Jul/Aug 19 - ChannelVision Magazine

By 2021, global cybercrime dam- ages are predicted to reach $6 trillion annually, according to Cybersecurity Ventures, and today, a cyberattack occurs roughly every 39 seconds, showed a study by the A. James Clark School of Engineering. Worse still, re- search indicates that the supply chain is one of the most frequent hacking targets – criminals that cannot attack a business directly instead gain access by going after its vendors. With all the above in mind, you can hardly blame your clients for be- ing cautious when choosing a security vendor. After all, they’re potentially entrusting you with some of their most critical assets. They’re putting their reputation squarely in your hands. Ultimately, business IT depart- ments know that if your security isn’t up to par, they’re the ones that suf- fer. The good news is that there are a number of measures you can take and safeguards you can put in place to both ease the nerves of prospec- tive clients and protect their data once they sign on with you. The Basics Consumers aren’t the only ones who’ve gotten lax with their systems and data in recent years. Plenty of your competitors have, as well. For that reason, the best way you can dis- tinguish your company in the eyes of its clientele is to demonstrate that you not only possess a firm understanding of cybersecurity but also the neces- sary dedication and expertise to put it into practice. To that end, your software and services should be designed with the following in mind: Five Ways to Demonstrate a Security Commitment toYour Clients W e live in trying times. Cybercriminals are growing craftier and more advanced; threat surfaces are larger and more vulnerable. By Tim Mullahy Cyber Patrol • Two-factor authentication on all accounts; • Clear delineation of data ownership; • Well-established crisis management, breach response and disaster recovery processes; • Physical security measures and access controls on all hardware; • Transport layer security; • Automated backup processes for all sensitive assets; • Encryption and access controls for at- rest data, including backups; and • A vendor review process for all third-party vendors your own business works with. The SLA A well-written, generous service level agreement (SLA) conveys something very important to clients: that you care. A vendor that is willing to make clients a priority by holding itself accountable for any service interruptions is far likelier to also exercise strong security practices. Moreover, you can mention details such as security assessments and incident response in your SLA, as well. 52 Channel Vision | July - August, 2019