2006 has been the year of the security breach. It seems as if a day doesn't go by without another news story about a sensitive data breach at a government agency, large educational institution or well-known corporation. Yet security breaches and loss of valuable intellectual property can happen to companies of all specialties and sizes. However, many solutions designed to help organizations meet regulatory requirements are priced for larger organizations.

Luckily, there are solutions available to mid-sized organizations, enabling them to implement the right protection at the right price through channel programs. These reseller programs are specifically designed with mid-sized businesses in mind, providing them with ways to address regulations like the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Gramm Leach Bliley Act (GLBA).

In today's market, resellers of such solutions have many opportunities. Industry analyst IDC estimates the worldwide outbound content compliance market will exceed $1.9 billion by 2009. Moreover, leading solution providers will continue to seek out channel partners who have existing relationships with mid-sized businesses that have a need to protect against inappropriate disclosure of sensitive privacy information.

Here are ten helpful tips for VARs to cover when selling an intellectual property protection security solution:

Top Ten Tips for VARs

1. Help the client define their data. Make sure clients know that an effective data protection plan should require them to classify data using multiple techniques to ensure that unstructured data, such as source code, is protected.
2. Emphasize that the security solution you sell will let the client know what's leaving the network. A content monitoring appliance can discover if intellectual property is leaving the network or if employees are using the network inappropriately.
3. Discuss the product's benefits and the importance of security policies. Mention the importance of employee education on security policies.
4. Help the client see the need for authorized user definition. They should create rules that define who can access private data and intellectual property.
5. Recommend a solution that can identify and protect data at rest. The system must view pre-registered known sensitive content and protect it before it leaves the network.
6. Additionally recommend that the solution should also identify and protect data in motion. The solution must monitor, identify, and protect sensitive content across all communication channels.
7. Explain the solution's ability to capture information. A protection plan should capture, store, and analyze network content after a breach in order to guard against similar attacks.
8. Determine how the customer will manage the solution. A solution should provide centralized policy creation, reporting, and management.
9. Highlight the need to prevent exposure. When a policy is breached, alerts should be sent, sensitive data should be blocked from leaving the network, etc.
10. Remind clients to update their intellectual property definitions regularly. Intellectual property takes on many forms, so recommend that the client regularly defines it to ensure it's protected.

Dr. Ratinder Paul Singh Ahuja is the chief technology officcer for Reconnex. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Iowa State University and is the holder of multiple patents.

Reconnex provides monitoring and protection appliances designed for a range of organizations (including enterprises, government agencies or educational institutions). www.reconnex.net