On Partnerships and the Channel

Over the course of my career, I’ve really seen how powerful partnerships can be in cybersecurity. In many ways, they underpin our industry. Earlier this year, for example, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) worked in collaboration with the FBI and other international law enforcement agencies to disrupt the notorious LockBit ransomware gang. This story gained significant attention and showed how important it is for governments to unite (in times of increasing division) for the greater good.??

We see it all the time when it comes to new regulations, too, informed by great minds from across governments, independent bodies, and the private and public sectors. The EU’s Cyber Resilience Act is a good example of this, and it complements other significant regulations like NIS2. Likewise, CISA’s Secure by Design initiative brings together organisations from across the world, including ACDS, to pledge to make software safer by design. There are endless other examples.?

The channel and reseller market is also becoming an increasingly important component of our work at ACDS. We’re building global relationships in this area and working alongside partners to get OBSERVATORY into enterprises globally. We recently announced a partnership with Thoughtworks, a global technology consultancy that integrates strategy, design, and engineering to drive digital innovation. We’re building many of these relationships with partners worldwide, escalating the business but not at the expense of exceptional service or innovation.?

Partnerships are only good if they’re mutually beneficial, though. Vendors are responsible for listening to concerns, adapting to evolving needs, and keeping an open conversation with partners and customers. This agile approach to innovation is at the core of all of our partnerships at ACDS (we pride ourselves on being able to discover a vast volume of threats frequently and with speed!).?

While we’re working to take ACDS to developing markets, it’s worth considering the UK start-up space. I genuinely believe that the UK and the US are at the leading edge of cyber innovation. In this space, partnerships are exceptionally precious. While working within governments, I built many important relationships forged in some of the most high-pressure environments. These environments build trust and faith.?

These relationships underpin the cybersecurity industry. Relationships that have been tested by the unique experiences that come with working within cybersecurity. This is why community is so important. I explored this extensively in a previous Hacker Headspace, Standardisation, Collaboration, and Community in Cyber. The importance of community cannot be understated.?

Next week, the community will be coming together once again at the International Cyber Expo. ACDS is exhibiting at the show (on stand P21), and we’re looking forward to meeting with customers, partners, and friends from across the industry. The main theme of this year’s show is resilience, which I wrote about for the International Cyber Expo blog. It’s important for resilience that the industry, no matter the vertical, vendor, or government, comes together to protect, bring awareness, and build better security.?

I’m also presenting a session on day two of the show: Think Like a Hacker—Discover the Secrets of Attack Surface Management (11:45 - 12:05, Tech Hub Stage). I will discuss the expanding attack surface across APIs and how to protect it.?

So, here’s to community, partnerships new and old, and working together to build a safer world. Are you attending the International Cyber Expo next week? Make sure you drop by the ACDS stand (P21), and let’s chat.?