Email security is the number one focus for the channel in 2019, the latest research from Barracuda Networks has found, as businesses continue to grapple with the channel-wide threat on behalf of their customers.
Surveying 264 of its channel partners, the cybersecurity firm found that 33% of businesses felt that email was end users’ biggest focus during 2018, followed by data protection (23%) and network security (19%). As a result, email security was earmarked by 20% of partners as their own focus this year.
However, despite the channel placing this increasing importance on email security, it appears that some customers continue to underplay the threat to their business.
According to Barracuda’s data, 80% of partners believe that most attacks enter via email compared to 74% of end users – while 89% of partners said the cost of these breaches is increasing, with only 72% of customers responding the same way.
Overall, 90% of channel organisations said they are now more concerned about email attacks than five years ago – with just 70% of end users feeling the same.
The channel continues to face the very real threat of brand impersonation attacks, however, in which cyber criminals attempt to impersonate businesses to target their customers and partners.
Out of surveyed partners 35% said they have had their brand mimicked - with almost half of their customers falling for the con (16%) - while 57% said criminals have attempted to impersonate one of their customers (although only 9% were taken in by this tactic).
Overall, security budgets look set to rise again, as channel firms continue to view their customers’ ability to deal with cyber-attacks as inadequate. Three quarters of Barracuda’s respondents (75%) said they believe budgets are on the increase – with 26% revealing they are hiking theirs significantly.
In terms of growth areas, it appears that cloud security is set to come out on top over the coming year as more and more end users migrate to the cloud. Of those surveyed, 21% of partners said public cloud would see the most growth, with IoT security (19%) and email security the next largest expected focus areas, Barracuda said.
