How the channel is shaping the cybersecurity industry - Channel Dive

How the channel is shaping the cybersecurity industry More than 90% of $310 billion in cybersecurity will flow through partners this year. Vendors have taken notice. Published April 3, 2026 Matt Ashare Senior Editor Share Add us on Google Getty Images Cyber incursions have become an everywhere problem, afflicting small and midsize businesses that once hid safely behind a veil of anonymity, as well as larger, more obvious enterprise targets. A growing need for robust defense capabilities agile enough to keep pace with evolving attack modes has already left an impression on the channel, where the line between general managed services and specialized managed security services is quietly eroding. The channel, in turn, is shaping the vendor landscape, as providers roll out partner-friendly platforms and lean on partners to lead the sales and distribution charge. The numbers tell part of the story. In Q4 2025, the channel accounted for 92% of global cybersecurity spending, which grew 10.3% year over year to $24.2 billion, according to Omdia, a Channel Dive sister company. The analyst firm expects the trend to continue through 2026, with partners capturing more than 90% of an estimated $311 billion market. While opportunities for partners are expanding, the headaches and challenges inherent to cybersecurity are also on the rise, as tools proliferate, data vulnerabilities expand and AI soups up attack capabilities. Partner pain points aren’t lost on vendors, who have fielded a growing arsenal of AI automation tools to speed detection and response times. Four of the five top channel cybersecurity companies in Omdia’s vendor rankings — Cisco, CrowdStrike, Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks — introduced partner program upgrades in the last year, aiming to simplify processes and reward service delivery along with sales. That’s another part of a story that has many angles. Channel Dive complied some of our most recent coverage of cybersecurity news and trends to help frame an evolving narrative: Partners are flooded with cybersecurity vendor tools By James Anderson • March 30, 2026 “At some point, you just throw your hands in the air and you say, ‘I think it’s time for me to compete,’” 360 SOC CEO Chris Ichelson said. Read the full article ➔ Broadcom unveils unified cybersecurity platform that’s not VMware By Matt Ashare • March 23, 2026 The tech giant is making a channel-first move to close the mid-market security gap, combining forensic and attack prevention tools in a single SaaS offering. Read the full article ➔ SonicWall wants partners selling more than firewalls – it updated its partner program to get them there By James Anderson • March 13, 2026 The cybersecurity vendor did away with onerous technical certifications previously required for partners to maintain specializations. Read the full article ➔ Zero Networks bets on real-time network visibility to fuel channel growth By Christine Horton, Channel Dive contributor • March 11, 2026 Weeks after expanding its partner program, the company introduced real-time enterprise network mapping to speed up zero-trust deployments. Read the full article ➔ CrowdStrike’s MSSP business grew more than tenfold in three years By Matt Ashare • March 4, 2026 “We didn’t just have a great partner year,” CEO George Kurtz said. “We built an ecosystem to win the next decade.” Read the full article ➔ WatchGuard aims to arm MSPs with enterprise-grade security By Matt Ashare • Feb. 19, 2026 As the threat landscape evolves, the onus is on channel partners to respond or risk taking the blame, the cybersecurity firm’s new CEO said. Read the full article ➔ Proofpoint aims to protect partners in channel revamp By James Anderson • Feb. 17, 2026 The cybersecurity company’s biggest program overhaul in three years clamps down on customer poaching. Read the full article ➔ Cisco 360 is here, and partners are ready for it By James Anderson • Jan. 26, 2026 The company’s biggest channel overhaul in two decades went live Monday. The transition has been remarkably smooth. Read the full article ➔ Add us on Google Share Filed Under: Channel Leaders, Security, AI & Automation