BrazilPwC's partnership with Tanium lands in the Middle East
PwC has extended its international alliance with cybersecurity firm Tanium into the Middle East market.
Internationally, the Big Four firm and Tanium have been working together since 2013, when the two companies teamed up in the United States. Following a two-year pilot period, the two parties were convinced of the synergies and benefits for joint clients, leading to an official partnership.
Over the past five years, similar alliances have been struck across several regions, including the UK, the Netherlands, and most recently (2019) and closest to the Middle East, Singapore. Now, PwC has been given the green light to include Tanium’s offerings into its services across the Middle East.
Founded in 2007, Tanium is a provider of endpoint security and systems management software. The company’s software not only provides security and IT operations teams with keeping applications and data secure, but also helps them prevent cyber threats, and gain valuable insights into endpoints such as laptops, servers, virtual machines, containers and cloud infrastructure.
On the back of a booming cybersecurity market, and its award-winning offerings, Tanium has seen rapid growth in recent years. In its latest financial year the firm grew by over 50% year over year, lifting revenues to $430 million. The company now serves over half of the FORTUNE 100, as well as global banks and retailers, and the US Army.
Tom Herrmann, Vice President of Global Alliances and Channel at Tanium, said: “We are thrilled to expand our partnership with PwC, as it provides us with a truly global coverage across North America, Europe, Asia and now the Middle East.”
Tanium EMEA boss Matt Ellard added, “We are delighted to extend our longtime partnership with PwC to help our joint customers increase their visibility of potential threats and accurately monitor and remediate issues in their IT environment in real time.”
A combined offering
As part of the partnership, PwC will embed Tanium’s solutions and products into its Cyber Security practice, which is one of the firm’s fastest growing units globally. The alliance spans all of PwC’s offices in the Middle East – 22 offices across 12 countries.
“Together with Tanium, we have developed a full technology optimisation, hygiene and cybersecurity service offering. Tanium’s technology is enabling these services by allowing clients to unleash unprecedented power in fully understanding IT assets and having full control on them in a timely and simple way, optimising cybersecurity and IT management,” explained Simone Vernacchia, an Italian-origin partner at PwC Middle East.
Cyberattacks?
The handshake comes weeks after PwC warned executives both globally and in the Middle East for the growing threats of cyberattacks. Similarly, another study by PwC highlighted the rising threat of digitally-triggered fraud and financial crime, both in volume and value. Leading Achraf El Zaim, PwC Middle East’s Forensics Leader, to call for more use of technologies to allow businesses in the Middle East with preventing, identifying and responding to fraud risks.
Meanwhile, a report from rival consultancy Protiviti conducted among finance professionals identified cybersecurity as the function’s top concern, while more recently, a KPMG analysis warned that malicious cyber-activity is on a sharp rise since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic as online criminals exploit off-guard or desperate consumers.
Vernacchia pointed out that awareness is just part of the equation, the other being the capability to respond effectively. Here, Middle East organisations still have a considerable job to do. “Nearly half of regional leaders are worried about the shortage of cybersecurity skills, and only 31% have an existing data security strategy, compared to 58% worldwide.”
