This post is sponsored by Microsoft

Foresight is 2020
How many times have you been on the phone with a customer and heard the words, “I don’t even know where to start”? 

To many VARs (Value Added Resellers) and service providers, ‘security’ is defined as the solutions they sell. While antiviruses and firewalls are good starting points among any customer’s security infrastructure, they are just the start – the outer shell.

The stats^(*) are alarming:  1)  On average, a cyberattack occurs every 39 seconds; 2)  With hundreds of thousands of malware variants introduce everyday, ransomware is on the rise; 3)  Last year ¾^(**) of the healthcare industry was infected with malware; 4)  43 percent of all attacks in 2018 were against small-to-medium businesses^(***); 5)  60 percent of SMBs that suffer a cyberattack are out of business with six months; 6)  There is a cybersecurity shortage – there are currently 300,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions in U.S. alone, estimated at 3 million globally.

Just because cybersecurity awareness month ends doesn’t mean we can stop being diligent in protecting our companies against cyber attacks.Especially with these compelling stats:.

The cybersecurity skills gap is well documented. According to (ISC)2 research, the shortage of cybersecurity professionals is nearly three million globally with close to half a million in the U.S. alone. What’s more, 60 percent of those surveyed say their companies are at moderate or extreme risk of cybersecurity attacks due to this shortage.

You might have missed the news that over 1 million biometrics data records were breached recently. The company that was breached, Suprema and its primary product BioStar 2 were the targets, exposing fingerprint and facial recognition data.

“What’s in your wallet…?” Now we all know, thanks to Capital One’s data breach of 106 million customers. So why didn’t Capital One ensure its own cybersecurity?

The Perfect Storm:  Dynamic Industry, Low Rewards and Limited Skills

Today, MSPs (managed service providers) and MSSPs (managed security service providers) face unique challenges meeting the threats and business requirements of cybersecurity. Not only must they ensure that their network service delivery platform is secure from cyberbreaches, but they must also ensure the customers with whom they connect are secure so bad actors can’t use their customer to pivot into their platform.

Each morning, after booting up my laptop, grabbing a cup of coffee and checking my email, I read the latest cybersecurity news from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ Pro Cybersecurity). If you are in the IT industry, especially focused in Cybersecurity, I highly recommend subscribing. One morning a particular article caught my attention.

With security threats becoming more advanced, security and information management must be top priority. Education and awareness are essential. Whether its best practices, security trends, or developing a foundational knowledge of security technologies, being informed is paramount.Tech Data’s Security Practice Foundations blog series can help you build a strong foundation of security knowledge.