This article first appeared in News in the Channel magazine issue #31
Cybersecurity continues to grow in importance for businesses, which look to resellers and MSPs for expertise. Exertis Cybersecurity can help to provide this.
With recent high-profile cyberattacks showing the problems they can cause, cybersecurity is a huge priority for businesses, and they look to MSPs for assistance. They, in turn, can look to organisations such as Exertis Cybersecurity for expertise. In this Q&A, Dominic Ryles, cybersecurity sales and alliance director at Exertis Cybersecurity, talks about the threat landscape and how Exertis Cybersecurity is helping MSPs fight back against it.
News in the Channel: Are the threats from a cyberattack greater than ever?
Dominic Ryles: The threat landscape has evolved significantly. We’re seeing cyberattacks becoming more frequent, sophisticated and impactful to particular industries.
For instance, retail and education have emerged as prime targets due to their vast amounts of personal data and often less robust cybersecurity measures.
In April, Marks & Spencer was hit by a severe ransomware attack. The breach disrupted online operations for over three weeks, led to an estimated £300 million in losses, and that attack exploited vulnerabilities in third party services.
In the education sector, a report by the NCSC on UK universities found that experienced a 35% increase in cyberattacks in 2024, with ransomware being the most prevalent form of attack. That surge put sensitive student and faculty data at risk and if they suffer a data breach, they can experience weeks, if not months of operational disruption.
But no sector is immune from cyberthreats. Businesses must adopt a more proactive and comprehensive approach to security and implement more robust defences and remain vigilant against these evolving threats.
Q: How difficult is it to stay ahead of cyberthreats?
DR: It’s incredibly challenging, especially given the rapid pace at which these threats are evolving. Cybercriminal groups are constantly using more advanced tactics, techniques and procedures.
The emergence of AI-powered tools and machine learning has enabled attackers to hyper automate and optimise attacks, significantly reducing the time it takes for them to compromise a system, which means businesses now need to respond in near real time, and can be quite overwhelming even for the most prepared organisations. The constant changing nature of cyberthreats requires businesses to be more agile and adaptable in their security strategy.
Incorporating continuous monitoring, threat intelligence and a layered defence approach are essential for organisations to stay ahead of the curve. It’s no longer enough to simply deploy traditional defences, organisations must start embracing bleeding-edge technology such as AI-driven threat detection.
Q: With the rise in connected devices, are there more potential entry points for cybercriminals? How does Exertis Enterprise help to secure businesses?
DR: The explosion of IoT devices has significantly expanded the number of potential attack vectors. Additionally, there are threats like insider threats where employees or contractors deliberately or inadvertently compromise security, which is becoming a growing concern.
At Exertis Enterprise, we support businesses, whether small, medium or enterprise organisations, by securing their business with comprehensive end to end cybersecurity. That includes preventing attacks with perimeter defences, detecting threats in real time through our security Operation Centre that enables us to respond swiftly to any potential data breaches.
Our network Operations Centre ensures business continuity by managing the recovery processes and minimising downtime for organisations and by covering prevention, detection and response and recovery.
Q: Do SMBs have the expertise to cope with cyberthreats?
DR: Many SMBs struggle to manage and respond to modern, evasive and evolving cyberattacks due to the lack of in-house expertise that they have. Modern threats require specialist knowledge, tools and constant vigilance, as well as significant overhead, which can be difficult for smaller businesses to maintain.
At Exertis Enterprise we offer bespoke cybersecurity consultancy services, specifically tailored to each business’ needs. In addition, we provide access to our security Operation Centre that provides round the clock monitoring threat detection, and our incident response team who ensure swift action and resolution to any breaches that occur. Our comprehensive services allow us to mitigate risks without the need to build an extensive and expensive internal cybersecurity team.
Q: With more business than ever conducted in the cloud, how important are services such as backup and disaster recovery?
DR: Cloud-based platforms have exploded over recent years and transformed how businesses operate. They give scalability, flexibility and cost efficiency, but that shift brings security challenges. With some organisations living in a cloud-first world, services like backup and disaster recovery are more important than ever, and cloud environments can be particularly dynamic, making them vulnerable to breaches, data loss, or ransomware attacks.
Exertis Enterprise offers a range of comprehensive cloud security solutions, including services designed to ensure that data is regularly backed up and can be restored quickly in the event of an incident.
Q: Should MSPs include cybersecurity when quoting customers? How can Exertis Enterprise help MSPs here?
DR: As the cybercrime market continues to grow, businesses are increasingly demanding cybersecurity as a service from their MSP, so by adding security services, MSPs are enhancing in their value proposition and building stronger relationships with their customers.
Security is in high demand across the spectrum, from endpoint protection to managed security services, and by offering those services, MSPs can boost their bottom line. They provide predictable monthly reoccurring revenue and diversify their services portfolio.
We’re committed to supporting MSPs in building their security stack by offering bleeding-edge solutions that are scalable and customisable but also allowing the MSPs to tailor their offerings to specific customer needs. We’ve got extensive expertise, tools and the support MSPs need to succeed in this rapidly growing market.
