CIO OPINION
Point products and siloed controls do not work. CISOs want partners who reduce complexity and help them stay ahead of attackers. around emerging threats, regulatory requirements, and industry-specific risks.
“ CISOs seek partners who function as true extensions of their teams, delivering agility, trust, and long-term value while helping build and sustain a resilient, businessaligned security posture, points out GBM’ s Khouri. that deliver contextual visibility and faster threat response. They look for solutions that are easy to deploy, interoperable across diverse environments, and backed by strong regional support,” says Subhalakshmi Ganapathy, Chief IT Security Evangelist, ManageEngine.
“ CISOs value vendors who enable automation, transparency in product capabilities and a customercentric approach as key differentiators,” adds Ganapathy.
CPX research shows that empathy, alignment, and flexibility are key differentiators. Vendors must offer modular, risk-based solutions tailored to CISO KPIs, not generic products, according to Chaudhry.
What CISOs expect from channel partners
CISOs place a high value on security partners who understand the unique challenges of their environment and can tailor solutions accordingly.“ What stands out most is trust, partners are expected to offer dependable advice while staying ahead of potential threats,” says Check Point’ s Narayanan.
“ Rather than simply supplying products, the best partners simplify complex systems, remain involved through every phase of implementation and help build long-term strategies for resilience,” adds Narayanan.
The role of channel partners has changed to adding value to the solutions they sell. Companies look for partners who can provide strategic guidance, implementation support, and even ongoing management of security solutions. Channel partners should also offer training and education to help organisations stay ahead of emerging threats.
“ CISOs value partners who can facilitate integration of security products and provide insights into optimising security posture and compliance, says Infoblox’ s AlMoneer.
CISOs look for channel partners who understand their business context, offer consultative guidance, and can help optimise existing security investments. Value addition through training, incident response support, and regular security posture assessments is appreciated by CISOs, says ManageEngine’ s Ganapathy.
Channel partners should,“ Simplify the buying decision and recommend vendors who are known to deliver superior security outcomes,” says Sophos’ Wisniewski.
“ The security space is noisy, and channel partners have a unique opportunity to share with their clients who is happy with which solutions. The partners offer this advantage to both the end customer and the vendor as they experience far more across their customers than any one customer ever will,” adds Wisniewski.
Channel partners are expected to move beyond transactional roles and step into the shoes of being trusted advisors. CISOs look to them for deep technical expertise, market context, and practical guidance on deploying, optimising, and scaling cybersecurity solutions.
What matters most is a partner’ s ability to understand the organisation’ s unique risk landscape and guide decisions accordingly.“ Partners are expected to bring clarity in a crowded market, offering solutions that integrate well rather than add friction, says Fortinet’ s Grennan.
CISOs increasingly look to channel partners for strategic guidance, local expertise, and the ability to operationalise security at scale. Channel partners must also offer deep domain expertise, particularly
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