​4 cybersecurity predictions to consider for the channel ecosystem in 2023

By Jon Fox, Senior Channel Director, APJ, CrowdStrike

As 2022 is coming to an end, the following predictions focus on the issues that we are likely to see in 2023 for the channel ecosystem. As we welcome the new year, partners will need to work increasingly with vendors, make their solutions available in multiple locations with flexible buying options and partner with identity providers to help protect user credentials. Organizations will also look to MSSPs and GSIs to address the ongoing global cybersecurity skills shortage.

Partners will work increasingly with vendors that offer a unified security platform as budget restraints tighten. Organizations will be forced to optimize security and IT costs as a result of the global macroeconomic shift. This will lead to increased customer demand for vendor consolidation, resulting in an increased shift to the adoption of platform vendors offering solutions under a single umbrella. Partners will fuel this vendor consolidation.

Consumption of security resources will change and partners will adapt. Customers are evolving the security procurement process and partners will evolve alongside them to meet their needs. Customers are shifting away from traditional purchase orders (via solution providers) toward buying and consuming services and products online through various marketplaces, including online SaaS stores, public cloud marketplaces and even direct to vendors. Due to this shift, partners will make their solutions available in multiple locations with flexible buying options.

Partnering with identity providers will have increased importance. Identity will be the top threat vector in 2023 and identity providers will play a critical role in helping to protect user credentials. Threat actors know that they can take advantage of the growing remote workforce to steal credentials and infiltrate organizations. The ability to protect these identity-based attacks will require an identity protection solution that integrates with identity providers, so that organizations can handle the complexities of storing and authenticating identities.

Managed security service providers and global system integrators will serve a critical role in addressing the ongoing global cybersecurity skills shortage. According to the (ISC)² 2022 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, there’s a global cybersecurity workforce gap of 3.4 million people. As a result, organizations will look to MSSPs and GSIs to fill this gap. The benefit for organizations leveraging MSSPs is that they provide 24/7/365 expert monitoring without the need for additional staffing. As for GSIs, they can help organizations manage the complexity inherent with cybersecurity and solve business challenges through implementation services.