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Zero trust a channel opportunity
It might sound like a buzzword but Zero Trust is a security issue that should be a door opener for many in the channel
The channel should be out quizzing customers around the steps that have been taken to deal with zero trust issues if they want to unlock some more security spending.
With users facing more pressure to try to protect information in an age where the perimeter has largely gone over the horizon and relying on user identification is not enough, the question of how they give access to data has become a critical one.
MobileIron is one of those firms asking questions around the topic and its vice president of strategy Ojas Rege said that challenging the existing provisions that customers have made should provoke a conversation around improving protection.
"The channel has to get out there and share the message. There has to be some education around how the traditional security model doesn't work in this context," he said.
"Many, many organizations turn to identity as the primary element of trust. But user trust through simple identity is not enough. User trust is necessary but not sufficient because it is context that determines whether a user should be given access to data in a given environment. Trusted users on untrusted devices should not have access to sensitive business data," added Rege.
Those channel players that think that beyond a bit of a buzz word it might be difficult to make money out of the topic should think again with this emerging as one of the main areas of focus this year.
"The opportunity is substantial … and it is real, today. Every customer knows their business is moving to mobile and cloud. But they don’t know how to design a security model for this world.“Zero trust” gives a catchy name for a complex problem and makes it easier for resellers to broach the discussion," he added.
Some of the things that resellers can get involved with include helping users look at the process users go through to bring on new cloud services avd mobile apps. A managed service to deal with managing a security architecture for zero-trust environments is where the channel should be aiming to reach.
"Expanding the trust model for a customer requires education. Most customers will require this education, and, more importantly, that education inevitably becomes the “ah-ha!” moment that positions the channel as a trusted advisor with subject matter expertise that cannot be found in-house at the customer," said Rege.