A survey of more than 100 channel partners published this week by Untangle, a provider of cybersecurity platforms employed by managed service providers (MSPs), suggests it’s the best and possibly worst of cybersecurity times for channel partners.
A full 99% of survey respondents said cybersecurity, as an overall part of their business, will increase or stay the same in 2020, with 85% saying they believe their cybersecurity revenue will increase in 2020.
Survey respondents also noted cybersecurity solutions accounted for more than 50% of their overall business in 2019. That compares to a previous Untangle survey from a year ago that found 77% of respondents said cybersecurity only accounted for less than 30% of their overall business.
More interestingly still, the survey finds 65% of respondents purchase cybersecurity solutions directly from a vendor. Over a third (35%) said they are also considering adding identity and access management along with risk and compliance management tools to their portfolio.
The survey also suggests channel partners are not yet convinced of the merits of cloud-based approaches to cybersecurity. Only 27% of respondents said they believe that moving customer and client data to the cloud offers better security than on-premises solutions. Price (36%), limited experience (26%) and lack of trust (20%) are the top barriers channel partners experience when clients begin or consider adopting cloud security solutions.
Overall, the biggest challenge channel partners are struggling with is simple end user education, says Heather Paunet, vice president of product management for Untangle. Customers clearly require a more holistic approach to cybersecurity, but too often wind up focused on a single tool to address a specific attack they just experienced, adds Paunet.
“It’s easier for them to focus on that one piece,” says Paunet.
In fact, nearly a quarter of the channel partners surveyed (23%) cited lack of customer knowledge as the number one barrier in the cybersecurity market, followed by budget constraints (22%), and limited time to research and understanding new threats (13%).
In terms of specific types of attacks against end users most observed by channel partners, phishing (84%), malware (84%), and ransomware (63%) attacks top the list.
The survey makes it clear partners are profiting from increased demand for cybersecurity expertise. The challenge most of them face is attaining and maintaining that expertise.
Be First to Comment