When implementing cybersecurity solutions, companies often struggle to achieve the desired results, leaving powerful systems to end up gathering dust. Kashif Azhar, General Manager -Cyber Security at FVC, discusses the reasons behind this and explains how to ensure an effective implementation model.
Companies across the GCC region are increasingly investing in cybersecurity, with a particular focus on data protection and internal threat mitigation, which have come to the forefront in recent years. However, in practice, many organisations face a common hurdle: even functionally robust solutions often prove to be insufficiently effective in real-world operations.
This conclusion is drawn from our extensive experience in networking and close collaboration with clients, as well as a deep analysis of practical case studies involving DLP implementations from various vendors. Regular feedback from the business community confirms that even after the formal launch phase is complete, the internal threat landscape often remains unchanged, and the expected level of data security is never truly reached.
DLP solutions are developed to maintain oversight across complex IT infrastructures, cloud environments, and diverse business systems. This broad scope makes them exceptionally difficult to implement, tune, and integrate for stable performance. As a result, many systems fail to operate as expected, delivering only a limited effect on overall data protection.
As a distributor of security software, our practical experience has shown that in the field of DLP, a product’s technical functionality is not the only priority; the vendor’s engagement model in the local market is equally critical. When selecting a system, it is vital to evaluate whether the vendor’s specialists are truly involved in the client’s journey: whether they assist with emerging challenges, and whether they actively share practical experience for system optimisation.
Collaboration as the Key to Success
Finding a vendor that is truly committed to the process and provides comprehensive support to partners at every stage is definitely the key to success. Throughout a year of collaboration with SearchInform in Saudi Arabia, we have seen firsthand that close interaction and personal involvement in projects is not just a marketing slogan – it is the only model that actually works. In fact, a project moves through several critical stages:
· Initial engagement with the client and needs assessment
· Joint project development by the partner and the vendor
· Pilot implementation and a dedicated testing period
· System implementation and configuration of security policies
· Ongoing technical support and specialist training
As FVC, we act as the primary point of contact for the client – analysing infrastructure, defining objectives, and establishing project requirements. FVC maintains a team of certified technical specialists and sales managers who have completed training provided by SearchInform.
The project is then developed in collaboration with the vendor’s team. Before a contract is signed and a full-scale rollout begins, the client receives a 30-day free trial period. This allows us to identify vulnerabilities, determine necessary software parameters, and conduct an initial audit of their data security posture to pinpoint gaps in protection.
Next comes the full-scale implementation, which is performed by SearchInform specialists: they configure the system and security policies in accordance with identified risks, adapt system parameters to meet the specific needs of different departments, and conduct a final audit of accuracy and performance. This transition ensures that the project moves from test scenarios to a fully functioning system tailored to specific business objectives.
Crucially, once the system is live, support is not entirely shifted to the partner or the client. Technical maintenance, updates, and consultations are managed jointly by the partner and vendor teams. The client maintains a direct line to the vendor’s specialists to refine details or request assistance with advanced tuning.
In parallel, the client’s in-house security specialists receive comprehensive training. For organisations without dedicated internal resources, the MSS (Managed Security Services) model is available – providing the necessary infrastructure and a dedicated security analyst on a subscription basis.
Furthermore, SearchInform operates its own regional office in Riyadh, staffed with Arabic-speaking sales, pre-sales, and technical support teams. This local presence significantly streamlines communication and accelerates the resolution of any project-related tasks.
A Real-World Stress Test
To evaluate these capabilities in a live environment, FVC implemented these solutions within its own infrastructure. We deployed a Next-gen DLP and DCAP system with seamless integration, allowing for the simultaneous monitoring of employee activities and the state of corporate data stores. This is not a collection of disparate tools, but a holistic approach to internal risk management – ranging from detecting suspicious behaviour and preventing leaks to ensuring regulatory compliance and improving data governance. A significant technical advantage of the SearchInform solution is its single-agent architecture. This ensures that comprehensive monitoring minimises the impact on system performance and simplifies deployment across the entire enterprise network.
Technology Adapted for the Region
For companies in the KSA and the wider GCC, local compliance is just as important as global functionality. SearchInform solutions are purpose-built for this environment: they feature robust Arabic OCR, utilise AI-driven analytics with native Arabic language support, and include over 250 pre-configured security policies, including those designed to meet local regulatory requirements, such as PDPL, DCC, etc.
The Bottom Line
Data protection is far more than just deploying a tool. It is critical that the solution is precisely configured to align with the company’s needs, taking into account the specific intricacies of its business processes. To deliver maximum effectiveness, the system must not only be implemented correctly but also continuously fine-tuned to reflect the evolving requirements and priorities of the client.
This is why the vendor’s active involvement across all stages – from the pilot and deployment to training and long-term support – is the decisive factor. Only with this level of engagement does a system move beyond being formally installed to becoming a high-performance asset that delivers measurable results and justifies the investment.
