Cosentry Introduces New Security, Compliance Tools

Cosentry rolled out new managed security and compliance offerings in response to a bevy of data breaches and more stringent regulatory enforcement.

The Omaha, Neb.-based MSP, No. 391 on the CRN Solution Provider 500 list, said the enhanced products should shorten security response times and reduce IT costs, particularly for customers transitioning data and applications to cloud or co-location environments, as well as those adhering to government or industry regulations.

Companies are looking to bolster their security after witnessing Sony, Home Depot and Target and others being hit with data breaches -- and realizing they are ill-equipped to handle botnet or malware threats.

[Related: Cosentry On Acquisition Roll, Buys Red Anvil To Continue Midwest Expansion]

"We're doing this because our customers are demanding higher levels of risk mitigation," Cosentry CEO Brad Hokamp told CRN.

The new offerings move Cosentry beyond traditional security measures such as a firewall, VPN or anti-virus protection and into more cutting-edge solutions such as intrusion detection, alert notifications and around-the-clock log monitoring, he said.

For the first time, Cosentry's solution can ensure customers with multitenant or private cloud portfolios meet both HIPAA and Payment Card Industry regulations. Businesses are increasingly keeping mission-critical, customer-facing applications in co-located or fully managed data centers, Hokamp said.

Hokamp said the government has become more aggressive in enforcing HIPAA regulations and fining those that fail to secure protected health information.

Hokamp expects the new offerings to gain the most traction with midsize or low-end enterprise customers since they are looking for security expertise but don't have access to the same resources as larger enterprises.

The enhancements should play well in the health-care, retail and e-commerce verticals, Hokamp said.

The new offerings should help Cosentry grow and become a full-service MSP, Hokamp said, but aren't expected to be a major driver of revenue. Any additional money procured, though, will be on a recurring basis.

Cosentry will procure the new offerings by deepening its already-existing relationship with vendors Trend Micro, Solutionary and Continuum, according to Craig Hurley, vice president of product management.

TrendMicro will provide enhanced security software, Hurley said, while Solutionary will help with protecting applications that customers opt to keep on-premise.

PUBLISHED DEC. 18, 2014