With 2020 in the rear-view mirror and 2021 underway, we can already see this is another year of change. And where there's change, there's opportunity. With the massive shift in remote working, security attacks from tenacious hackers, and the ever-present need to keep businesses running securely, cybersecurity has taken center stage. Customers worldwide are hyper-aware of the need for cybersecurity, but not all are prepared or can afford it. The question to you, our valued Cisco partner, is how are you capturing this business opportunity?

With today's complex IT security threats, I hear from partners constantly on how customers need a proactive and defensible security posture to keep their data and IT infrastructure safe, protected, and available. Customers need to keep pace with the evolving IT security threats while ensuring they have the right talent, skills, and expertise to combat and prevent threats. The increasingly wide skill gaps and the challenge of finding skilled resources have customers seeking expert assistance from partners like you. But how? You can help your customers advance their security operations capabilities while reducing mean time to detect and contain threats faster withCisco Managed Detection and Response (MDR).

According to Gartner's Market Guide for Managed Detection and Response Services (MDR)?, "by 2025, 50% of organizations will be using managed detection and response services for threat monitoring, detection, and response functions that offer threat containment capabilities." ?Cisco MDR helps your customer's security posture and advance security operations efficiency with an expert team and unmatched threat research. MDR delivers industry-leading 24x7x365 threat detection and response by combining:

1. An elite team of Cisco researchers, investigators, and responders
2. Integrated threat intelligence and automation
3. Defined investigations and response playbooks
4. Relevant and useful actions to respond to threats faster

With Cisco's MDR, you can confidently position yourself as an expert advisor to help your customers overcome security issues that are keeping them up at night. MDR service capabilities are delivered directly to the customer within the customer environment. As a Cisco partner, you may choose to enhance Cisco's MDR services with additional related services, such as planning, design, implementation, program management, incident response, or other professional and managed services. These services enable you to strengthen customer engagement, differentiate your business, and drive top-line revenue growth. You may also opt to own the confirmation of recommended actions and respond to identified incidents as part of your security managed service rather than having those activities flow through to your customer.

Now you might be asking, how do I get started? We're excited to provide you with ready-to-use marketing assets and tools to help you plan and jump-start a successful MDR campaign to increase demand, fuel your business growth, and solve your customer's cybersecurity needs.

We're here to help you shape the value of a managed security detection and response service, so please get in touch at [email protected] if you have questions or need assistance.

Your customers will face ongoing cybersecurity challenges in the months ahead, but with Cisco MDR you will help them rise to these challenges and create a stronger, safer, and more successful business. It's a new year, create new pipeline!