Ignite, an internet and communication technology services provider focused on South African SMEs, has partnered with Sophos to offer next-generation cyber threat protection to South African small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The complete Sophos security portfolio can now be accessed through Ignite’s online portal.
Tony Koutakis, executive head of Ignite, notes that Symantec’s 2016 Internet Security Threat Report tracks how small businesses are increasingly a target of cyberattacks.
“Research shows that while only 18% of small businesses were targeted in 2011, by 2015 that number increased significantly to 43%,” says Koutakis. “SMEs exist in the same threat landscape as larger companies, but attacks on small businesses are comparatively more costly in terms of the data stolen, and more destructive in terms of damaged reputation and lost trust.”
Sophos endpoint and network security products continuously share threat intelligence with each other, blocking unknown threats, automatically responding to incidents and exposing the hidden risks an SME owner may be unaware of.
Harish Chib, Sophos vice-president: Middle East and Africa, explains that as IT networks grow in complexity and cyber threats evolve and change almost daily, there is an increasing need for highly effective security solutions that are simple to use.
“Ignite is committed to providing SMEs with simple, reliable and flexible products and services, making them an ideal fit for our partner community,” says Chib.
Koutakis adds that the simplicity of Sophos solutions offers additional value to SMEs who often do not have internal IT security resources or expertise.
“Ignite and Sophos are determined that South African SMEs are resilient to cyber-attacks because of widespread use of these next-generation security offerings,” he says.
