The relationship between a customer and partner has been traditionally that of a seller and customer, wherein the partner used to provide solutions and service support, in some cases. Today, with the increase amongst the number of small and medium business (SMB) customers in India, the role of a partner has evolved. This is more so in the case of providing guidance to protect their information.

Having limited manpower and frugal IT infrastructure, SMBs store all information about client transactions and financial data in insecure databases. What if one of the employees accidentally clicks on unknown mail unlocking malicious software in the process? In no time, cyber criminals will have gained access to business data and stolen vital information. SMBs are then in danger of losing business, reputation and will struggle for business continuity in the absence of the data.
According to Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 16, a massive threat volume of more than 286 million new threats was detected last year, accompanied by several new megatrends in the threat landscape.

Are the SMBs aware which technology is really going to keep them safe against the latest malware and threats generated by cyber criminals? The evolving threat landscape regularly presents new and creative ways for cyber criminals to attack their networks, steal information and make money in the process. These are reasons enough for partners to realize that their SMB customers need to be protected and they are in the best position to help them do so. Cyber-crimes know no boundaries and no business is totally immune from the threats that continually evolve.

The typical SMB understands the importance of implementing countermeasures to mitigate the effects of external as well as internal threats, but they do not treat information security as an issue that needs to be addressed more comprehensively. For instance it is important for SMBs to be advised that only an endpoint security solution can fully protect their data and just installing an anti-virus solution is not enough for the same purpose. Sharing insights and knowledge about data security with SMBs shall enable them to fully secure their databases. As SMBs can ill- afford to lose important information they would definitely appreciate any help that the partners can provide to help them safeguard their information. The channel partners in turn go beyond being just solution providers to earn additional goodwill, loyalty and trust from SMBs while deepening mutual relationships.

It's important for the channel partner to be updated on the latest security threats and the key solutions available to their customers. Only be keeping updated on the latest trends can a channel partner ensure they are the right source, a SMB customer can depend on them to protect their information.

* The author is the Managing Director India & SAARC, Symantec.
* The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his/her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of SME Times.