OPINION Security
“Even now, less than 50% of businesses are compliant, though 4 out of 5 are working (probably very
diligently) toward the requirements. “ Emily Nerland, Channel Director, EMEA - Masergy
Happy? 2nd Birthday GDPR
We are within weeks of the second anniversary of the introduction of GDPR. There have been a couple of
high-profile eye watering fines for non-compliance but by and large the subject has dropped out of the
headlines somewhat. So, what does the channel think today about the regulations and what can we expect
to see in the next year?
What have we learned since
GDPR regulations came in
nearly two years ago?
Graham Wilkinson at Beyond
Connectivity, says, “It’s not
about what we’ve learned but I
think people feel more secure
now that their data is being
stored correctly and not being
misused or sold on without
permission. ere’s a safety net
in place.”
Emily Nerland at Masergy
says that with many
organisations still struggling to
become GDPR compliant, they
are quickly realising that security
is a journey - not a destination.
“Even after nearly £10 billion
pounds were spent on GDPR
preparations (between the UK
and US), 65,000 data breaches
were reported to the European
Data Protection Board (EDPB)
in the rst year. Even now,
less than 50% of businesses
are compliant, though 4 out
of 5 are working (probably
very diligently) toward the
requirements.
at diligence and ongoing
process is an opportunity to be
gained and opening the GDPR
door can open many more
behind it. GDPR has brought a
unied approach towards data
security management, increasing
awareness among stakeholders
at the highest levels. It’s forcing
leaders across departments to
consider the likelihood that an
incident might occur and the
impact it may cause. When
you combine that executive
door-opener with the fact that
virtually every technology in use
at an organisation can negatively
impact data privacy and the
bottom line going forward,
GDPR just might be the biggest
opportunity in a reseller’s
lifetime. And much ground
remains unclaimed.”
Mark Adderley at Intercity
Technology says that since
the General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) came into
force in May 2018, businesses
are far more aware of data
integrity, distinguishing what
good and bad practice looks like,
and critically, that it’s all about
putting people rst.
“Half of the job of managing
IT and IT security is about
understanding the people who
use the technology. It’s as much
about inuencing behaviours
as it is about managing an
appliance or device.”
What can we expect out of
the next 12 months in data
security?
Emily Nerland at Masergy
believes that Enterprises will
continue to collate services,
preferring fewer partners and a
single platform for total digital
transformation.
“Simplicity will be key.
One cloud solution built on a
uniform IT architecture with
full visibility and end-to-end
capabilities that track across
both the network and security
domains will resonate better
among executives.
While all that simplicity will
have many executives breathing
a sigh of relief after years of IT
complexity, it will also bring
increased pressure to make
the one right choice. Decision
makers will need to select a
single, wide-reaching provider.
One that provides an a la carte
menu that allows clients to pick
and choose the services and
technologies they need.
e old ‘point and solve’
principle of discovering
a problem and nding a
technology to resolve it, only
results in layering technologies
on top of one another and
must be stopped. Now that
both resellers and companies
are prioritising simplicity over
quick-xes, providers that bring
an entire menu of tools alongside
the people needed to realise the
benet of those technologies
can present partnership
opportunities that few can
ignore.”
Mark Adderley at Intercity
Technology believes that as
large corporations continue to
invest and improve their security
posture, the risk to SMEs will
also continue to grow - as threat
vectors look at easier targets
and a volume approach in their
targeting.
“In addition, as security
investments become smarter,
businesses will have to consider
their individual security
strategies. For example,
a managed service with
approachable security experts
will deliver a customised security
package to suit individual
business needs. Simply buying
a piece of kit is more likely to
leave your business in the dark
and more susceptible to security
breaches.”
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44 | Comms Business Magazine | April 2020 www.commsbusiness.co.uk
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