RSA's top UK partner praises attack response

Armadillo Managed Services brushes off doom-mongering and lauds vendor's candour

RSA's largest UK partner has praised the vendor's response to last week's attack and brushed off suggestions of widespread unease.

Other channel players picked out Armadillo Managed Services as the security vendor's largest UK partner by volume. The Heathrow-based VAR's chief executive, Mark Newns, told ChannelWeb that the firm has "one of the largest installed bases in Europe" of RSA customers. Armadillo has been communicating with them since Friday, he added.

"This was about servicing customers and making sure they get as much information as possible," he said. "RSA has communicated to us very clearly; they have advised us as a business and told us what we should advise customers - I do not think we can ask for any more than that."

Newns asserted that among the large security vendors "the reality is that everybody is under attack". He applauded RSA for its candour in taking news of the attack to market.

"They did not have to go to press with this, they have chosen to do that for the benefit of the wider community," said Newns. "I do not think it should be underestimated that EMC has gone to the market and the press to advise people on what they should be doing and on best practice."

The Armadillo chief also dismissed the idea that the incident could affect RSA's standing in the channel.

"What I am seeing out in the press is not from established organisations, it is young organisations using it as an opportunity to switch sell," added Newns.

Read Monday's CRN for more reaction to the RSA attack.