Ingram Micro launches vendor-backed security program

Ingram Micro has unveiled a new program intended to give resellers the effective offerings their customers need to stay safe in the evolving threat landscape.

The Cybersecurity Practice Builder is also backed by vendors including Microsoft, Sophos, Proofpoint, Bitdefender and Sky-High Security.

The new program combines elements such as technology, expertise, professional services and training in a single source to allow resellers to establish and grow their own information security practice quickly.

Ingram Micro cyber security head Rod Lazarus says these facts underpin the necessity for an empowered channel.

"One of the major issues we face in Australia isn't a shortage of the necessary technology for protecting against cyberthreats, but a shortage of skilled people," Lazarus says.

"With the Cybersecurity Practice Builder program, we're building capacity with the support of our vendors, offering training, certification, sales and technical enablement rather than merely shipping product.

Additionally, Ingram Micro offers access to its substantial cybersecurity team, which includes solution architects, professional services, business development support and product managers.

Ingram Micro provides essential components under its Technical Security Services, including IT infrastructure, penetration testing, application penetration testing and social engineering exercises.

Further, the company's Security Advisory Services include security program development, virtual CISO, threat modelling and strategy guidance.

Its offerings under Cybersecurity Firewall Services, which are all available on-demand for partner onsell to end customers, include firewall deployment and review, customised firewall technical training, firewall migration and firewall health check.

"In addition, Ingram Micro runs white-labelled 'eyesight reports' in our partners' customer environments, reporting back on their exposure and providing protect and response remedy roadmaps," Lazarus notes.

"This helps the end user understand their security posture and supports the reseller in taking the necessary actions to effectively mitigate commonly faced threats.

He adds that partners earn rewards for building their cybersecurity practice with a series of webinars and events supporting Cybersecurity Practice Builder.

Lazarus notes that this helps towards certification and capacity building, which in turn leads to closing more sales and looking after the interests of end users.

Ingram Micro general manager, cloud SAAS Adam Smith says that protection is always better than cure with cybersecurity.

"With this program, we're putting together all the elements required for effective protection and making it easier for all our partners to get into this business," Smith says.

"Protecting your customers should be an integral part of complete IT solution delivery and Cybersecurity Practice Builder guides the way towards creating a proven competency.

Smith adds that the increasingly interconnected nature of modern business comes with its challenges.

"The necessity for watertight cybersecurity isn't new, but the nature of the problem constantly evolves making enduring solutions difficult," Smith notes.

"Effective cybersecurity depends on more than technology and rests equally on the process and human capacity.

"That's what Ingram Micro is doing with the Cybersecurity Practice Builder, bringing together the full range of resources necessary to demystify cybersecurity for the reseller, so our partners can deliver the protection required by their customers.

The companies note that the government Australian Cyber Security Centre agency recorded a 13% increase from the previous year in its cybercrime reports from 2020 to 2021, reaching 67,500.

Moreover, self-reported losses totalled over AU$33 billion, which the companies say demonstrates the rising cost of security breaches.

They add that this is made worse when acknowledging that almost 25% of the incidents reported affected entities associated with Australia's critical infrastructure.