Hundreds of cybersecurity companies promote their solutions to MSSPs. But which cybersecurity companies most greatly assist MSSP business efforts? Our annual Top 250 MSSPs survey provides some answers to that question.
Each year, we ask MSSPs the following question:
"Which three cybersecurity vendors have most greatly assisted your managed security services market success?"
We pose that question in an open-ended way -- with no vendor names offered up as examples. Our survey participants -- MSSPs worldwide -- typically mention 130 different hardware, software, cloud, service and distribution businesses. From there, we pinpoint the 10 cybersecurity companies that MSSPs mention most.
10 Cybersecurity Firms That Most Greatly Assist MSSP Success
For 2021, the 10 cybersecurity vendors that most greatly assisted MSSP market success were:
1. SentinelOne (16%): The endpoint detection and response (EDR) software provider has built key relationships in the MSP software market. For instance, the N-able partnership now extends SentinelOne from MSPs out to more than 1 million endpoints. Also, ConnectWise recently expanded its MDR service for MSPs to support SentinelOne. Take a closer look at the overall business, and MSSPs now influence roughly 20% of SentinelOne's revenues, the company indicated in June 2022.
2. Microsoft (13%): Is Microsoft a security company? The answer increasingly is "yes," according to MSPs and MSSPs. Indeed, MSP-friendly security businesses such as Huntress offer managed anti-virus services for Microsoft Defender. And Microsoft has been building an ecosystem of ISVs (independent software vendors) and MSSPs that are interconnecting their security products and services. The effort is known as MISA -- short for Microsoft Intelligent Security Association.
3 (tie). CrowdStrike (12%): At times, the CrowdStrike direct sales force occasionally triggers channel partner sales conflicts. But the CrowdStrike partner program -- along with the company's security tools -- have been catching on with MSSPs worldwide, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz has emphasized during earnings calls.
3 (tie). Fortinet (12%): Listen to a Fortinet earnings call or check out a quarterly earnings statement, and Fortinet is the rare cybersecurity company that repeatedly emphasizes security revenue via service providers.
5. Palo Alto Networks (8%): This is another vendor that balances a direct sales force with MSP/MSSP relationships. Big MSSP and cybersecurity consulting firms such as Deloitte and Infosys continue to expand their relationships with Palo Alto Networks. Plus, new Palo Alto capabilities that address attack surface management and SOC automation are catching on with customers. Keep an eye on the Ingnite22 conference -- set for December 2022 -- for potential MSSP and MSP partner updates.
6 (tie). AT&T Cybersecurity & AlienVault (7%): While some VARs resell AT&T's cybersecurity services, numerous MSPs and MSSPs leverage the AT&T AlienVault capabilities. AT&T has owned AlienVault since 2018. When the deal surfaced, AlienVault had more than 500 MSSP partners that leveraged the company's Unified Security Management (USM) threat detection and incident response platform.
6 (tie). Tenable (7%): Tenable's Cyber Exposure Platform pinpoints an organization's infrastructure security risks -- helping MSSPs to identify, investigate, and prioritize vulnerabilities and misconfigurations across customer sites.
8 (tie). ConnectWise (6%): The MSP-centric software and services company has a large portfolio of security solutions for partners. Many of those services appeal to MSPs that can't afford to build their own Security Operations Centers (SOCs).
8 (tie). Splunk (6%): Still a popular option for analytics-driven SIEM (security information and event management) and SOAR (security orchestration, automation and response), among other use cases.
10 (tie). Cisco Systems (5%): CEO Chuck Robbins has been shaking up the security business in a bid to restore faster growth, but the overall security portfolio continues to have traction with MSSPs. In recent years, that footprint has extended down into the SMB-MSP sector through products like Duo and Umbrella.
10 (tie). IBM (5%): Somewhat like Cisco (above), IBM has been seeking to jumpstart its security business growth. IBM QRadar remains popular with some MSSPs, and the suite has been positioned for XDR use cases.
10 (tie). Sophos (5%): Unlike some rival software companies, Sophos has a strong track record for announcing MSP-centric capabilities and focus areas with just about every product or service that the company launches. Even when Sophos dove into the MDR market, the company described how the service would be available for MSPs to leverage.
Cybersecurity Companies That Empower MSSPs: 2022 and Beyond
How will that list evolve for 2022? We're gathering the data now in our latest Top 250 MSSPs survey -- which closes on August 19, 2022. We'll present the results and findings during MSSP Alert Live 2022 (September 19-21, Washington, D.C.) and additional findings during our September 2022 webcast.
Special thanks to MSSPs worldwide that participate in the survey. And thanks to those who will join us in-person at MSSP Alert Live 2022 in September.
