Cyber threats are front and center in the news, and it is pervasive from the top levels of government right down to the small business. This week, at the Fortinet Accelerate 2017 even in Las Vegas, Fortinet Inc. announced the release of security technology that covers the whole attack surface: FortiOS 5.6 is an intent-based network security fabric for the enterprise that brings safety and simplicity together.

During the event, Lisa Martin (@Luccazara) and Peter Burris (@plburris), co-hosts of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile live streaming studio, spoke to Eric Kohl, VP of advanced solutions and networking at Ingram Micro Inc., a wholesaler of Fortinet products and services, about its role in the channel. (*Disclosure below.)

Filling the channel gap

As a wholesaler, Ingram Micro helps to shorten the sales cycle for Fortinet partners. “We want our partners to become more highly trusted and more profitable security advisors,” said Kohl, who leads the company’s security practice while playing an integral role in training and advancing the skills of its partners.

This issue is an important issue because there is a shortage of talent in the security business. Kohl listed the factors contributing to this gap, noting the complexity of the technology, the impact, and growth of connected devices and having the resources to manage it all as reasons for the shortfall. In his role, Kohl sees security integrators struggling with the complexity.

The skills gap has led Ingram Micro to play a pivotal role in the sales cycle that begins with training and education. The company offers advice to partners on the benefits of Fortinet Technologies certification and the importance of technical accreditation. Kohl said that this helps companies move up in the partner stack and better serve clients.

Understanding security awareness is also part of Ingram Micro’s role with partners. Knowing what the risks are and how to mitigate them is critical. “If you don’t understand what today’s threats are, you’re a risk,” Kohl maintained.

Partners in the sales cycle

Kohl explained how the sales cycle has evolved. There are pre-sale professional services, such as assessment work, and a cyber threat assessment program that Fortinet partners need to go through even before the product arrives.

He also talked about the core channel enablement and operations, financial options through implementation and beyond, to monitoring and managed services.

An explosion of data and a growing attack surface

The rising number of devices people have and the amount of data in use expands the attack surface. “Demand will keep expanding as quickly as the devices in our hands. As it grows, the demand for data and data protection is going to go right along with it,” he acknowledged.

The key for companies of all sizes is simplicity. And Kohl is excited about Fortinet’s announcement of the FortiOS 5.6 intent-based network security. He spoke about the product’s ability to drive simplicity and easier management, revealing that customers want business outcomes and simplicity.

Being a cyber criminal is easy today. To protect against the threat, it has to be as easy as being a cybercriminal, he remarked.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of Fortinet Accelerate 2017. (*Disclosure: Fortinet Inc. and other companies sponsor some Accelerate 2017 segments on SiliconANGLE Media’s theCUBE. Neither Fortinet nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo by  SiliconANGLE