Amer Caruba, Managing Director, Comstor, Saudi Arabia, speaks about the cyber threats faced by SMBs in the region and how Cisco security is working to better address these needs.
Q: Small Businesses suffered a record number of Cyber-Attacks during 2024 and such attacks are expected to grow not only in numbers but also in sophistication during 2025. How well positioned are SMBs in the Middle East to mitigate the risks of a cyber-attack?
A: Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly investing in advanced cybersecurity tools and solutions to strengthen the protection of their networks and data. This proactive approach signals that SMBs are not only acknowledging the critical importance of cybersecurity but also actively working to reduce the risks.
SMBs are increasingly taking advantage of cloud technology to safeguard their digital assets and hence, the adoption of cloud-based cybersecurity solutions is anticipated to grow rapidly. Cloud security tools are not only cost-effective and easy to implement but also offer scalability and flexibility that allow SMBs to easily adapt to the evolving threat landscape. The significant investments that SMBs are making towards Cybersecurity not only highlights the increasing awareness they have about the risks posed by cyber-attacks but also it also highlights their commitment to addressing these threats. It’s important to note that the cybersecurity landscape is continually changing, with cybercriminals becoming more sophisticated in their attack methods. In the context of the Middle East, as countries work towards building a digital economy, the need to enhance cyber resilience across all businesses and organisations has become of paramount importance. In today’s interconnected world, security resilience is essential as vulnerabilities are widespread.
Despite of taking steps to mitigate the risks, the rapidly evolving threat landscape makes it extremely complicated for SMBs to be fully secure. Hence, it’s crucial for SMBs to stay alert, consistently update their security systems, educate their employees on best practices, and seek expert advice to ensure their networks and data are well-protected from cyber threats.
Q: How is Cisco utilising the innovations in the field of AI to further enhance its Security offering?
A: A larger number of SMBs across the globe experienced cyber-attacks last year, with employee and customer data most likely to be targeted in the data breaches. These breaches have become more frequent, more targeted, more complex, and more devastating. As a result, SMBs require sophisticated security solutions to protect their people, devices, and assets anywhere. But they often lack the enterprise-level resources to deploy them.
Cisco Talos is one of the largest commercial threat intelligence teams in the world. It processes more than 600 billion DNS requests, 650 billion security events, and 2.8 million malware samples per day. AI can consume and analyse all the data Talos collects, then convert the data into insights that inform all Cisco security products. Cisco is one of the only companies to have built a model this massive, and SMBs now have access to it. Talos insights fuel all of Cisco’s security products, including Cisco Firepower, Meraki MX, Umbrella, ThousandEyes, and Secure Endpoint—each informed by AI at a speed that’s beyond a human’s capabilities.
Q: What are the trainings/ specialisations SMB partners can achieve to better address the needs of their customers?
A: Cisco offers several training and specialisation to help partners better address the needs of SMBs. These programs and resources enable resellers to enhance their expertise, understand market opportunities, and effectively deliver Cisco solutions to SMB customers. At Comstor, we can help partners training and funding support to achieve some of these specialisations. Some of the top trainings and programs I would like to recommend are:
- SMB Black Belt Training: The new SMB Black Belt training curriculum is a comprehensive on-demand learning program designed to equip partners with the knowledge and skills needed to cater to SMB market opportunities. It covers various topics, including SMB market trends, technology solutions, marketing assets, and specific use cases. This training enables partners to build differentiated practices and better address the needs of SMBs
- Lifecycle Advantage Program: Cisco’s Lifecycle Advantage Program allows partners to provide full lifecycle management to customers. This program streamlines the delivery of services and support throughout the entire lifecycle of Cisco solutions.
- Partner Experience Platform (PXP): PXP is a digital platform designed for partners to manage their Cisco relationship. It offers access to data, insights, planning support, operational health monitoring, and business growth resources—all in one place.
- Cisco Partner Program: Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can leverage the Cisco Partner Program to create and manage their services effectively. The program provides support for MSPs to develop and deliver profitable sales, enabling them to meet the specific needs of SMBs
These initiatives enable resellers to deliver value-added solutions, drive growth, and build long-term relationships with their SMB customers.
Q: What is Comstor doing to support Cisco SMB partners?
A: SMB partners need to address several customer challenges such as tight budgets, security concerns, ease of management and scalability. By working extensively with a large number of SMB partners, we have developed a detailed understanding of their needs. Our SMB Partner program is built to help the partners take advantage of our strategic vendor partnership with Cisco. We help partners stay ahead of the curve by constantly making them aware of whatever latest Cisco has to offer. Another focus for us is to maintain high stock availability of fast-moving items. Our stock profile is constantly monitored to ensure the products needed by SMBs are readily available. By providing resellers with market and business intelligence we enable them to make smarter strategic decisions and facilitate the growth of their businesses. SMB partners can also benefit from our Marketing as a Service (MaaS) offering that helps them with planning and of execution of end user demand generation activities.
Image Credit: Comstor Saudi Arabia
