From Response to Resilience: How ShadowHQ and VCURA are Elevating Cybersecurity for Companies of All Sizes
In today’s fast-evolving cyber landscape, companies of all sizes are taking proactive steps to elevate their cybersecurity posture. Whether it’s for preventing a breach or recovering from one, organizations are working to strengthen their incident response and preparedness capabilities. To do this effectively, they’re blending a mix of trusted service partners and advanced technologies that help speed up response times, reduce damages, and minimize costly downtime.
Managed service providers (MSPs) and Value-Added Resellers (VARs) play a pivotal role here, enabling organizations to seamlessly align business and security objectives across departments, uniting efforts toward a more resilient and responsive cyber defense strategy.
I sat down with Niv Harrison, Vice President and General Manager at VCURA, a managed services provider and ShadowHQ value-added reseller, to explore how their business is introducing new capabilities designed to boost cyber resilience, streamline security functions and create a holistic defense that supports their clients’ ever-changing needs.
Nick Scozzarro (NS): There's a range of confidence when it comes to incident preparedness and response planning — some leaders have confidence in leading this initiative while others aren't sure where or how to start. As a Value Added Reseller (VAR) and services partner, have more of your customers been approaching VCURA for guidance? What are their concerns?
Niv Harrison (NH): We have seen an increase in requests and interest in our services to support clients with their incident preparedness. There have been many very public breaches in the last few years and our customers are worried about being the next one. Also, our customers are increasingly pressured by their board of directors and insurance providers to offer evidence that they have taken measures to prepare their business in the event of an incident.
NS: What gaps do your customers commonly have when it comes to crisis management and incident response processes and technology?
NH: There are a few gaps we’re observing, including a lack of clear communication plans and outdated or inefficient technology. Many organizations don’t have well-defined processes for communication during a crisis which leads to delays and inconsistent messaging both internally and externally. Some organizations rely on outdated tools or technology that are inadequate for real-time coordination, which can impede action and accurate information sharing. Another gap we see is not regularly testing crisis response plans through simulations and drills. These activities are crucial, but many organizations fail to practice them, leaving gaps in readiness and response efficiency.
NS: Have you noticed any key themes driving customer inquiries around incident preparedness and response?
NH: There have been several high visibility breaches in the last couple of years that have prompted the market to put an emphasis on crisis management and response preparedness. We have seen a push from our clients’ insurance providers as well as their business partners to address incident response plans and prove that specific technologies and policies are in place to respond and recover appropriately.
NS: How has ShadowHQ helped VCURA and its customers augment or improve crisis management and incident response?
NH: We are always looking at new ways to offer value to our customers. ShadowHQ fits perfectly in our partner portfolio because it helps us build upon our GRC offerings. We have traditionally worked with clients on their incident response plans and associated policies. With ShadowHQ’s out of band platform for incident response and crisis management, particularly in the IT and cybersecurity space, we now have a secure place to create, maintain and execute incident response plans in real time.
NS: What tips would you give to companies considering a mix of services and technology for crisis management, incident response and business continuity?
NH: As a VAR, crisis management, incident response and business continuity provides us the perfect opportunity to mix our professional services and partner technologies.
We advise our customers that they:
- Make sure they understand their current security maturity level. This ensures new technologies and services align with specific gaps in existing workflows and helps prioritize where to invest for the greatest impact.
- Automate what you can. Automation can drastically improve response times and provide structured responses for consistency.
- Prioritize secure communication channels. Ensuring that communication remains secure and operational during incidents is critical.
- Simplify. Look for a platform that allows you to store and regularly update plans in a single, accessible space. This reduces the administrative load and keeps plans in sync with incident response strategies.
- Train. Tabletop exercises and scenario simulations can provide real-world practice, ensuring staff know how to use the tools effectively. Continuous training is essential, as it keeps teams sharp and familiar with the protocols needed to respond quickly.
ShadowHQ allows our team to support our clients across all of these initiatives, and by extension, pass on greater value and resiliency to our clients.
NS: Where can business or security leaders go to learn more about VCURA and how they can get started with ShadowHQ?
NH: More information is available at www.vcura.com. Business and security leaders can also reach out to us directly to schedule a free consultation at professionalservices@vcura.com.
EWEBINAR
Experience the ShadowHQ platform
Walk through a cyber breach scenario in a 15 minute demo.
GUIDE DOWNLOAD
Disaster Readiness Checklist
When an emergency happens, every minute counts.
