September 15, 2022 — CHICAGO — AVANT Analytics, the market research division of AVANT, today released its sixth AVANT 6-12 Report—calling on enterprises to do more when it comes to advancing and standardizing their security posture. Among the key recommendations:
- Embrace a Zero Trust Security Strategy
- Adopt and Deploy the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cyber Security Framework (CSF)
- Establish a Plan of Action to Mitigate and Recover from Cyber Incidents
- Engage or Team with an AVANT Trusted Advisor™, an experienced and knowledgeable partner who can enhance the decision-making process
“AVANT’s Trusted Advisors’ security services sales grew by more than 150% year over year and show no signs of slowing down,” said Alex Danyluk, Managing Director, AVANT Analytics. “In this latest report, we look closely at the role our Trusted Advisors are playing in guiding businesses and their peers through an evolving and more sophisticated cybersecurity threat landscape. In addition to a clear call to action for enterprise to do more when it comes to IT security, our 6-12 Report includes insights on what enterprise decision makers value most when it comes to maximizing their technology investments, solving for security pain points, and adopting best practices including a Zero Trust strategy and NIST Cyber Security Framework.”
Trusted Advisors: “The Closet Solution to a “Silver Bullet” for Protecting Business”
A widely accepted model for navigating security solutions, NIST CSF provides a common language for organizations to communicate about cybersecurity risks and potential impacts. The framework has five core functions – Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover, all of which are meant to be performed simultaneously and habitually to prevent, recognize, and mitigate threats. Yet, when it comes to building a vendor selection strategy around these five functions, it can be difficult for enterprises to prioritize cybersecurity investments so that money spent will offer the highest impact.
“Anyone who knows the game agrees there is no silver bullet that solves for IT security. It’s critical to understand the fundamentals and what Defense in Depth truly means. Our Trusted Advisors are firmly entrenched at the right time with the right solutions and services to help midmarket and enterprises better protect themselves and their business ecosystem from threats on all fronts,” says Chris Werpy, Chief Innovation Officer, AVANT.
In compiling the AVANT 6-12 Report on NIST Security, researchers gathered insights from key AVANT provider partners, offering guidance to Trusted Advisors on how the technology offerings fit into a business’ overall cybersecurity strategy.
The AVANT 6-12 Report on NIST Cybersecurity also notes the technologies and services businesses need today to protect their data and application infrastructure largely depends on their maturity levels. The findings align with the AVANT Analytics study which noted:
- 60% of end user companies surveyed have not done a pen test or security assessment within the last year.
- 40% of those who have conducted pen testing or security assessments, 21% have not done so in more than 12 months, and another 11% said they have never conducted such assessments.
- Only 17% of end user companies surveyed are using a third-party MSSP or SOC service and of those who are, 54.6% have between 100 to 1000 employees.
- More than 40% of respondents noted their internal teams are not highly qualified to plan, manage, optimize, and troubleshoot the full range of their IT infrastructure.
“There is a significant opportunity ahead for Trusted Advisors when it comes to recommending solutions and services that help protect their clients in an ever-evolving threat landscape,” says AVANT’s Senior Director of Security Stephen Semmelroth. “Many of today’s midmarket and enterprise organizations are merely scratching the surface when it comes to architecting, deploying, and managing security solutions and services that are proven to detect, respond to, and mitigate threats. As an industry, we need to do more to solve for security across all markets and all regions and there’s just no one better positioned to do that than our Trusted Advisors.”
About AVANT 6-12
The AVANT 6-12 reports are designed to help IT decision-makers solve key business challenges they are facing in the next six to 12 months. To access the AVANT 6-12 Report on NIST Security, click here. Previous AVANT 6-12 reports are available here.
This report and other recent AVANT research will be highlighted at AVANT’s Special Forces Summit on September 19-21, 2022 in Austin, TX. For more details or to reserve your spot, click here.
About AVANT
AVANT is a platform for IT decision-making and the nation’s premier distributor for next-generation technologies. AVANT provides unique value to its extensive network of Trusted Advisors with original research, channel sales assistance, training, and tools to guide decision-making around IT services that promote business growth. From complex cloud designs to global wide-area network deployments to the latest in security services, AVANT sets the industry standard in enabling its partners and clients to make intelligent, data-driven decisions about services, technology and cost-effective communications. For more information, visit www.goavant.net, or connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.