ChannelVision Magazine July-August 2016

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That’s followed by video equipment at
50 percent, physical security at 46 per-
cent and appliances at 45 percent.
But most companies, despite
awareness of potential threats, are
doing little to create IoT security pos-
tures. Only one in three organizations
is actively preparing for the impact IoT
could have on their businesses.
The reasons for that lack of prep
are myriad: 47 percent said the value
of monitoring IoT devices is still un-
clear, but 38 percent said they lack
the time and staffing resources. And
65 percent of respondents say skills
shortages are preventing them from
keeping up with the pace of change
in technology.
“If you look at cyber, it is a multi-
dimensional problem; it’s also unpre-
dictable, intangible and constantly
changing,” said George Quigley,
cybersecurity partner at KPMG. “It’s
a very complex area to try and get
your head around. We’ve seen a lot
of large and sophisticated organiza-
tions breached, so if you’re sitting in
an organization that is not as large,
not as sophisticated and doesn’t have
the same sort of budgets and stand-
ing, then culturally you’re also going
to have your confidence dented.”
(ISC)2 research shows that due
to the predicted increase in demand
for information security person-
nel outpacing the supply, a global
cybersecurity workforce shortage
will reach 1.5 million within five
years. This is despite the fact that
researchers Frost & Sullivan predict
that the size of the global infosec
workforce will actually increase by 6
percent within one year.
As it stands, 62 percent of (ISC)2
survey respondents – from a sample
of nearly 14,000 qualified security
professionals worldwide – report that
their organizations have too few se-
curity professionals. Healthcare and
education are the two verticals where
the shortfall is most keenly felt – 76
percent of respondents from each
of these sectors report being under-
staffed in terms of security.
Channel Opportunity
Emerges
This endemic lack of internal cy-
ber-resources opens the door to a big
opportunity for channel partners.
“There’s undoubtedly a significant
skills gap in cyber,” Quigley said.
“There are challenges in terms of get-
ting people with a cyber-mindset; what
we’re finding is security companies
having to invest time and money in
training people. Across the industry
we’re probably paying more than you
would otherwise do in a normal func-
tioning market because you’ve got to
pay to retain people.”
It’s a ripe opportunity for channel
partners to leap into this breach. IT
distributor Tech Data in May launched
its Security and Information Manage-
ment business unit, which includes
the company’s software and network
security vendor portfolios, to its chan-
nel of solution providers throughout
the Americas. The new business unit
is strategically focused on customer
enablement, reseller recruitment and
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64 CHANNELVISION | July - August 2016