professionals amidst the cybersecurity skills gap and facing new and innovative threats launched by cyber criminals – the channel plays a critical role. Partners that are well versed in cutting-edge cybersecurity threats and innovative technology are crucial allies for organizations that want to do more and fear less.
Regardless of the ends today’s cyber criminal has in mind, it is now alarmingly easy to tap into a well-organized marketplace to purchase malware, exploit kits and other tools of the criminal trade
Partners needed a formal, in-depth curriculum that evolved with cybersecurity – not casual updates or a one time class, but rather a program designed to deliver ongoing engagement. That imperative drove us to create a new online education and certification resource for our channel partners this year called
SonicWall University. This training platform is updated daily with data on zero-day attacks that have been discovered and stopped by our cloud-based multi-engine sandbox, Capture Advanced Threat Protection, as well as information derived from our network of more than 1 million sensors. At SonicWall, our partners’ response to this new training platform clearly demonstrates the demand for education. Since March 2017, we have provided more than 16,000 hours of online training and administered more than 33,000 successful exams.
By empowering and enabling our channel partners to become experts in cybersecurity, I believe they will be able to more effectively educate businesses on the threats they’re facing and ways to mount defenses that work. As more partners across the industry begin focusing on cybersecurity education, certification and accreditation, we expect the ripple effects to be powerful and wide reaching – far beyond the bounds of any one vendor’s community.
The role of channel partners in the cyber arms race
Channel partners are the face of security expertise to millions of businesses around the world. That’s why it’s so crucial for channel partners to have not only up-to-the-minute awareness of threats and solutions, but also role-based training that is tailored to sales teams, systems engineers and support team members. Today’s threat landscape is so vast, complex and quick-moving that organizations without in-house security staff need to be able to rely on partners to stay ahead of new cybersecurity threats. The NotPetya global attack is one such example – and reflects the rising trend of what we like to call “malware cocktails” where the ingredients are all well known, but the exact mix can be completely new. Partners are in the perfect position to serve as trusted counselors who can provide real-time updates on the ways cyber criminals continue to evolve and combine exploits and attacks in creative ways.
Organizations that are facing in-house shortages of security professionals can rely on their chosen channel partner to take an active interest in not only the sales of cybersecurity technology, but also the implementation and maintenance of a comprehensive security program. It’s a mistake to believe that you can secure an organization with a one-time implementation or by meeting with a customer a couple of times a year to check in. The best technology implementations include ongoing dialogue with customers to help adjust and improve their strategy as the threat landscape and technology evolves. When organizations find themselves struggling to recruit security professionals amidst the cybersecurity skills gap and facing new and innovative threats launched by cyber criminals – the channel plays a critical role. Partners that are well versed in cutting-edge cybersecurity threats and innovative technology are crucial allies for organizations that want to do more and fear less.
