INTERVIEW: Shashi Nair, One of CRN’s 100 People You Don’t Know But Should

How long have you been in the cybersecurity space?

I have been in the SaaS cybersecurity space since 2015. Prior to that, I worked for a reseller for seven years, selling network security hardware, SaaS, and On-Premise security solutions.

What industry changes are having the biggest impact on security?

Cloud, remote working, geopolitical chaos, and shadow IT are just a few of the changes impacting security but arguably, AI is having the most significant impact. The use of artificial intelligence and its associated influence has far exceeded the forecast from industry pundits. Just a few years ago, leading cybersecurity visionaries were making statements about how we are decades away from AI impacting our lives, but look where we are today. With all the positive potential, AI is already increasing cyber risks by many folds.

Why are channel partnerships important for cybersecurity?

Technology vendors, especially start-ups, do not have the budget, resources, or bandwidth to scale at a steady pace to meet or outpace investor and growth expectations. They need partner sales and engineering teams because those teams are the de facto trusted security advisors to the customers whose business any technology vendor wants to acquire. Apart from helping the vendor scale, partners also act as eyes and ears for the vendor and help them keep a finger on the market pulse. Additionally, partners know the customer's internal technology and business process landscape, which is huge for the vendor when navigating complex sales cycles. When working well together, partners and vendors share a common goal and encourage one another’s success.

What does a good cybersecurity partnership look like?

Any partnership is a two-way street, and cybersecurity partnerships are no exception. A good cybersecurity partnership is founded on the pillars of successful enablement, ongoing engagement, clear communication, and transparency. Each party takes their role seriously in safeguarding and protecting the other’s interests while mutually growing business together.

What pitfalls can derail a successful channel partnership?

The opposites of a good cybersecurity partnership. Lack of proper enablement and engagement, lack of transparency, and an unwillingness to honor mutual commitments can quickly derail a partnership. Clear communication is key to avoiding this. Mutual business goals should always be prioritized to ensure a strong collaboration.

What motivates you to work in cybersecurity?

The adversaries are always finding new ways to break in. It feels great to be playing a small but valuable role in helping security teams thwart those nefarious attempts. Having been in the channel ecosystem since 2008, security has always been interesting to me. I have always been excited to uncover a security project with one of my customers. Don’t get me wrong, there is a tremendous need and value for infrastructure, cloud, and data center solutions for businesses, but I just get that extra sense of purpose when selling cybersecurity.

Then there is the seller in me striving to grow and succeed; I would be missing out on the opportunities that cybersecurity sales provide. This is a truly dynamic industry and what sales rep would not love the thrill of chasing and closing large deals that make an important difference?

**Finally, if you were a professional athlete, what would your walkout music be? **

I am a Bollywood junkie. My favorite walkout song is the title song from the Bollywood movie Dangal. The song explains how life is full of struggles and those who meet those head-on are the ones who ultimately win.