“Do the right thing in the right way”

While waiting to complete the last formalities for the opening of the new Spanish entity, we had a word with Pedro García, Cybersecurity Advisor, who will support the development of the business in Spain and Portugal. Take a look at the interview below to find out some interesting facts about his previous experiences and what is the state of cybersecurity in the Iberian market.

Let’s talk a little bit about yourself. What are your previous experiences in cybersecurity?

I’ve been working for a global cybersecurity company for 12 years. I started as Head of Support and Services for B2C and B2B solutions. After 6 years, I have stepped into the role of Head of Pre-sales, working closely across various verticals such as product development, sales and marketing, and customer relations. During these years, I learned so many things, not only from a technological point of view, but also from a human one.

Before that, I was working for an American vendor, being part of the support team for all the European countries.

What would be your role here at Sababa?

My focus will be on developing the market in Spain and Portugal, with the purpose of growing as fast as Sababa did in the last 2 years in Italy. I will try to leverage all of my previous experience, embracing the spirit of the company. One of the strongest motivations that led me to choose Sababa is the spirit that characterises the team – experienced people with a positive attitude who always have the customers’ needs in mind.

What is the state of cybersecurity in the Spanish and Portuguese markets? 

The cybersecurity market is getting more mature both in Spain and Portugal and it is completely different from 10 years ago, though there is still a long way to go. Companies realized that cybersecurity is fundamental for their business, so they started to invest more and more budget. The market is healthy, but we are in a very critical period, both from a financial and humanitarian standpoint.

How do the Spanish and Portuguese markets differ from the Italian one? And how is the presence of an Italian vendor perceived in these markets?

In general, I think the Italian market is more mature, especially if we talk about technologies. For sure, one thing to keep in mind is that there is a huge number of small companies in the Iberian market. This doesn’t mean they aren’t aware of the importance of cybersecurity, but they often don’t have enough budget to invest in it.

As for the second question, I don’t think it will be a big problem: we live in a global world, where companies have offices everywhere. What is to consider instead is that there is a lot of competition in these markets, so we will have to work hard to make ourselves known. It will take time, but we can do it.

Considering the ever-changing threat landscape, companies may understand that cybersecurity is important, but investments are still very low. What’s your advice to companies?

I always say that it’s not about how or when you’re going to be attacked, it’s whether you know you’re being attacked. Cybersecurity is vitally important to any business, whether you build airplanes or sell fruit. There will always be a technology-related part of your business. It is the only way to protect your organisation from something you can’t know when it will happen, but it can happen. All you need to do is assess your situation, understand what the potential risks are and implement what is needed.

Having worked as Head of Support and Services, what’s important for a services-focused company as Sababa when building a support team?

There are many aspects to evaluate, but the most important thing to build on a support team is definitely the people you choose to work with: they should be trained, experienced, professional and motivated. Unfortunately, there is a major problem in cybersecurity today: the lack of qualified people due to the extreme speed at which this industry has grown.

Other important things to bear in mind are keeping your team motivated and adapting your portfolio to the needs of clients, which are constantly changing, just like the threat landscape.

If you could obtain any skill you would like in 10 minutes, what would it be?

I would choose music – learn to play the piano or guitar!

What is your motto in life?

Do the right thing in the right way. For organisations, it’s a survival issue and a mandate for being able to grow and achieve their goals. You have to figure out what is the right thing, allocate the resources you need to accomplish it, and develop a plan.