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Recent events have reminded Australians of just how important security and the protection of customer data is. Following a data breach of almost unprecedented scale, a massive percentage of Australians have found themselves needing to change driver’s licenses, passports, and even freeze their credit reports. The long-term impact of what this will do to security expectations for businesses of all sizes will be profound.
Currently, the cost of a data breach in Australia is pegged at close to $3.5 million on average. However, penalties for data breaches are likely to increase, with the government already taking strong action in response to the recent widespread breaches. Furthermore, the reputational damage from allowing customer data to be greater now, thanks to wider mainstream interest. Currently studies show a five to nine per cent decrease in reputational capital following a data breach, but that number will grow.
Globally, the percentage of businesses that close after a cyber breach is massive. As the cost of cyber breaches continues to accelerate and so too does security grow as an existential concern, the opportunity for the channel – particularly with regards to SMEs – grows in-kind. Studies show that most Australian SMEs are at risk of cyber attack, and more than one-third are not spending money on security at all. They’re worried about data breaches, but unsure about what they can do to protect themselves, and this is exasperated by a massive skill shortage that makes specialist skills impossible for the SME to obtain.
Businesses need managed IT security services, in other words. Microbe is aiming to make it easy for managed services providers to provide their customers with leading security solutions that are tailored to the SME space.
Tailoring security to SMEs
A key solution that Microbe offers to MSPs within Australia is access to ESET as a managed security solution.
ESET’s suite of business security features includes modern endpoint protection, file server security, full disk encryption, advanced threat defence, cloud app protection, mail security and detection and response. All of this is available through a console that is accessible over the cloud, meaning that the MSP can manage their customer’s environments remotely.
Microbe, as the MSP manager, has seen an increase in revenues of over 145 per cent, driven largely by companies looking to offer ESET to their clients. As a local platinum partner to ESET, Microbe is able to offer MSPs:
- Simple sign up and on-boarding
- All automated processes for MSPs
- Local certified support
- Prompt customer service with deep product knowledge
Currently, Microbe is also offering MSPs an exclusive sign-up offer, to further enhance the solution’s value (for more information on this offer, click here). This suite of capabilities and value-adds means that MSPs can offer the ESET solution seamlessly to their customers, while having additional technical and sales support to draw on to make their own engagement with their customers more straightforward.
“Thanks to Microbe we are now using the ESET MSP portal for our client needs, and it has assisted us to provide high-end services and monitoring for all our client’s business needs,” Brett Pittard, managing director of Technology Development Research & Support (TDRS) said.
“Microbe have enabled us to migrate our current system to this service with ease. Their knowledge around this product, along with the high level of service and support is outstanding.”
Security for the SME is about engagement
For MSPs that are looking to assist their SME customers with security, having the right technologies in place is just the start of the on-going engagement required.
Human error accounts for around 82 per cent of data breaches. Having a robust security solution in place can block deliberate attacks, protect the network, and mitigate damage by allowing organisations to respond quickly, but the MSP should also take this as an opportunity to be strategic with their clients.
By helping to educate staff on security threats and provide ongoing training around policy and best practice, the channel partner can build a robust, and long-term “sticky” engagement with their customers. The opportunity to continue to build on the security being offered will also allow MSPs to grow alongside their customers.
For more information on ESET and the opportunity for MSPs with Microbe, click here.
