New Security Consulting Firm Targets SMB Market

Practical Security

Launched this week, the company will focus on helping business managers of small and midsize companies get started in security and mesh it with their business functions, said Proctor.

"What we're offering people is an educational advantage by saying we're going to tie this into your real business processes," he said in an interview at the Black Hat Briefings held in Las Vegas this week.

Proctor, most recently senior vice president for NFR Security, a provider of intrusion-detection products, has written books on security including "The Secured Enterprise: Protecting Your Information Assets." He previously was CTO at Centrax.

At Practical Security, based here, Proctor will work with a network of about 10 security consultants across the country to provide security assessment and security management, including system integration, security training and executive services.

Managers at SMB companies have few resources when it comes to figuring out what they should do to secure their businesses, Proctor said. And more traditional integrators and VARs focus mainly on installing firewalls or other security technology instead of getting business managers engaged in the process of security, he said.

"I will try to forge a new market here," he said.

What remains to be seen, however, is whether those businesses will be willing to become engaged in security and budget for it, Proctor said.

"Independent of the failure or success of my business, I think this is the right way to do it," he said.