Cybersecurity firms CrowdStrike and Keeper Security this month each expanded their partner programs to help MSSPs and others in the channel grow their capabilities to keep up with an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving threat landscape.
The moves also dovetail with the ongoing trend toward broader platform approaches to delivering security tools rather than organizations having to integrate and manage a fleet of one-off products from multiple vendors.
That push was a driver behind CrowdStrike’s newly announced collaboration with Accenture, in which the companies are combining Accenture’s security services with CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform, as well as the MSSP partnership announced in January with Cognizant to address enterprise cloud security.
“By harnessing the power of CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform, Accenture helps customers transform their security operations, providing advisory, consulting, implementation, and managed security services,” Amanda Adams, vice president of Americas alliances at CrowdStrike, told MSSP Alert. “And this shift extends beyond Accenture. MSSPs, GSIs [global system integrators], and hyperscalers are all key players in driving this transformation forward.”
The Falcon cloud-native platform offers a broad range of capabilities for endpoint, data, cloud, and identity protection, ranging from generative AI workflows to threat hunting to workflow and IT automation.
Expanded Opportunities and Incentives
In announcing the expansion of the program at their APJ Partner Symposium in Taiwan, CrowdStrike executives said a goal was to give its more than 12,000 MSSPs, MSPs, and other partners the products and services to ease the challenges their clients have around the growing costs and complexity of cybersecurity while opening up more revenue opportunities.
Keeper Security, which offers a platform for password and secrets management and lists more than 110 channel partners on its website, echoed similar sentiments when unveiling its updated partner program, with Scott Unger, director of global channel account management of the Chicago-based company, saying in a statement that the program “was built to ensure our partners have the competitive advantage they need in a rapidly evolving cybersecurity market.”
Keeper’s expanded program includes new revenues streams as businesses adopt zero-trust privileged access management (PAM), free access to training and certifications, more flexible partner tiers that offer tiered discounts, revenue-sharing opportunities, and other benefits, and access for partners at the silver level or higher to market development funds (MDF) for demand generation and customer acquisition efforts.
The vendor also unveiled its Global SPIFF Program, a way to reward partners for winning and closing deals. The program comes with four compensation tiers to grow partners’ earnings.
Dedicated Partner Tracks
Through its new Accelerate program, CrowdStrike rolled out for partner tracks that hit on incentives, exclusive benefits, and increased automation. The reseller-focused program includes clear tiers, revenue-based incentives, and streamlined pricing, while the one for MSPs includes automation, volume incentive rebates (VIR), and enhanced deliver models.
In addition, the program for distributors standardizes a two-tier go-to-market strategy and includes growth rebates. Through the Technology Ecosystem Program, partners can expand their ability source, refer, and influence deals.
Future-Proofing the Program
CrowdStrike’s Adams said the expanded program was designed to address both the current demands from partners as well as future-proof it, including with additional rewards and benefits.
“The timing of these enhancements aligns with the evolving security landscape, where customers increasingly rely on a network of partners for advisory, implementation, and ongoing support,” she said. “As adoption of the Falcon platform grows, so does the demand for partner-driven services.”
That’s not surprising, given the steady growth of the global managed security services market, which analysts with market research firm Statista said will grow from $25.67 billion this year to $28.15 billion by 2029.
The Need for Integrated Programs
Adams noted a number of drivers behind the shift toward integrated platforms, including security teams that are becoming overwhelmed by too many point products that create operational complexity, slow response times, and create gaps that are vulnerable to attacks. Organizations also want to more quickly and safely consolidate their security stacks and to control costs. Managing myriad point solutions is expensive, both in terms of licensing and the resources needed to operate them.
An expansive partner ecosystem is a way for CrowdStrike to reach organizations in a cyberthreat landscape populated by fast-moving bad actors whose breakout times – the time needed for an attacker to move laterally through a network after gaining initial access – has dropped to an average of 48 minutes, according to CrowdStrike’s latest Global Threat Report.
That puts pressure on organization to detect, respond to, and mitigate threats in real time, she said.
“MSSPs, in particular, are well-positioned to take advantage of this shift because they bring managed security services to customers who may not have the in-house expertise or resources to build out an advanced SOC [security operations center],” Adams said. “MSSPs are a critical part of this ecosystem, helping businesses move away from disjointed security solutions and toward a truly integrated security strategy.”
