Tech Data today announced it is partnering with Blue Cat to add a set of appliances for managing and securing instances of Domain Name System (DNS) that organizations rely on to direct Internet traffic.
While organizations routinely make use of open source DNS software or capabilities embedded in Microsoft Exchange, the appliances from Blue Cat are a foundational element of holistic approach to cybersecurity that the distributor is trying to encourage partners to embrace, says Alex Ryals, vice president, Security Solutions at Tech Data.
“We want partners to go beyond endpoint security and firewalls,” says Ryals.
DNS is an overlooked aspect of cybersecurity even though cybercriminals regularly launch distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against the instances of DNS that organizations rely on to keep Web sites running. Cybercriminals also often try to “poison” the cache of DNS servers to redirect traffic towards a Web site with a similar appearance that is loaded with malware. The Enterprise DNS appliances from Blue Cat give IT organizations access to the tools required to not only manage highly distributed instances of DNS, but also control who can access those systems. That capability makes it feasible for channel partners to launch managed services specifically wrapped around DNS, adds Ryals.
As cybersecurity increasing becomes a prerequisite for selling any type of solution, channel partners are caught in a quandary. One the hand, it’s clear they need to develop some level of cybersecurity expertise. On the other hand, even if a channel partner can find IT professionals with cybersecurity expertise the cost of hiring and retaining cybersecurity talent is high. One of the reasons Tech Data decided to add Blue Cat to its line card is that the company has made available resources partners will need to develop their own cybersecurity professional services.
Naturally, not every partner needs to become a world-class expert on cybersecurity. But at the very least, it’s now crucial that every channel partner knows someone they can partner with who is.
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