08-07-2025
Why Cybersecurity Demands A New Kind Of Partnership
Shay Solomon, BD Director, Cybersecurity Services at Check Point Software Technologies Infinity Global Services.
getty
Today's businesses operate far beyond traditional boundaries. Teams work together remotely all over the globe, and operations run continuously in multiple environments. While this hyper-connection gives us the opportunity to supercharge our innovation and agility, it also significantly raises the exposure to risk for any organization. To mitigate these risks and thrive in today's economy, business leaders need practical strategies to make their organizations more resilient. Here are a few actionable insights you can implement today.
The Answer Isn't More Technology; It's A New Operational Model
Many companies respond to increasing complexity by investing heavily in more technologies and hiring additional in-house experts. While tools and talent are valuable, adding more solutions without strategic oversight often creates operational silos and leaves teams overstretched.
What's needed isn't just more technology. It's a mindset shift: from managing everything internally to partnering with specialized experts who can bring focus, scale and round-the-clock vigilance. Rather than continuously adding tools, identify areas, such as cybersecurity, compliance and infrastructure monitoring, where specialized external partners can provide deeper expertise, scalability and continuous oversight.
Outsourcing As A Strategic Move
A common mistake executives make is trying to control everything internally, which often leads to inefficiencies and resource depletion. Today's best practice involves clearly distinguishing between internal capabilities and functions better served by external specialists. Nowadays, managed service providers are no longer just external vendors supplying basic support. They have evolved into embedded strategic partners who seamlessly integrate into the business itself.
Conduct an internal capability review to distinguish between processes central to your strategic identity and those better managed by external specialists. Functions like continuous cybersecurity monitoring, compliance auditing and cloud infrastructure management frequently gain substantial advantages from strategic partnerships.
Select partners who value co-management and can closely integrate with your internal teams. Clearly define roles and responsibilities for both parties, establishing shared KPIs and maintaining consistent and open communication to ensure alignment and accountability. In the end, collaboration should amplify your internal capabilities, with stronger outcomes being achieved than either partner could accomplish independently.
Going From A Reactive To A Proactive Security Approach
Nowadays, responding to threats only after they have escalated is not a sustainable practice. Business leaders must shift from reactive practices to proactive risk management, working alongside strategic partners who have a continuous and real-time security approach to your business.
Look for partners who continuously monitor vulnerabilities and swiftly mitigate risks across complex, distributed environments. They can bring advanced threat detection capabilities and real-time analytics that are essential to effectively managing evolving cyber risks.
Turning Compliance Into A Strategic Advantage
Proactively managing compliance across multiple jurisdictions and regulations is another reason to leverage strategic partnerships.
Compliance is often viewed as a burden rather than an opportunity. However, proactively managing compliance requirements can significantly strengthen your business' reputation and competitive positioning. When organizations demonstrate their commitment to regulatory excellence, they not only mitigate risks but also attract customers who prioritize reliability and transparency. Treat compliance as a competitive differentiator by demonstrating transparency, responsiveness and reliability to customers and stakeholders. This will position your business as a trusted market leader and attract customers from a variety of sectors.
Strategic Partnerships Create Resilient Organizations
Resilience is not achieved in isolation but through strategic collaboration. CEOs who effectively leverage external partners for their security operations can empower their organizations to rise above their competitors in terms of growth, profitability and sustainability. By embracing strategic collaboration, proactively managing risk and turning compliance into a competitive edge, leaders can build organizations designed not just to withstand disruption, but to thrive because of it.
Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?