Sophos Adds to ‘Next Gen’ Security Tools for MSPs

The software vendor continues to add to its synchronized suite of integrated products that can be managed from a single pane of glass and paid for monthly.

Aldrin Brown, Editor-in-Chief

November 17, 2016

3 Min Read
Sophos Adds to Next Gen Security Tools for MSPs
Sophos' Intercept X Root Cause Analysis offers an intuitive, visual tool for viewing the source and route of a cyberattack.

Security software vendor Sophos competes vigorously across a range of product lines: firewalls, mobile device management, antivirus, endpoint protection.

But that competition dries up quickly – company officials say – when you consider that Sophos markets a complete suite of in-house synchronized cybersecurity products, meticulously integrated, managed from a single pane of glass and paid for on a monthly, opex basis.

Oh, and don’t forget the SOC service.

In recent weeks, Sophos has added to that collection of solutions with Intercept X, described as “a next-generation endpoint security” tool designed to automatically detect and stop attacks, quickly image all data and facilitate an efficient and seamless restoration.

Also added was an integration that enables management of Windows-native BitLocker Disc Encryption from the centralized Sophos Central console, previously known as Sophos Cloud.

“All of the products working collaboratively, managed through Sophos Central, nobody’s really doing that,” said Scott Barlow, vice president of global MSP for Sophos. “That’s really the significant value.”

In May, Sophos launched its MSP Connect Partner program, through which technology solution providers can sell cloud-based offerings to clients seeking sophisticated security services.

“The MSP Connect program is very strong and is growing nicely,” Barlow said. “When we’re interacting with partners, the feedback has been very positive.”

“The way we built the program is we really focused on an MSP’s bottom line,” he continued. “They recognize immediately that they have the ability to consolidate vendors and now I can scale my business.”

Indeed, adding a managed security practice to more traditional MSPs is increasingly seen as an industry best practice.

That’s the thinking behind products like Intercept X, Barlow said.

The new solution features:

  • Signatureless threat and exploit detection,

  • CryptoGuard anti-ransomware defense technology that can halt the locking of systems and automatically roll them back to their pre-attack state,

  • Sophos Clean, which tracks down and removes any further trace of hidden malware or spyware.

Another innovative capability is Intercept X’s Root Cause Analysis, an intuitive, visual tool for viewing the source and route of an attack event.

“That’s what you want to know: How did this arrive?” Barlow said. “Was it via email? Was it the web? Did someone plug a USB drive and was it executed on somebody’s desktop?”

The pricing model is another of the company’s differentiators, he said. Sophos offers tiered pricing with increasingly deeper discounts based on the number of licenses, instead of the number of users.

The more successful an MSP is at up-selling and cross-selling, the lower the price they pay.

“That’s unique to Sophos because we own all of the products,” Barlow said. “So we’re able to reward the MSP and allow them, in aggregate, to get value-based discounts.”

Deciding from among various security vendors and products can be a maddening exercise for MSPs.

Barlow recommends studying top product evaluations from groups like Gartner. An MSP should also try out the product for itself.

Sophos offers free trials of its tools.

“You should never put a product on a customer PC without having it tested,” Barlow said. “Make sure that you test absolutely everything.”

 

 

 

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About the Author

Aldrin Brown

Editor-in-Chief, Penton

Veteran journalist Aldrin Brown comes to Penton Technology from Empire Digital Strategies, a business-to-business consulting firm that he founded that provides e-commerce, content and social media solutions to businesses, nonprofits and other organizations seeking to create or grow their digital presence.

Previously, Brown served as the Desert Bureau Chief for City News Service in Southern California and Regional Editor for Patch, AOL's network of local news sites. At Patch, he managed a staff of journalists and more than 30 hyper-local and business news and information websites throughout California. In addition to his work in technology and business, Brown was the city editor for The Sun, a daily newspaper based in San Bernardino, CA; the college sports editor at The Tennessean, Nashville, TN; and an investigative reporter at the Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA.

 

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