Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 19 | Page 8

NEWS Ingram Micro expands leadership in cybersecurity with acquisition of Abbakan in France KnowBe4 acquires Norwegian company, CLTRe; shining spotlight on security culture measurement I ngram Micro has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire French cybersecurity value added distributor (VAD), Abbakan, as part of the expansion of its cybersecurity business in the EMEA region. The acquisition of Abbakan expands Ingram Micro’s network of system integrators and telecommunications companies across France. Sophie Deleval, Chief Executive for Ingram Micro France, added: “This acquisition cements the transformation we initiated two years ago to strengthen our ability to support our partners in developing their business and stay relevant and sustainable. Abbakan’s and Ingram Micro’s teams will combine their expertise, dynamism and engagement to provide an outstanding value proposition to the exciting market in which we operate.” Abbakan is a leading cybersecurity value added distributor in France. The company provides cybersecurity solutions through a network of partners across the country through its headquarters in Paris and offices in Lille, Lyon, Toulouse and several other locations. Abbakan’s existing customers will now also have access to Ingram Micro’s wider portfolio of cybersecurity solutions and network of experts. Abbakan GM, Franck Navarro, said: “This will strengthen our resources and widen our reach across France and, through its global footprint, give our existing vendors and customers a stronger support system.” Ingram Micro Senior Vice President and Chief Executive META & Cybersecurity EMEA, Dr Ali Baghdadi, commented: “Cybersecurity is high priority for Ingram Micro. One of our global initiatives is establishing Centers of Excellence (COE) around the globe and this strategic acquisition provides us with the opportunity to further enhance our value- added capabilities, while expanding our cybersecurity footprint across France and the rest of EMEA.” 8 INTELLIGENTCIO K nowBe4, the provider of the world’s largest security awareness training (SAT) and simulated phishing platform, has announced the acquisition of CLTRe – pronounced ‘culture’ – a Norwegian company focused on helping organisations assess, build, maintain and measure a strong security posture. CLTRe will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary of KnowBe4, and service customers globally. CLTRe’s Toolkit and Security Culture Framework will be available to all KnowBe4 customers later this year. According to The 2018 Cybersecurity Culture Report, 95% of organisations see a gap between their current and desired organisational cybersecurity culture. With 94% of malware being delivered via email (2019 DBIR), it’s clear that working with users to minimise cyber-risk and improve security culture is key. The 2018 Security Culture Report shows the value of being able to measure culture, helping organisations to demonstrate the effectiveness of their organisational security controls, as required by GDPR, CCPA and other regulations. Interestingly, the finance industry demonstrated an overall healthy improvement in culture from 2017, while the real estate industry showed a decline. CLTRe created the CLTRe Toolkit and the Security Culture Framework, which work in tandem to help organisations gather evidence about their current security culture and how it changes over time. The acquisition of CLTRe is advantageous for both KnowBe4 and CLTRe clients; KnowBe4 users will gain access to a research-driven measurement platform to show how their security culture programme matures over time. And CLTRe clients will be introduced to the industry’s most progressive and easiest- to-use SAT and simulated phishing platform to help educate users and change their behaviour. www.intelligentcio.com