The Gately Report: Egnyte Partners Getting New Opportunities with Generative AI
Plus, an IBM data breach impacts Johnson & Johnson's Janssen health care platform.
![Opportunity knocks for Egnyte partners Opportunity knocks for Egnyte partners](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/blt8d68930054484d73/6537c8aebab92f0440865ea4/Opportunity-Knocks.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock
Channel Futures: Is generative AI creating new opportunities for Egnyte partners? If so, how?
Kris Lahiri: Generative AI has paved the way for various opportunities for Egnyte‘s partners. The new suite of AI-driven capabilities enhances user productivity while facilitating seamless data accessibility and collaboration. For example, the AI-powered help desk is projected to minimize partner service requests, refine service deliverables and potentially elevate their profit margins. These robust offerings reinforce Egnyte’s dedication to bolstering productivity, fortifying data security and championing our partners’ pursuit of operational superiority.
CF: Egnyte recently achieved FedRAMP Ready status by the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) at a moderate impact level and is now listed on the FedRAMP Marketplace. Will that create new opportunities for Egnyte and its partners?
KL: Egnyte is actively working toward the next steps in the FedRAMP authorization process as we eye broader access to the public sector, which will expand into opportunities for our partners as well. As such, we’ve collaborated with numerous partners to accelerate their compliance with regulations such as Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0.
CF: What sort of growth is Egnyte experiencing, and what role are partners playing in that growth?
KL: Egnyte continues to experience consistent sales growth and increasing demand for our solutions. Our partners have been a key contributor to that growth. The investments we have made in our partner sales organization and partner enablement programs have helped us continue to grow our partner-led new business substantially over the past year. Partners investing in building their expertise around Egnyte’s data security and governance solutions are seeing a return on that investment in their ability to be a more strategic advisor to their customers, build additional value-added security capabilities into their service offerings, and derive increased profitability from their Egnyte partnership.
CF: Specifically, what does Egnyte have to offer MSPs? How is Egnyte addressing MSPs’ most pressing needs?
KL: Recognizing the indispensable role of MSPs for businesses that may lack internal content protection capabilities, Egnyte offers them secure file-sharing solutions. These solutions, designed for ease of deployment and management, also pave the way for MSPs to expand their business. Our centralized dashboard enables our MSP partners to quickly and easily onboard new customers, as well as manage user licenses and client billing. In addition, we’ve invested heavily in building out our partners’ technical expertise to ensure they are optimizing their managed services offerings with the latest Egnyte capabilities.
CF: What’s the latest in terms of Egnyte’s partner program? Is Egnyte attracting new partners?
KL: Egnyte‘s channel ecosystem has considerably expanded – now encompassing resellers, alliance partners and the MSP partner community – emphasizing our commitment to diversified partnerships. As such, our partner program is evolving to incorporate more robust offerings such as deal registration and sales incentives, in addition to training and certifications designed to drive deeper sales collaboration with our partners and increase partner profitability.
CF: Many organizations are facing budget challenges. How is Egnyte helping partners meet these organizations’ needs on a tight budget?
KL: At a time when organizations are grappling with budgetary constraints, Egnyte stands by our partners by offering a multitude of support mechanisms. Our partner portal and enablement programs are tailored to maximize ROI, complemented by resources ranging from technical and sales training, to co-branded marketing assets. Furthermore, our partner engineers are on hand to guide the channel ecosystem in constructing profitable services around Egnyte’s solutions.
CF: Looking ahead, what can partners expect from Egnyte through the remainder of 2023?
KL: Partners are at the core of Egnyte‘s focus. We recently launched a technical enablement program under the Egnyte Partner Academy. This initiative empowers partners to complete our inaugural technical certification, Egnyte technical professional, equipping them to amplify their market growth and services portfolio with Egnyte. These live-training events have been conducted at various locations throughout the U.S. and will be extended to our U.K.-based partners starting in October.
Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in partner training and enablement. For example, we have expanded our live online training offerings for partners, including an upcoming data security sales accelerator training series and a monthly Tech Tuesday webinar for our partner sales engineering roles. We will also be enhancing our partner portal with new partner sales and marketing tools, and program offerings designed to equip and reward partners for the value they deliver in driving sales pipeline and deepening their Egnyte expertise.
In other cybersecurity news …
IBM, which manages the application and the third-party database that supports the Johnson & Johnson Janssen CarePath platform, said an unauthorized actor accessed the personal information of CarePath customers as a result of a data breach.
CarePath is an app designed to help patients gain access to Janssen medications, offers discounts and other services.
In a notification, Janssen said it recently became aware of a technical method by which unauthorized access to the database could be obtained. Janssen then immediately notified IBM and, working with the database provider, IBM promptly remediated the issue.
IBM also undertook an investigation to assess whether there had been unauthorized access to the database. While IBM’s investigation identified on Aug. 2 that there was unauthorized access to personal information in the database, the investigation was unable to determine the scope of that access. As a result, IBM has begun notifying Janssen’s CarePath customers and users whose information was contained in the Janssen CarePath database out of caution.
In its notification, IBM said the information involved in this incident may have included individuals’ names and one or more of the following: contact information, date of birth, health insurance information, and information about medications and associated conditions that were provided to the Janssen CarePath application. Social Security numbers and financial account information were not contained in the database or affected.
“After being informed of the issue by Janssen, IBM and the database provider promptly identified and implemented steps that disabled the technical method at issue,” IBM said. “IBM also worked with the database provider to augment security controls to reduce the chance of a similar event occurring in the future.”
There is no indication that any of the involved information has been misused, it said.
Dror Liwer, Coro‘s co-founder, said it’s critical that companies continuously monitor the security posture of their third-party vendors.
“A giant that sells security products and services such as IBM gets breached and leaks it’s client’s customer’s data should be a red flag to the industry at large,” he said. “The basics must be covered — ongoing vendor cyber readiness audits and a clear data retention policy that is strictly enforced on the vendor. The more of your data your vendors retain for longer, the bigger the exposure.”
Erich Kron, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4, said this is another unfortunate example of an organization being impacted by their suppliers. While IBM was the technology service provider behind the application and database, the customers are going to remember that their information was lost by Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems.
“The information that was disclosed, although it did not contain Social Security numbers, could be very valuable for bad actors looking to commit Medicare fraud, or even possibly extorting customers by threatening to release what could be potentially embarrassing medical conditions or procedures,” he said. “In addition, this information could be used to create extremely targeted social engineering attacks that reference this information to make them seem legitimate. While IBM says there is no indication that the data has been misused yet, victims should certainly not let their guard down. It could take months or even longer for the misuse of this information to be discovered.”
Apple has pushed out an urgent point-update to its flagship iOS and macOS platforms to fix a pair of security defects being exploited in the wild.
The vulnerabilities, fixed in the latest iOS 16.6.1 and macOS Ventura 13.5.2 releases, are credited to the Citizen Lab at the University of Torontoʼs Munk School, suggesting exploitation in commercial surveillance spyware products.
According to Citizen Lab, two zero days were actively abused as part of a zero-click exploit chain to deploy NSO Group’s Pegasus commercial spyware onto fully patched iPhones. The two bugs allowed the attackers to infect a fully-patched iPhone running iOS 16.6 and belonging to a Washington, D.C.,-based civil society organization via PassKit attachments containing malicious images.
“Apple’s update will secure devices belonging to regular users, companies and governments around the globe,” it said.
Saeed Abbasi, manager of vulnerability and threat research at Qualys, said these highly sophisticated and targeted attacks are generally designed to compromise specific individuals or groups, possibly orchestrated by entities with substantial resources and expertise at their disposal. If individuals or organizations do not patch their devices promptly, the vulnerabilities could potentially be exploited by other malicious actors, which might lead to a broader spread. This could be worsened if the details of the exploit become public knowledge, allowing other groups to utilize similar tactics.
John Gallagher, vice president of Viakoo Labs at Viakoo, said this is not an issue for the broad population, but rather people specifically being targeted for surveillance. As was recommended by Citizen Lab, people who suspect they are targets for spyware and surveillance should enable lockdown mode.
“That Apple did not push this out using their Rapid Security Response feature is another indication that it is not impacting most people,” he said. “Patching is always a best practice, but as the threat actors are focused on leveraging zero-day exploits to plant spyware, the use of lockdown mode may be the safest approach.”
In its 2023 State of API Security Report, Traceable reports a sharp increase in API-related data breaches.
The report is based on feedback from 1,629 cybersecurity experts in over six major industries across the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents either strongly agree or agree that APIs are expanding the attack surface across all layers of the technology stack, with 57% saying that traditional defensive measures are not capable of distinguishing legitimate from fraudulent activity at the API layer.
Other findings include:
Seventy-four percent reported at least three API-related data breaches in the past two years.
Forty-eight percent of organizations say API sprawl is their top challenge.
Just 38% can distinguish between vaild API activity, user behaviors and data flow.
Organizations are managing an average of 127 third-party API connections.
The majority are not confident in WAF, WAAP or lifecycle management tools to protect APIs.
“In an era where digital ecosystems are intrinsically entwined with our operational fabric, this report brings to light the hidden iceberg beneath the API landscape,” said Robert Bird, Traceable‘s chief security officer. “It’s alarming to see that the majority of businesses are navigating these treacherous waters with a significant blind spot, unprepared and underestimating the very real threats associated with APIs. As a security community, we must address this glaring disconnect, prioritizing API security as a cornerstone of our cyber defense strategy. It’s time that API security is elevated from the server room to the boardroom. Only by doing so can we hope to stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape.”
Ted Miracco, CEO of Approov, said APIs clearly enable innovation and interoperability, but unfortunately this study reinforces the risks posed by porous APIs and the inadequacy of traditional controls.
“With API breaches rampant and third-party connections multiplying, many organizations are flying blind,” he said. “This uncertainty, especially in mobile apps, demands radically new API security paradigms centered on identity, zero trust and continuous validation, and attestation of API requests. Companies must review and in some cases rearchitect their API protections. Otherwise it is not a question of if, but rather of when their next API breach will strike.”
SolarWinds recently announced new updates to its Transform Partner Program designed to accelerate growth and drive revenue for partners. Those include increased benefits, a new go-to-market approach, new revenue pools, cloud marketplaces and more.
SolarWinds launched its Transform Partner Program last year to enable technology partners to better support their customers’ digital transformation and innovation efforts. On the heels of the program’s success, SolarWinds is seeking new ways to better support its partners.
We caught up with Chad Reese, SolarWinds‘ president of sales and global channel leader, to learn more.
Channel Futures: What prompted the need for these partner program enhancements?
Chad Reese: The program has already had an amazing impact on both our business and our partners’ success, with a strong net promoter score demonstrating positive feedback from partners. We’ve also continued to add value to the program, such as the expanded MSP program and cloud partnerships we announced in June. Our success is centered around our strong relationships and growth with our partners, which is the key reason we’re continuing to enhance our channel offerings.
CF: Did partner input come into play when formulating the enhancements? If so, how?
CR: Consistent with SolarWinds’ customer-first approach, the program was developed and continues to be enhanced in close collaboration with many of the 2,000-plus existing SolarWinds partners. This is the same approach we take with our solution development. Our IT service management, database and observability solutions are in a state of constant evolution based on the feedback we get from our customers, partners and peers. We consistently look to partner feedback for not only how our products are meeting the needs of their customers, but also how our enablement support and partner programs are working.
CF: Will these enhancements make it easier for partners to work with SolarWinds? If so, how?
CR: These enhancements will definitely make it easier for partners to work with SolarWinds. In addition to allowing them to qualify for top tiers more easily and offering increased access to new revenue opportunities and benefits, the program will also offer partners additional flexibility in how they can achieve their targets and specialization options, and benefits for database, observability and IT service management products.
CF: Will these enhancements give SolarWinds and its partners a competitive advantage? If so, how?
CR: These enhancements certainly give our partners a competitive advantage, starting with their accelerated ability to drive digital and IT transformation for customers with powerful tools, resources and increased profit potential. The SolarWinds Transform Partner Program enables our partners to grow their businesses by selling across the entire SolarWinds portfolio, selling into new businesses, and maximizing their profitability. We also offer global marketing, sales and training support to help them attract and retain clients.
The program also offers our partners greater opportunities for shared growth by making it more straightforward for them to offer their customers world-class technology solutions from SolarWinds, including comprehensive full-stack observability powered by AIOps.
SolarWinds recently announced new updates to its Transform Partner Program designed to accelerate growth and drive revenue for partners. Those include increased benefits, a new go-to-market approach, new revenue pools, cloud marketplaces and more.
SolarWinds launched its Transform Partner Program last year to enable technology partners to better support their customers’ digital transformation and innovation efforts. On the heels of the program’s success, SolarWinds is seeking new ways to better support its partners.
We caught up with Chad Reese, SolarWinds‘ president of sales and global channel leader, to learn more.
Channel Futures: What prompted the need for these partner program enhancements?
Chad Reese: The program has already had an amazing impact on both our business and our partners’ success, with a strong net promoter score demonstrating positive feedback from partners. We’ve also continued to add value to the program, such as the expanded MSP program and cloud partnerships we announced in June. Our success is centered around our strong relationships and growth with our partners, which is the key reason we’re continuing to enhance our channel offerings.
CF: Did partner input come into play when formulating the enhancements? If so, how?
CR: Consistent with SolarWinds’ customer-first approach, the program was developed and continues to be enhanced in close collaboration with many of the 2,000-plus existing SolarWinds partners. This is the same approach we take with our solution development. Our IT service management, database and observability solutions are in a state of constant evolution based on the feedback we get from our customers, partners and peers. We consistently look to partner feedback for not only how our products are meeting the needs of their customers, but also how our enablement support and partner programs are working.
CF: Will these enhancements make it easier for partners to work with SolarWinds? If so, how?
CR: These enhancements will definitely make it easier for partners to work with SolarWinds. In addition to allowing them to qualify for top tiers more easily and offering increased access to new revenue opportunities and benefits, the program will also offer partners additional flexibility in how they can achieve their targets and specialization options, and benefits for database, observability and IT service management products.
CF: Will these enhancements give SolarWinds and its partners a competitive advantage? If so, how?
CR: These enhancements certainly give our partners a competitive advantage, starting with their accelerated ability to drive digital and IT transformation for customers with powerful tools, resources and increased profit potential. The SolarWinds Transform Partner Program enables our partners to grow their businesses by selling across the entire SolarWinds portfolio, selling into new businesses, and maximizing their profitability. We also offer global marketing, sales and training support to help them attract and retain clients.
The program also offers our partners greater opportunities for shared growth by making it more straightforward for them to offer their customers world-class technology solutions from SolarWinds, including comprehensive full-stack observability powered by AIOps.
Generative AI is creating numerous new opportunities for Egnyte partners. The company works with MSPs, VARs and alliance partners.
That’s according to Kris Lahiri, Egnyte’s co-founder and chief security officer. Egnyte provides a secure platform for content collaboration and governance.
Egnyte is basically an industrial-grade Dropbox. It’s based in Silicon Valley with big-name investors like Google Ventures, and 20,000 customers, including BuzzFeed, Red Bull and Nasdaq.
New Generative AI Solutions for Egnyte Partners
In July, Egnyte unveiled several new AI-powered solutions natively integrated into its platform. Egnyte customers can use the latest generative AI models to find and summarize information contained in their company’s documents and media files, without having to physically move any of their content, which could violate corporate policies and put their data at risk.
Business users can ask Egnyte’s AI to answer questions and perform tasks related to the files they have been granted access to on Egnyte’s platform. The AI can perform tasks such as:
Generating summaries of large complex documents.
Creating text-based transcripts of audio and video files.
Finding photos within a business’ image library containing a particular object.
The solution leverages Egnyte’s content governance framework and private instances of various AI models to ensure both the source data and AI-generated responses adhere to each company’s security and compliance policies.
Egnyte’s Kris Lahiri
“Machine learning (ML) and AI have always been a part of Egnyte’s DNA,” Lahiri said. “We approach AI in a vendor-agnostic way, allowing us to capture structure from the content streaming into the Egnyte platform.”
Cybersecurity is essential to the Egnyte platform as the company offers data security and governance capabilities, he said.
“With organizations facing increasing cyber threats, cybersecurity is more important than ever,” Lahiri said. “To that end, Egnyte helps companies to manage and secure their business-critical data. Organizations can address a full spectrum of content risks with Egnyte, from data exfiltration and ransomware, to data privacy and compliance.”
Scroll through our slideshow above for more of what’s in store for Egnyte partners, plus the rest of the week’s cybersecurity news.
Want to contact the author directly about this story? Have ideas for a follow-up article? Email Edward Gately or connect with him on LinkedIn. |
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like