Security: Infosec
Compliance and communication At the heart of many customer conversations is the issue of compliance. From DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) to NIST 2.0, Lethbridge sees regulation as a catalyst, not a constraint. “Legislation is good because it forces businesses to take cyber more seriously,” he asserts, citing Cyber Essentials Plus in the UK as a gold standard due to its audit requirements. However, traditional tools like firewalls and endpoint security are no longer sufficient. “It’s the bit in the middle, the network layer and cloud services like Office 365, where visibility is oſten lacking,” he says. To fill this gap, WatchGuard is promoting Network Detection and
Response (NDR) as a daily, weekly, or monthly reporting tool that maintains ongoing compliance. “Tink of it as your cybersecurity MOT,” Lethbridge says. “Valid not just on the day it’s done, but continuously.” Lethbridge recounts a partner session where a legal professional
described the aſtermath of a ransomware attack on a two-person business. “He had just hired his second employee. Te attack cost him £60,000, and he had to let that person go.” Te human toll of cybercrime, especially on small businesses, can be heartbreaking. “People think, ‘It’ll never happen to me.’”, says Lethbridge, “but you’re naked on the internet. Cybersecurity should be as intuitive as locking your house.” Yet many SMBs hesitate to invest until it’s too late. “Tey think: ‘Do
I spend money on growing the business or on security?’ Te ones who spend are usually the ones who’ve been breached,” he notes. Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services are designed to counter this reactive mindset by offering 24/7 expert monitoring, including aſter- hours coverage tailored to the client’s operational window. Security tools must be intuitive for users and offer actionable
insight. “It’s like insurance. It tells you you’re doing a good job,” says Lethbridge. “MDR works the same way, providing peace of mind and ongoing validation.” Recalling his early career manually reviewing firewall logs,
Lethbridge chuckles, “We didn’t have graphical tools back then. Just lines and lines of logs to trawl through. Now we have visualisation, but there aren’t enough experts out there.” Tat’s why MDR and other managed services are crucial for resource-constrained SMBs. “Know your strengths. If you lack in-house expertise, partner with someone who does.” With the personal touch always in mind, Lethbridge’s efforts
extend into partner and customer education. “Last week I was in Dublin talking to pharmacists about cybersecurity,” he says. “I explain password hygiene, why multifactor authentication (MFA) matters, and how simple tools can protect both personal and corporate lives.” He frequently frames cybersecurity with analogies: “If your house
deserves an alarm, your business does too.” Simplifying concepts is especially important when addressing scepticism about corporate soſtware on personal devices. “People worry we’re spying on them,” he admits, “so I show how the MFA app protects Facebook, PayPal, and other personal accounts, not just work. Te benefits are for them too.”
Three flagship products for 2025 WatchGuard’s Infosec presence centred on three offerings: • NDR (Network Detection and Response): Delivers compliance reporting across lower network layers.
www.pcr-online.biz July/August 2025 | 29
• MDR (Managed Detection and Response): Now integrates natively with Microsoſt Defender, no additional agent required. “With our SOC, we can notify users in as little as six minutes.”
• SASE (Secure Access Service Edge): Offers user-level protection via agent-based firewall capabilities and enables encrypted connections and granular inspection, even across hybrid or remote environments.
Tese services address the needs of modern workplaces, where downsized infrastructure and mobile endpoints challenge legacy security models. “During COVID, people figured out VPN avoidance. Now we need always-on, policy-driven tools that don’t disrupt user workflows.” Hybrid work introduces unique security dilemmas, particularly for
small businesses. “Some don’t want to issue two devices, so employees use personal laptops and phones to access corporate systems,” Lethbridge observes. “From a security perspective, that’s a weakness.” His solution is pragmatic. “Segregate. At least provide a managed
endpoint. And if someone’s resistant, educate them: ‘We’re not spying. We’re trying to keep you safe.’ Transparency earns trust.” He’s even addressed the issue of MFA scepticism with humour: “We
call it the token of shame,” he jokes. “But once users see the value for personal security, they come around.”
AI’s role in threat detection For WatchGuard, AI isn’t just a buzzword; it’s baked into the product design. From NDR to firewalls, Lethbridge explains that AI helps manage the otherwise incomprehensible volume of telemetry data. “Even a four-person household can have 80 devices. AI makes the data understandable and actionable.” WatchGuard’s signatureless IntelligentAV engine evaluates
behaviour rather than relying on virus definitions. “If it looks like it’s going to do something bad, we block it. No signatures. Just smart prediction.” But Lethbridge cautions that AI must also drive clarity. “Too many vendors say they use AI but don’t help you interpret results. Security should be simple, transparent and supported.” Tat support isn’t a slogan at WatchGuard, it’s a strategy. “I once
visited a school in Portsmouth. Tey invited four firewall vendors, and we were the only ones who showed up,” says Lethbridge. Tat visit sealed the deal. “He bought from us because he met a person. Tat matters.” Whether it’s tailoring packages for a deprived school or walking
a partner through compliance documentation, Lethbridge believes listening is what sets WatchGuard apart. “Businesses don’t just want a provider; they want a person.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
