CV_Fall_21_2

alignment with SaaS technology vendors and deepened relationships with key accounts. Secondly was an investment in “training and certification.” Here sales and engineering teams experienced both initial onboarding sessions and certification programs as well as hands- on experience and lab work, which prepared them to sell and service SaaS. Thirdly was the increased emphasis on “account management and sales engineering.” Consisting primarily of outbound salespeople, technical sales and presales, and partner and custom- er account managers, these roles were directly responsible for generating and growing leads. The partners surveyed generated an average ROI of 72 percent. 2. E ducate Customers on the HybridThreat Landscape For many companies, one of the biggest challenges associated with the hybrid workplace will be cyberse- curity. Not only are their employees working outside the protection of their office endpoint security systems, but cybercriminals are increasingly targeting remote workers as well. In the Internet Crime Report for 2020, the FBI recorded a whopping 69 percent increase in total complaints compared to 2019. Financial losses due to cyberattacks exceeded $4.2 billion. In this new environment, knowledge is one of the most powerful weapons companies have to protect their networks. It starts with DNS. Some 90 percent of malware touches DNS when attack- ing a network, making it an especially cost-effective method of protecting networks in the new hybrid workplace. A robust secure DNS solution can therefore take advantage of the data provided by DNS to not only block these threats but also quickly identify the behavior of compromised systems and users if a breach does occur. 3. P rotect TheWAN, the WFH Network Edge At the office, the network edge is found at the local area network (LAN). At home, the network edge is the wide area network (WAN). The WAN comprises three critical components: domain name system (DNS), dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) and IP address management (IPAM). Collectively known as DDI, these technologies are the first services that a device contacts when it connects to a network. As such, they can play an invaluable role in network security and visibility for IT teams. A software-defined (SD) WAN is another critical component of WAN security. SD-WANs integrate multiple transport types (e.g., MPLS, broadband, LTE) and allow for direct connections to cloud-based platforms. In these environments, implementing DDI-based threat defense technology that powers security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) solutions, such as Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense, is imperative. Many customers may believe they are fully protected with a traditional security environment in place (such as one that includes NGFWs, IPSs, endpoint security software, etc.). But virtually none of these solutions can offer the depth of protection needed in order to comprehensively protect DNS traffic, nor can they use DDI infor - mation to gain insights into security events that do occur. Deployed from the cloud, these technologies plug security gaps by using the unique role that DNS plays in network connectivity to shut down cyberthreats at the edge before they can spread. They can detect data exfil - tration attempts, which adds another layer of security for enabling remote work. The technology is also a power- ful content filtration tool. It can restrict users’ access to specific web destina - tions and malicious web content. When used in tandem with DDI, DNS security neutralizes security threats faster by giving network administrators visibil- ity into every device’s traffic patterns and a control plane for coordinating remediation across all security tools. In the commissioned survey mentioned above, several partners noted the increasing demand for cloud- based technologies. As organizations continue to embrace a fully remote- work environment, securing these decentralized devices will remain a top priority. Emphasizing and implementing DDI security solutions and cybersecu- rity best practices will help ensure your customers’ employees stay safe from ransomware and other cyberattacks, wherever they’re working. Not only can the channel play an instrumental role in making customers safer, but they can earn healthy double- digit profit margins for doing so. o Scott Jacobs is senior director, channel strategy and operations for Infoblox. CYBER PATROL Top 5 Crime Type Comparison Last Five Years 241,342 114,702 26,379 25,344 19,465 108,869 76,741 45,330 38,218 50,642 30,904 27,573 43,330 16,053 16,128 17,636 16,878 43,101 51,146 14,938 17,146 61,832 65,116 84,079 81,029 PHISING/VISHING/ SMISHING/PHARMING NON-PAYMENT/ NON-DELIVERY EXTORTION PERSONAL DATA BREACH IDENTITY THEFT 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 14 CHANNEL V ISION | Fall 2021