“United we stand, divided we fall”—this age-old adage has never been more relevant in the realm of cyber security. As we approach ITC Cyber Peak 2024, we’re exploring a critical aspect of modern defence: the power of partnerships. These collaborative approaches are reshaping the cyber security landscape, offering new ways to prevent, detect, and respond to threats.
Key takeaways:
- Partnerships are crucial in modern cyber security
- Collaboration enhances prevention, detection, and optimisation
- Overcoming challenges requires trust and open communication
- The future of cyber security lies in integrated “DevSecOps” approaches
The evolving landscape of cyber security partnerships
The cyber security field is witnessing a paradigm shift from siloed defences to interconnected ecosystems. Sean Loftus, Head of SOC at ITC, explains why:
“In the complex world of cyber security, strategic partnerships are crucial. At ITC, we focus on service excellence while leveraging expert partners like Microsoft for detection capabilities and MDSec for incident response. This collaborative approach enables us to deliver comprehensive security solutions that a smaller organisation like ours couldn’t provide alone.”
This evolution recognises that no single entity can combat the full spectrum of cyber threats. Steve McKeaveney, ITC’s CTO, adds:
“Building effective partnerships in cyber security is like constructing a complex machine—each part must work in harmony with the others. When we get it right, the result is a defence system far greater than the sum of its parts, capable of adapting to threats we haven’t even imagined yet.”
Prevention: Strengthening defences through collaboration
In the realm of prevention, partnerships play a crucial role in fortifying defences before breaches occur. Kev Smith, EMEA Principal Sales Engineer at Silverfort, highlights a growing concern:
“We’re seeing a real trend in the discovery and protection of non-human identities. Most attacks target these identities because they want to operate under the radar.”
Silverfort’s approach exemplifies the power of partnerships. They extend MFA across legacy systems and provide rapid visibility and security for service accounts. Their innovative ‘test flights’ allow customers to experience real-time platform capabilities, demonstrating how partnerships can drive customer optimisation. This unique approach addresses key aspects of cyber security and identity challenges as threats continue to evolve, proving hugely successful and valuable to customers.
Detection: Leveraging collective intelligence
When it comes to detection, partnerships amplify an organisation’s ability to identify and respond to threats quickly. Sean Loftus shares a compelling example:
“During a real-world breach, I witnessed firsthand the critical importance of teamwork. Managing the incident, investigating the breach, collecting evidence, and coordinating the response—it quickly became clear that no one person could handle all of this alone.”
Optimisation: Maximising security efforts
Matt Ross, ITC’s Head of Platform Engineering, explains how partnerships enhance optimisation:
“Building solutions for a MSSP is very much a team game. Inputs come from the development team, stakeholders, customers, and partners. Through automation, we deliver more consistent services while allowing SOC analysts to focus on impactful activities.”
This collaborative approach has led to innovations like ITC’s orchestration playbook, developed through close cooperation between teams.
Overcoming challenges in cyber security partnerships
While partnerships offer numerous benefits, they also present challenges in trust, communication, and goal alignment. Steve McKeaveney advises starting with clearly defined, and well-scoped collaborations, while Kev Smith emphasizes the importance of open standards and APIs for interoperability.
The future of cyber security partnerships
As emerging technologies reshape the landscape, partnerships will become even more vital. Matt Ross predicts:
“The lines between development, operations, and security will continue to blur. ‘DevSecOps’ will become the norm, requiring new partnership models both within and between organisations.”
Join us at ITC Cyber Peak 2024
On 26 September, we’ll delve deeper into these themes, offering practical insights on building and leveraging partnerships in your own cyber security efforts.
Register your interest to attend here and be part of shaping a more secure digital future.
The power of unity in cyber security cannot be overstated. As we face increasingly complex threats, our strength lies in our ability to stand together, leveraging diverse expertise and resources. The future of cyber security is not just about technology—it’s about the partnerships we forge and the collective intelligence we build.
