The move represents a strong consolidation of Claranet’s current cyber security offerings, following the acquisition and incorporation of Sec-1 and NotSoSecure into the wider Claranet Group over the course of the last year.

Claranet’s Global Cyber Security unit will offer customers the ability to call upon the input of experts across a broad range of cyber security disciplines, such as penetration testing, managed security service capabilities of Sec-1 and NotSoSecure, and the training competencies of NotSoSecure – the largest supplier of ethical hacking training courses to the Black Hat conferences.

>See also: How to choose a managed service provider

The new unit ensures that the capabilities of both companies are aligned in a way that offers a range of options to customers within the existing Claranet footprint and around the world.

Michel Robert, Managing Director at Claranet UK, said: “Security is a top priority for a large number of businesses, so we have worked hard over the last couple of years to really strengthen our offering in this area.”

“Acquiring both Sec-1 and NotSoSecure has been an instrumental part of this process, but it’s also crucial that we’re able to leverage the skills and services of both businesses in a way that maximises their impact, while also maintaining the strength and prestige of each individual brand. The Claranet Cyber Security unit aims to achieve all of these objectives.”

>See also: 5 must-haves for managed service providers

The need for more comprehensive cyber security services is encapsulated by recent research conducted by Claranet, which found that 69% of IT decision-makers polled were unable to secure customer data effectively, with almost half (45%) encountering challenges around securing customer details when trying to improve the digital user experience for customers.

Michel added: “Cyber security may have risen up the agenda but getting on top of the latest threats and building a watertight security strategy is still a goal that many businesses are yet to reach. Getting there requires a variety of different skills and technologies, but many organisations don’t have the time or expertise to meet these challenges alone.”

>See also: 3 security attributes to look for in a managed service provider

“By working with third parties with in-depth knowledge and world-leading skills such as ours, companies can rapidly upgrade their security capabilities and benefit from a service provision that continuously evolves in the face of a constantly changing threat landscape. The Claranet Cyber Security unit will embrace this philosophy, and we are looking forward to offering our customers the highest levels of support to protect their data, applications, systems, and processes, with a range of services that will evolve over time.”