In an exclusive research project conducted by AKJ Associates, cybersecurity professionals have named Help AG the fourth most popular security solutions provider overall, and the most effective reseller and consulting company.
Our 150+ participants answered a number of questions, including questions about which solutions provider best fit their priorities, and which they found most effective across several areas of security. In each of these categories, Help AG was in the top five out of all 166 vendors nominated. As a value-added distributor rather than a creator of its own proprietary solutions, this high ranking is particularly impressive.
In addition, to these high overall rankings, Help AG was voted the most effective in specific areas of services provided. Participants voted it the region’s best reseller (including winning in all three subcategories: ‘Product 
knowledge’, consulting expertise’, and ‘implementation efficiency’), as well as the most effective provider of consultancy services.
It was also voted joint first with Qualys for the most effective penetration testing services.
An example of Help AG’s insights can be found within the ‘Who Secures The UAE?’ report, featuring a fantastic article from Head of Solutions Architecture Dr. Aleksandar Valjarevic, on some of the key issues facing cybersecurity professionals in the Middle East.
Turning to examine which participants voted for Help AG, we also see a number of interesting trends emerge. Chief among these are trends based on industry and company size. Almost a full third of participants from the government sector nominated Help AG in at least one category. Participants from banking and finance were also fans, making up 20% of the Help AG voter base. Participants from SMEs also turned out in force for Help AG – over half of its votes came from companies with 500 employees or fewer.
Cybersecurity teams at SMEs often struggle with limited resources. Sometimes that will be in terms of budget, but even at the most profitable business, a smaller team will inevitably have limitations in terms of staff and time.
That’s by no means a problem exclusive to small businesses – our research found that in general, information security teams in the UAE and worldwide are still worryingly small – but the link is particularly relevant in this case, as Help AG also proved popular with participants who lacked confidence in the level of support they received from the board.
The lower than average levels of confidence in board support may be partly related to the higher than average proportion of SMEs represented among Help AG voters. However, they also make sense when considering the nature of Help AG’s services. For individuals with limited support and therefore resources – whether that is in terms of budget, staff, time or authority – it makes perfect sense to engage the services of external experts.
