Tech Interviews

Sophos on MSP Challenges, Cybersecurity Solutions, and Future Trends in Cyber Insurance

Published

1 year ago

August 2, 2024

Integrator Media had an exclusive interview with Gerard Allison, SVP, Sales EMEA at Sophos. We delved into key challenges faced by Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in staying current with cybersecurity solutions. Sophos outlines their strategies for maintaining effective security measures against evolving threats and discusses the types of threat intelligence they provide to partners and MSPs. We discussed how Sopho’s Partner Care program aligns with global partner program enhancements and offers insights into future trends in cyber insurance adoption.

What are the biggest challenges MSPs face in staying current with cyber security solutions and technologies in the present scenario?

All MSPs face a common challenge today, the vast array of security products available in the market. Their biggest challenge is how to review, service, install, and deliver these products as a service. This issue is exacerbated by a global shortage of cybersecurity skills, which is even more prevalent in the Middle East region.

There is a skill shortage among customers, so when they have security products, often there is nobody available to monitor these products, check for alerts, and handle remediation. The same challenge exists for MSPs, who are limited by the number of products they can manage. Therefore, MSPs are seeking platforms that integrate multiple technologies and can be delivered as a service.

What Sophos excels at, unlike any other vendor, is being vendor-agnostic. If you are already working with another vendor, you don’t have to discard their product. Our managed detection response overlays existing solutions, helping MSPs deliver their services more effectively.

How does Sophos ensure its security solutions stay effective against the ever-changing cyber threats?

With 37 years of heritage starting in the endpoint, Sophos has established significant credibility in the market. We have ex-ops teams and threat intelligence hunters who continually monitor market trends. Our data lake collects all relevant market information, which we use to inform our customers.

Globally, we serve 580,000 customers, making us one of the largest providers. Our MDR (Managed Detection Response) solution alone has over 22,000 customers within just two years, surpassing the combined customer base of all other MDR companies. This extensive reach allows us to observe and protect a broad range of environments, ensuring comprehensive security for all our customers.

What type of threat intelligence does the Sophos ex-ops unit provide to partners and MSPs?

We provide threat intelligence directly through our managed detection response (MDR) services. We manage and monitor their network, detect threats, and respond immediately to the customer. Alternatively, we can support an MSP’s SOC by conducting threat hunting and incident response. In the event of an incident, we promptly notify and guide them through resolving the issue. We offer flexible solutions, either handling everything or providing specific components as needed by the customer.

What is the most overlooked cybersecurity best practice that leads to successful cyber-attacks in this region?

Numerous factors contribute to security, but the most critical are people and training. It is essential for companies to ensure that employees are regularly updated on current threats and are aware of basic security practices, such as recognizing phishing attempts. Almost every company has likely experienced an employee clicking on a malicious link, highlighting the ongoing need for comprehensive training in our security efforts.

Do you believe that many companies lack a robust cybersecurity awareness culture?

It is making progress, but there is room for significant improvement. Cybersecurity awareness should not be a checkbox exercise; it is essential for every employee across every company to grasp the basics, benefiting everyone.

However, training cannot be a one-time event. It must be continuous and ongoing because threats are evolving, including machine-to-machine challenges, reflecting a changing landscape. Human nature dictates that people forget, so regular education and reminders are crucial to reinforce cybersecurity practices effectively.

How does the lack of internal cybersecurity expertise affect both MSPs and their clients in terms of their respective organizations?

In MSPs, the shortage of skills means they lack sufficient time. For instance, at cybersecurity exhibitions like GITEX, hundreds of new companies emerge annually. MSPs are inundated with calls about new products every day or week. Without enough skilled personnel to evaluate these products and conduct proof-of-concepts (POCs), they struggle to keep up with reviewing new technologies.

This skill gap underscores the importance of being vendor-agnostic like Sophos, allowing MSPs to integrate existing solutions without discarding them. Sophos can overlay existing infrastructure or provide a comprehensive platform covering firewall and network security, alleviating the burden on MSPs who cannot manage everything alone due to limited resources.

While MSPs may have personnel, ensuring they are adequately skilled across various domains remains a challenge. In response, there is a concerted effort to enhance Sophos training in the region, with ongoing discussions and plans for regular training sessions hosted by distributors such as Starlink and Logicom in Riyadh and Dubai, both in-person and virtually.

How does the Sophos partner care program align with the overall enhancements in the Sophos global partner program?

Our partner program has received positive feedback for its strong educational resources, competitive margins, and effective deal registration processes. We recently introduced Partner Care as a crucial addition. Partner Care ensures rapid response times, with SLAs guaranteeing that partners worldwide receive immediate assistance when they contact us by email or phone on the same day.

Partner Care handles various needs such as license adjustments and customer inquiries about their licenses or expiration dates. It also supports partners with deal registrations, a significant benefit. Our Partner Portal further empowers partners to become self-sufficient, enabling quicker customer service by facilitating streamlined operations directly within the portal. Ultimately, speed and responsiveness are paramount, and our Partner Care program is designed to meet these demands effectively.

What future trends does Sophos predict in the adoption of cyber insurance and how it will impact companies’ cybersecurity measures?

Cyber insurance is a growing market and will become crucial for businesses to consider. For CFOs and CEOs, having cyber insurance provides clear protection for their data and safeguards the core identity of their company. Interestingly, many companies haven’t budgeted for cyber insurance initially, so the decision often boils down to weighing the cost against the risk.

A notable advantage of having an MDR solution like Sophos is that it can lead to significant discounts on cyber insurance. Insurance providers typically inquire about the cybersecurity measures in place, including monitoring capabilities. By leveraging cybersecurity-as-a-service with continuous 24/7 monitoring, companies can reassure insurers, potentially lowering their premiums.

Tech Interviews

Riverbed Launches AI-Powered Intelligent Network Observability Solutions

Published

1 month ago

August 7, 2025

Integrator Web-Editor

By Riverbed Communications Team

Riverbed, a global leader in AIOps for observability, has launched its latest AI-driven network observability tools. These new solutions help IT teams proactively detect and resolve issues faster. As a result, organizations gain improved visibility, quicker remediation, and lower operational costs across hybrid environments.

Why Riverbed Network Observability Stands Out

Modern enterprise networks are becoming more complex. To meet this challenge, Riverbed’s latest tools provide real-time, AI-powered insights. The release includes the xx90 appliance series for AppResponse, NetProfiler, and Flow Gateway. These systems offer up to 3x more performance than previous models.

In addition, Riverbed now offers these tools through Flex Subscription. This flexible model supports deployments across physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructure. It also improves cost predictability and maximizes IT value.

Riverbed IQ Essentials: Remediation at Speed

As part of this launch, Riverbed is introducing the Intelligent Network Observability Essentials bundle — a curated set of tools designed to surface root causes faster and enable proactive remediation.

Included in the bundle:

–Riverbed IQ: A SaaS-based AI engine that pinpoints network issues without additional infrastructure.
–Role-Based Workspaces: Unified dashboards that deliver context-rich packet, flow, and endpoint visibility.
–Grafana Plug-In: Integration for users who want to visualize Riverbed metrics directly within existing Grafana dashboards.
–Topology Viewer: A dynamic visual map that correlates network topologies with application and user performance.

This bundle supports faster triage and deeper insight across distributed and hybrid networks, making it easier for IT teams to operate efficiently at scale.

Flexibility Meets Simplicity with Riverbed Flex

Today’s enterprises require technology investments that adapt to evolving business needs. Riverbed Flex delivers that flexibility with:

-License portability across hardware, virtual, and cloud deployments
-Predictable operating costs through OPEX-based pricing
-Future-ready architecture that eliminates the need to re-purchase software during transitions

By decoupling software from infrastructure, Flex allows businesses to realign observability investments with growth, resilience, and innovation goals — without compromising on value.

High-Performance Architecture, Built to Scale

To match the performance requirements of modern networks, Riverbed has engineered its new xx90 series appliances to support uncompromised throughput for both packet and flow-based observability. Whether deployed for AppResponse or NetProfiler, these appliances deliver high-volume capture and analysis — with sustained packet capture at over 50 Gbps and modular storage scaling beyond 2.4 PB.

New updates also include:

-Real-time triage of encrypted IPSec ESP traffic
-Support for cipher hygiene and globally distributed environments
-3x faster reporting and 2x greater flow throughput
-Dynamic flow load balancing and full support for SD-WAN environments

Together, these capabilities give organizations full-fidelity data visibility — essential for delivering seamless digital experiences.

Delivering Value and Efficiency at Every Layer

Dave Donatelli, CEO of Riverbed, highlighted the strategic vision behind this major release:

“With our next-gen xx90 systems and software advancements, we’re giving customers dramatically higher performance and unmatched efficiency. Riverbed IQ is powering smarter observability with AI insights, while Flex simplifies deployment and protects long-term investments.”

This sentiment reflects Riverbed’s ongoing commitment to reducing tool sprawl, simplifying network management, and empowering IT teams with AI-enhanced capabilities that drive efficiency at scale.

A Foundation for the Future of Observability

As digital demands continue to rise, Riverbed’s intelligent network observability solutions are positioned to help organizations adapt, scale, and thrive. By integrating hardware innovation with AIOps automation, and offering a modern licensing model, Riverbed delivers a platform that meets enterprise needs today — and evolves with them tomorrow.

Whether it’s accelerating incident response, maintaining user experience, or optimizing hybrid cloud performance, Riverbed’s latest release proves that observability isn’t just about monitoring — it’s about enabling smarter business decisions.

Make sure to check out the recent edition Digital Magazine Technology – The Integrator

Tech Interviews

Local by Design: The Untold Advantage Behind the Middle East’s Most Trusted Platforms

Published

2 months ago

August 5, 2025

Integrator Web-Editor

Arab tech executive presenting ride-hailing data in a Dubai office

By Khaled Nuseibeh, CEO of Hala

In today’s digital world, global platforms often dominate headlines. Yet in the Middle East, a different success story is unfolding—one led by home-grown innovation. Local platforms in the Middle East aren’t trying to catch up. They’re rewriting the playbook.

The Rise of Local Digital Platforms in the Middle East

Platforms rooted in their own communities see what others miss. They understand the silent signals of everyday life—the way people move, pray, celebrate, and adapt to seasons.

Taxi demand, for instance, spikes after Friday prayers, not just during morning rush. Families shift their travel patterns during Ramadan. During the scorching summer, shaded areas and malls become primary destinations. You won’t find these insights on a global dashboard—they come from living them.

Built-In Context: Why Localisation Wins

Being close to the ground gives local platforms a major edge. In a city like Dubai, it makes a difference whether you’re navigating Deira’s tight alleys or Downtown’s wide streets.

At Hala, we designed our model around this insight. Our “location snapping” project improved over 60,000 pickup and drop-off points—faster routing, fewer errors, and better experiences for both riders and captains.

Operational Excellence Through Cultural Intelligence

We don’t wait for problems to escalate. Our team spotted supply gaps caused by standardised captain shift times. So, we adjusted schedules to better match demand during peak periods—without compromising captain wellbeing.

Because we operate locally, we can act quickly. We don’t need to wait for head office approvals across time zones. We just fix what needs fixing.

Aligning with UAE Policies and National Vision

The value of localisation goes far beyond convenience. Increasingly, it aligns with national priorities. The UAE’s commitment to smart cities, sustainability, and economic diversification offers a clear framework for innovation—and regional players are best positioned to deliver on that.

For instance, just last month, Dubai launched a new initiative to award more government contracts to domestic manufacturers. The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology also partnered with major retailers to boost visibility for locally produced goods.

These policies reflect a deeper truth: sustainable progress must be built from within. At Hala, founded as a public-private partnership between the RTA and Careem, this philosophy isn’t just a talking point—it’s how we operate.

Community-First Tech: A Blueprint for Scalable Growth

Trust is earned in the street—through consistency, reliability, and cultural relevance. That’s why both Hala and Careem Plus have kept support operations in-country, tailored our features to reflect the needs of UAE residents, and continually invested in tech that reflects local behaviours.

When localisation is built into your business model—not added as an afterthought—you can adapt faster, deliver more impact, and align seamlessly with both policy and community expectations.

Whether it’s refining geo-location accuracy, rethinking shift schedules, or rolling out financial services that matter to users here, local digital platforms in the Middle East are shaping a new era of tech leadership.

The Path Forward: Growth Built on Relevance

This region is young, mobile-first, and ambitious. People here aren’t just looking for functionality—they want platforms that reflect their identity, speak their language, and understand their context.

And increasingly, localisation isn’t a limitation on scale—it’s the blueprint for sustainable growth. The Middle East is not a monolith, and its cities are not interchangeable. Platforms that understand this will not only serve their markets better—they will lead them.

Read how Globant uses tech to drive sustainability in business

Tech Interviews

Why TWO99 is Rethinking Cloud Marketing with Compliance, Data, and Agility

Published

3 months ago

June 11, 2025

Integrator Web-Editor

How does TWO 99 ensure its Cloud Security Solution remain compliant with evolving international data privacy laws like GDPR and HIPAA?

Two99’s cloud-native security solutions—including CNAPP, CWPP, and CSPM—are engineered to align with evolving international data privacy regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA through a proactive, multi-layered compliance framework. Our platforms integrate automated policy enforcement and real-time security posture monitoring to enable rapid detection and remediation of compliance deviations.

As an ISO 27001:2022 certified organization, we maintain a robust Information Security Management System (ISMS) that embeds data protection, risk assessments, and regular audits into our core operations. In parallel, our ISO 9001:2015 certification underscores our commitment to rigorous quality management processes, allowing agile adaptation to global regulatory shifts.

Our compliance team continuously monitors international privacy standards, translating insights into operational controls and product enhancements. We enforce stringent data storage protocols, including encryption of data at rest and in transit using advanced cryptographic methods, along with secure key management and policy-driven data retention and deletion.

Regular internal evaluations and third-party audits further validate our security posture, ensuring that Two99’s offerings not only meet but consistently exceed global data protection standards.

Given your background with WPP and GroupM, how has your approach to digital transformation changed since founding TWO 99?

My experience with WPP and GroupM provided invaluable insights into how large-scale organizations operate—especially in terms of process, structure, and scalability. However, founding TWO99 marked a deliberate shift toward a more agile, innovation-driven approach to digital transformation. At TWO99, we focus on vertical-agnostic scalability, bringing together technology, creativity, and performance under a unified, adaptable framework.

Unlike traditional holding companies that often operate within rigid silos, our model emphasizes speed, flexibility, and integration. We’ve built an ecosystem that allows us to pivot quickly, test rapidly, and deploy solutions that are customized to the dynamic needs of each client. This is especially critical in emerging markets like India, where consumer behaviors and platform trends evolve at breakneck speed.

Our approach moves away from isolated service offerings and instead delivers end-to-end growth strategies—from brand storytelling to performance marketing—under one roof. This integrated engine not only accelerates ROI but also empowers clients to scale more efficiently across diverse industries and geographies.

Ultimately, digital transformation at TWO99 is not about adopting new tools; it’s about building a mindset of experimentation, collaboration, and continual evolution—something that’s only possible when tech, creative, and media are not just coexisting, but co-creating.

You speak a lot about growth marketing—what’s one underused strategy or tool you believe more startups should adopt?

One of the most underutilized yet high-impact strategies in growth marketing today is predictive audience modeling—specifically using first-party data to anticipate user behavior before a customer even shows active intent. In the rush to acquire users, many startups focus heavily on performance spend and surface-level targeting, often missing the opportunity to build smarter, more efficient pipelines through data-driven foresight.

By leveraging tools like AI-powered lookalike modeling or Google’s AutoML, companies can identify emerging patterns and preemptively segment high-intent audiences. These platforms analyze behavioral signals—ranging from product interactions and website heatmaps to backend signals like GitHub commits or CRM workflows—to spot trends that traditional analytics would miss.

At TWO99, we’ve seen transformative results with this approach. For instance, by layering multiple intent signals (e.g., developer activity, trial-to-paid movement, sales pipeline stages) and combining them with Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO), we helped a SaaS client reduce their Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) by over 30%. This wasn’t just about targeting more people—it was about targeting the right people, at the right time, with the right message.

Startups that embrace predictive modeling early in their growth journey can shift from reactive marketing to proactive growth engineering, ultimately driving better ROI, faster time to conversion, and more sustainable customer relationships.

At TWO 99, how do you balance creative innovation with data-driven performance when leading campaigns for tech and cloud-based clients?

At TWO99, we treat data as the creative brief—a philosophy that helps us seamlessly bridge creative storytelling with performance marketing, especially for tech and cloud-based clients. Rather than starting with assumptions or generic messaging, we begin with behavioral analytics and first-party data to uncover real pain points, usage patterns, and moments of friction within the user journey.

This insight-driven approach allows us to craft narratives that aren’t just imaginative, but deeply relevant and conversion-focused. For example, if product analytics show a drop-off at the integration stage, our creative strategy might revolve around simplifying technical complexity or highlighting seamless onboarding. In this way, the campaign’s message is directly informed by what users are experiencing, not just what the brand wants to say.

We also continuously A/B test creative iterations—from copy to visual formats—to fine-tune performance in real time. For tech and cloud clients, where the buyer journey is often complex and multi-touch, this balance of data and creativity ensures that each piece of content not only captures attention but drives measurable outcomes like engagement, sign-ups, or qualified leads.

In short, we don’t see data and creativity as separate tracks. At TWO99, one fuels the other—creating high-performance campaigns that are not only intelligent but emotionally resonant.