Inside Fortinet’s partnership with Australian golf

Cybersecurity can at times be a daunting and even scary subject. 

Whether as an individual seeking to secure your rapidly growing digital footprint or a large corporation with millions of dollars of assets that need protecting, knowing your cybersecurity needs is paramount. There is no one-size-fits-all solution and you need to develop a cybersecurity posture that directly aligns with your personal or organisational risk profile and appetite.

Consider this: would you rather play a round of golf with a set made to your exact specifications or borrow a half-set from a mate and hope for the best? That’s the difference between a cybersecurity platform that’s been designed for your unique requirements and a basic solution that protects against some, but not all, of the threats you face. 

Knowing the difference is crucial. Working with a partner that can provide advice and recommendations without simply trying to sell you a product or service is essential. That’s where Fortinet comes in. 

Dale Nachman, country manager, Australia, Fortinet, said, “Rather than just selling something to someone to solve an immediate problem, we consult and have discussions about where risk may occur and the important information that needs to be protected.

“It’s easy to spend a lot of money and secure everything but if you only need to secure a certain percentage then why spend the extra money? At Fortinet, we focus on protecting the things that need to be protected based on your risk appetite and budget.”

Fortinet is a global cybersecurity organisation with more than 7,000 staff worldwide and a growing interest in golf.

The company is now the title sponsor of the Fortinet Championship on the PGA TOUR and has entered into a multi-year agreement to be a premier partner of the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia.

That includes naming rights sponsorship of this week’s Fortinet Australian PGA Championship and Fortinet Australian WPGA Championship where Fortinet hopes to highlight the importance of cybersecurity to Australian golf fans.

Dale Nachman said, “Golf is one of those activities that was wide-reaching and gives us an opportunity to reach an audience of people that we felt were our customers and our partners. When the sponsorship opportunity arose, participating was a very logical conclusion for the business because it was an extension of some of the things that Fortinet was already doing.”

Sirens, water pistols and leaf blowers meet golf 🚨🔫💨

Introducing the ultimate Fortinet Triple Threat Challenge ft @Minwoo27Lee and @gracekimeyy!#AusPGA #AusWPGA #visitbrisbane #thisisqueensland pic.twitter.com/lAasSfybEl

— #QldPGA | PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 13, 2022

If golf has enjoyed a boom during the past two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, so too has the proliferation of cyber threats.

If golf has enjoyed a boom during the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, so too has the proliferation of cyberthreats.

As more people work from home, the digital footprints we create in our personal and business lives are becoming more intertwined, opening the door to cybercriminals scouring the internet for gaps that they can exploit.

Dale Nachman said, “Everyone’s personal brand is out there. Whether it’s in a corporate environment or in a personal environment, the minute information or access is worth something to somebody, it becomes a risk. We are seeing a lot more of that.”

This is why so much of Fortinet’s focus during the past two years has been centred on education.

Although Fortinet’s security fabric is used by organisations from small businesses to global financial institutions worth billions of dollars to identify and mitigate potential cyberthreats; the human element remains any data centre’s weakest point.

To overcome the challenge of the human element, Fortinet made its education programs free of charge, an initiative that continues to this day with up to a million users per month. These training programs fast-track the cyberawareness of users who have never spent more time online, and thus have never been more at risk. This increased awareness can help reduce the chances of a successful cyberattack. 

To draw another parallel with the game of golf, you will get the most out of those clubs fit to your specifications if you spend time with a PGA professional showing you how to maximise their performance.

Stephen Saad, head of sales, Australia, Fortinet, said, “That’s just Fortinet trying to be a good corporate citizen and understanding that the more we can educate and influence people around being cyberaware, that’s half the battle. Then we have the technology to support that cyberawareness.”

For more information on the cybersecurity solutions offered by Fortinet for both personal and corporate use visit www.fortinet.com.