Know Who You Are Held Accountable To

McDonald said it is important for VARs and MSPs jumping into security to remember that they are responsible to the company's top executive or board of directors, not to the IT department. That is key, he said, as boards are "often being misled by IT and are often in denial." McDonald said it is important for security-focused solution providers to use strong business communication skills to target the top level executives for a sale, even if it means "calling out" the IT department for shortcomings.