Symmetric IT Group

Cloud brings opportunities as well as security threats

It is a sad fact that cybercriminals are getting smarter in their efforts, and staying protected requires the most innovative approach. This is exactly where Symmetric comes in. Across a wide range of SMB industries, Symmetric specializes in identifying technology gaps as well as business and cybersecurity risks. The proactive Symmetric team then improves, protects, and monitors its clients’ systems for total peace of mind.

George Lakiotis, CEO of Symmetric, explains further: “With the advent of the cloud, many of our clients see great opportunities to reduce their IT footprint and streamline their business. Although this is good news, the cloud also brings with it an expanded attack surface and even a slight Microsoft 365 misconfiguration can have disastrous consequences. We partner with OpenText Cybersecurity to provide a multilayered cyber resilience approach to keep our clients’ data and systems safe.”

Increased cybersecurity requirements for regulation compliance and insurance

Most SMB companies need to comply with industry-specific data privacy regulations, such as HIPAA for healthcare. The Symmetric team has also noticed a trend towards taking out cybersecurity insurance policies. This often comes with its own stipulations on what security software measures the client needs to implement to ensure pay-out in the unfortunate event of a data breach.

Many Symmetric clients leverage Microsoft 365 to run their business. This includes email protection and encryption features, but Lakiotis can see some limitations too: “Microsoft 365 is constantly changing and there is so much to keep up with, it can become a training burden. We prefer introducing our clients to a consistent approach with the OpenText Secure Cloud Platform. This includes Webroot Advanced Email Threat Protection, Webroot Advanced Email Encryption powered by Zix, Carbonite Cloud-to-Cloud Backup, and Carbonite Information Archiving. The platform approach is cost-effective and enables us to pass that benefit on to our clients. It also helps unify our security tools and streamline the operations of managing our client base.”

Data backup is an important element in the overall mix. Carbonite Cloud-to-Cloud Backup enables rapid recovery of SaaS data and reduces the impact of data loss. Intuitive, automated, and secure SaaS backup greatly improves recovery time in the event of an emergency. As a result, businesses can enhance their overall cyber resilience and business continuity. “Our clients need data backup for legal and compliance reasons,” says Lakiotis. “We love Carbonite Cloud-to-Cloud Backup as it is a simple ‘set and forget’ solution, unlike traditional backup tools. It works perfectly paired with Carbonite Information Archiving that enables proactive compliance with cloud-based archiving of over 50 data sources, including Microsoft Teams, which many of our clients use.”

From our clients’ perspective, we clearly see the value of the OpenText Cybersecurity solutions. We’ve blocked hundreds of thousands of attacks in our client base and we can see the effectiveness of the solutions in our own environment, where malware and phishing attempts are routinely blocked.

User-friendly and effective secure cloud platform

OpenText provides an easy-to-use management portal for the Secure Cloud Platform solutions. This unified platform approach is much appreciated by its partners and cuts down on training requirements when new staff join. And for those partners with proactive clients, Secure Cloud Platform includes a central cloud console so that clients can access and manage their security solutions directly.

When asked why Symmetric remains loyal to OpenText Cybersecurity solutions, Lakiotis is clear: “We love the personal touch with OpenText and really appreciate the knowledgeable support we receive. And, from our clients’ perspective, we clearly see the value of the OpenText solutions. We’ve blocked hundreds of thousands of attacks in our client base and we can see the effectiveness of the solutions in our own environment, where malware and phishing attempts are routinely blocked. The low level of support tickets we receive for OpenText Cybersecurity solutions from our clients tells us that user satisfaction is high, and the solutions are doing their job.”

He concludes: “With operational maturity comes a more strategic compliance-led approach. We find our clients are more interested in a unified approach rather than piecemeal products so that they can effectively address their cybersecurity insurance and compliance requirements at its core. OpenText is the best partner for us to achieve this and allow our clients the freedom to do what they do best: run their business without worrying about cyber resilience.”

We love Carbonite Cloud-to-Cloud Backup as it is a simple ‘set and forget’ solution, unlike traditional backup tools. It works perfectly paired with Carbonite Information Archiving that enables proactive compliance with cloudbased archiving of over 50 data sources, including Microsoft Teams, which many of our clients use.