Panic-free security

A reseller that appreciates real customer security needs can help eliminate risks without employing alarmist tactics, writes Julian Martin.

Risk is a word that is used in the security industry at the drop of a hat.

So it would be understandable if end-users were to feel a degree of anxiety over the potential risks they could be subjecting themselves and their company to every time they go online or open an email.

I believe the industry needs to take steps to help end-users better assess the real security risks they could be facing today or tomorrow.

My view is that resellers play a vital role in helping companies address real risks, as opposed to the perceived ones that are being touted by the industry as the catalyst for the next corporate meltdown.

To ensure this greater level of understanding, it is vital that the user is fully involved in the risk-assessment process and that they inform the reseller of the key threats to the organisation at both an internal and external level.

This will encourage a partnership based on trust, and one that is likely to be of benefit to the reseller in the future.

Implementing a scoring system whereby risks are given a mark out of five is an ideal way to put threats into perspective for the end-user. One out of five indicates a low risk and five a threat that needs to be pre-empted.

Adopting this method will provide both reseller and end-user with a quantitative means to progress and at the same time find the right technology to mitigate all threats.

It also will be useful moving forward, giving both parties a reference point when reviewing security measures on a regular basis.

It is vital that resellers and end-users alike do not see this as solely an IT issue.

More and more businesses demand a complete service that will also encompass an outline of the legal dangers they could be up against. That is to say, resellers are required to be true security experts and partners.

Our advice is to look to partner with legal experts who can provide, where necessary, advice to the end-user in question.

This will add real value for the customer and enable the reseller to obtain a new revenue stream as part of the consultative sales process.

This vision is based on the reseller being ideally positioned to pivot between the security vendors in the industry and the customers using their technology.

With the increased risks and added complexity in protecting against them, partnership in this way is key to ensuring an acceptable level of protection is achieved.

The reseller's appreciation of the customer's situation is critical, and means risks can be eliminated without employing alarmist tactics.

Julian Martin is channel development director at SurfControl.