CRN India lately carried out an insightful interview with Manish Alshi, Head of Channels & Progress Applied sciences – India & SAARC, Verify Level Software program Applied sciences, delving into the evolving panorama of cybersecurity amidst the surge in digital transformation. As cybersecurity beneficial properties paramount significance globally, significantly in India, the dialogue focuses on Verify Level’s channel technique and its pivotal position in addressing the twin problem of enhancing cybersecurity measures whereas managing related dangers successfully.
The IT business has seen a surge in cybersecurity focus, with quite a few improvements amidst the emergence of latest menace vectors. Might you present insights into your progress story?
Verify Level is a famend identify within the cybersecurity house, with over 30 years of expertise. Based by Gil Shwed, the organisation has been a pioneer within the area, significantly in India, the place it has operated for the previous 23 years. India holds a strategic place in Verify Level’s world market technique. Over time, Verify Level has cultivated robust relationships with clients and companions, which have been pivotal to its success.
In current instances, cybersecurity has change into a crucial concern in India, pushed by the escalating menace panorama, particularly within the wake of the pandemic. The nation’s geopolitical scenario has additionally made cybersecurity a high precedence for the federal government, resulting in elevated investments and coverage pointers for varied sectors.
Whereas Verify Level has historically been robust in segments like BFSI, manufacturing, and IT/ITes, there’s a rising give attention to the federal government sector resulting from its elevated funding in cybersecurity. This sector is witnessing important progress, reflecting the general development within the nation.
Trying forward, the cybersecurity market is predicted to develop at a CAGR of 16-18% globally over the following 8 years. Nonetheless, the Indian market is poised to develop at a quicker charge, pushed by elevated spending from key segments equivalent to authorities, BFSI, and IT/ITes.
With the evolution of threats concentrating on not simply knowledge centres but in addition endpoints and cloud environments, Verify Level emphasises the necessity for complete, multi-domain cybersecurity options. Its give attention to analysis and growth ensures that it stays forward of the curve, providing clients holistic options that deal with your entire menace panorama.
From an organisational perspective, Verify Level is getting into an thrilling section, marked by current occasions in APJ, Europe, and upcoming occasions within the US. These occasions showcase Verify Level’s dedication to innovation, with new product launches designed to satisfy the evolving wants of shoppers.
Verify Level’s philosophy revolves round offering clients with sensible options that supply a single pane of reference for managing cybersecurity threats. As the corporate strikes ahead, it stays devoted to serving to organisations safeguard their property and popularity in an more and more advanced menace surroundings.
What has been the channel play on this general progress dynamics?
At first, it’s essential to reiterate that we take immense pleasure in being a 100% channel-driven firm. This isn’t only a tagline; it’s the essence of our enterprise mannequin. From market strategy to transactions, channels are on the core of our operations, facilitating 100% of our enterprise dealings, together with our endeavours in India, the place we’ve maintained a constant presence for over twenty years. Our journey in India spans over 23 years, throughout which we’ve got steadfastly maintained our reliance on channels. A few of our companions have been with us for many years, showcasing the enduring energy of this strategy.
A longstanding relationship with our companions speaks volumes in regards to the energy and resilience of the corporate’s channel technique.
Central to our partnership ethos are steady innovation and a complete suite of options tailor-made to satisfy the evolving calls for of shoppers. We prioritise retaining our companions abreast of the newest technological developments via strong assist mechanisms, together with technical enablement, coaching, and certifications.
Recognising the increasing position of providers within the cybersecurity panorama, we empower our companions to reinforce their choices past product strains. Our objective is to assist them set up themselves not solely as resellers but in addition as trusted advisors, geared up with a sturdy providers portfolio to handle various buyer wants successfully.
Collaboration with our companions is characterised by mutual profit. Whereas they supply intensive market protection, performing as our prolonged arms, we provide cutting-edge product platforms and assist to reinforce their competitiveness and profitability.
Our dedication to increasing our attain is mirrored in our efforts to onboard new companions and penetrate rising segments and geographies. Final yr, we welcomed 150 companions into our ecosystem, with plans to double that quantity this yr, aiming to onboard roughly 300 new companions. This growth underscores our dedication to empowering companions and maximising our market presence.
The dynamic nature of the cybersecurity business is obvious within the growing inflow of companions transitioning from typical knowledge centre merchandise to cybersecurity options. As pioneers on this house, we’re witnessing a major surge in associate curiosity, with double the variety of companions becoming a member of us in comparison with earlier years.
Our channel-driven strategy, fuelled by innovation, belief, and mutual profit, stays pivotal to our success in navigating the ever-evolving cybersecurity panorama. As we proceed to broaden our ecosystem and empower our companions, we stay steadfast in our dedication to delivering unparalleled worth to our clients worldwide.
Contemplating the corporate’s elevated give attention to new verticals like Authorities and its transition from conventional community safety to cloud, SASE, or App Sec XDR shoppers, is the choice to double the group dimension from 150 to 300 strategic?
When analysing our progress trajectory, it’s essential to pinpoint the precise areas the place this growth is happening. Firstly, geographical growth stands out as a major driver. Our associate ecosystem is extending its attain into varied areas, actively partaking with clients in various locales. This strategic transfer performs a pivotal position in our progress technique, forming a crucial spoke within the wheel of our operations.
Secondly, the adoption of a multi-pronged strategy is one other key factor. Diversifying our options throughout totally different streams is paramount. We collaborate with specialised companions who excel in particular areas, equivalent to endpoint safety or cloud migration. For example, SASE (Safe Entry Service Edge) has emerged as a brand new focus, attracting companions devoted to cloud consumption, adoption, and utility migration. This variety in choices aligns effectively with our cloud safety options, integrating seamlessly into our go-to-market technique and resonating with the wants of assorted buyer segments.
Standard knowledge centre gamers are more and more excited by incorporating knowledge centre safety into their portfolios. This development underscores the breadth of our product segments and our potential to handle safety necessities throughout various consumption areas. Consequently, we’re witnessing a surge in specialised companions desirous to collaborate and cater to particular answer concepts and entry factors, additional fueling our progress.
Thirdly, buyer consumption patterns are present process a transformative shift. Right this moment’s clients favour operational bills over capital bills, driving demand for as-a-service fashions throughout cloud and knowledge centre environments. Managed Safety Providers Suppliers (MSSPs) are gaining traction as clients search versatile pay-as-you-go or leasing fashions. This shift in the direction of operational expenditure necessitates monetary auditing and experience, resulting in nearer collaboration with distribution ecosystems and monetary providers organisations. The evolving ecosystem dynamics underscore the interconnectedness of companions, every contributing their experience to satisfy buyer calls for and consumption preferences.
Our progress technique revolves round three major focuses: geographical growth, collaboration with product-specific specialised companions, and catering to evolving buyer consumption fashions. These pillars drive the inflow of latest companions keen to handle buyer wants and take part within the evolving panorama of cybersecurity and IT options.
What’s the composition of the 150 entities you presently have, significantly by way of MSSPs? Are they the bulk, and what’s the general mannequin like?
A majority of these companions are nonetheless knowledge centre gamers. This remark doesn’t include a precise numerical determine, however I’d estimate that roughly 80% of the companions stay key gamers within the knowledge centre enviornment. One other phase, constituting about 10% of the companions, enters from a providers supplier portfolio perspective. The remaining 10% comprise ecosystem gamers or surrounding entities, together with consultants, monetary providers suppliers, and people providing specialised consumption fashions tailor-made carefully to buyer wants. This final group, I’d estimate, makes up round 7-8% of the full associate panorama.
What’s intriguing is the shortage of inflexible limitations amongst these associate classes. It’s a dynamic surroundings the place knowledge heart gamers are diversifying into managed providers, mirroring a development the place techniques integration companies are growing proprietary software program options to enhance their service choices. Even distributors are establishing inside divisions, leveraging their monetary experience to combine monetary providers fashions into their market methods. This consolidation development underscores a shift in the direction of turning into complete options suppliers, able to addressing various buyer wants beneath one roof. No matter buyer preferences or necessities, these companions goal to place themselves because the go-to useful resource, both by increasing their service portfolios or by collaborating with specialised companions to cowl all bases.
This evolving panorama alerts a departure from the standard mannequin of remoted associate ecosystems, the place every entity operated inside its personal area. As a substitute, the development is in the direction of a extra interconnected ecosystem mannequin. On this paradigm, a number of gamers collaborate on particular alternatives, leveraging their respective experience to supply complete options. The objective is to offer clients with an built-in service toolkit, tailor-made to satisfy their various wants and preferences.
What we’re witnessing is a change aimed toward strengthening the associate ecosystem for the longer term. This shift in the direction of collaboration and integration not solely addresses present market calls for but in addition units the stage for continued adaptation and evolution. By embracing this ecosystem mannequin, companions can higher align with buyer wants, maximise effectivity, and in the end ship extra value-added options. It’s a strategic transfer in the direction of larger synergy and responsiveness in an ever-changing panorama of technological innovation and buyer expectations.
In your pursuit of enhancing self-service capabilities amongst companions and fostering an MSSP-oriented ecosystem, significantly within the cybersecurity area, do you consider it necessitates a definite effort from world leaders like yourselves to domesticate such capabilities? Additionally, given the comparatively low proportion of MSSP companions vis-a-vis conventional ones, has your organisation applied a separate MSSP associate program? In that case, what was the rationale behind establishing this program?
As a associate organisation or an OEM entity, our methods are deeply rooted within the trajectory of the business and the evolving wants of our clients. Amidst escalating calls for and increasing menace landscapes, it’s crucial to acknowledge that IT budgets don’t all the time mirror the tempo of those modifications. Actually, they typically face constraints, whether or not via shrinkage, stagnation, or minimal progress. Compounding this problem is the shortage of expert technical sources within the cybersecurity realm. As organisations try to fortify their cybersecurity posture inside these budgetary confines, they more and more flip to associate organisations like us to ship extra with much less.
Addressing these dynamics, Verify Level adopts a dual-pronged strategy targeted on product innovation and fostering partnerships. From a product standpoint, our dedication lies in incessant innovation aimed toward amplifying the worth proposition for our clients. We attempt to embed cutting-edge applied sciences into our product strains, guaranteeing they continue to be forward of the curve. An illustrative instance of this dedication is our current launch, Verify Level Infinity AI Co-Pilot. This safety assistant harnesses the facility of synthetic intelligence and automation to streamline mundane duties, thereby empowering clients to realize extra with out inflating their whole price of possession.
Behind the scenes, our product improvements are underpinned by over three a long time of business expertise and a sturdy menace intelligence engine. This formidable basis allows us to ship merchandise and options tailor-made to the exact wants of our clients, positioning us as a pacesetter in malware prevention and detection.
On the partnership entrance, our focus pivots in the direction of service excellence. Via intensive coaching initiatives, we equip associate professionals with the abilities and experience wanted to assist Verify Level options successfully. This yr, we’re intensifying our efforts by emphasising hands-on labs and creating centres of excellence. These initiatives goal to deepen technical proficiency, significantly in deploying and managing Verify Level merchandise inside buyer environments.
Recognising the challenges of useful resource shortage and attrition inside associate organisations, we’re dedicated to mitigating the fee burden related to coaching and useful resource growth. By providing discounted and even free coaching alternatives, we make sure that companions can frequently upskill their workforce with out compromising profitability.
Might you clarify the rationale behind making a separate program for MSSPs, particularly contemplating the current revamp of your associate program in January, whereas nonetheless sustaining the core strategy of reaching out to companions and useful resource creation?
The altering consumption patterns amongst clients are evident for a number of causes. Firstly, there’s a rising emphasis on simplicity in operations, aiming to realize extra with fewer sources. Secondly, there’s a shift from a capital expenditure (capex) mannequin to an operational expenditure (opex) mannequin, pushed by issues like whole price of possession (TCO) and granularity in decision-making. These shifts underscore the importance of the providers phase, which is witnessing regular progress throughout varied organisations, not simply restricted to Verify Level. It’s a strategic transfer for any OEM to align with buyer calls for and improve assist buildings accordingly.
Recognising these traits, Verify Level launched into its Managed Safety Service Supplier (MSSP) program with full pressure final yr. This initiative gained additional momentum with the launch of the brand new technology associate program earlier this yr. MSSP has emerged as a crucial factor inside this broader program, enabling companions to broaden their service portfolios round Verify Level’s product strains. The target is to supply end-to-end providers and options to potential clients, aligning carefully with evolving market calls for.
The MSSP program’s focus has intensified this yr, pushed by a surge in associate curiosity. Many companions see the worth in aligning with Verify Level’s MSSP program, significantly in areas the place clients are transitioning to cloud-based providers. The demand for consumption fashions akin to pay-as-you-go has change into pronounced, mirroring client behaviour in different sectors equivalent to telecommunications and OTT providers.
Inside the MSSP framework, Verify Level caters to each appliance-based and software-based providers via two essential avenues. Firstly, there’s a powerful emphasis on the pay-as-you-go mannequin, reflecting the necessity for flexibility and value effectivity amongst clients. Secondly, Verify Level accommodates clients’ preferences for changing equipment prices into opex, providing leasing choices as a part of the MSSP portfolio. This twin strategy ensures that companions can meet various buyer necessities successfully, whether or not they prioritise consumption flexibility or price administration.
The MSSP program aligns carefully with Verify Level’s product ranges, significantly these with a powerful cloud safety focus. Options just like the New Concord SASE answer, e-mail and collaboration safety, and varied cloud safety merchandise are tailor-made to satisfy clients’ evolving wants. The emphasis is on offering flexibility in consumption practices, breaking down prices to a month-to-month degree and permitting clients to scale their utilization accordingly.
Finally, the MSSP choices goal to handle clients’ calls for for extra versatile and tailor-made options. By offering pay-as-you-go choices and leasing fashions, Verify Level empowers companions to ship providers that align carefully with clients’ evolving wants. The constructive reception from companions underscores the rising significance of MSSP in assembly the dynamic necessities of the cybersecurity panorama. This strategy not solely advantages Verify Level however displays broader traits inside the business in the direction of extra agile and adaptable service provisioning.
Have you ever developed a specialised incentivisation program to draw extra companions into the MSSP ecosystem, contemplating the growing demand for service capabilities?
Actually! The technique outlined right here encompasses a number of key areas aimed toward incentivising companions and driving mutual success. Firstly, there’s a concerted effort to streamline the onboarding course of for companions, guaranteeing it’s seamless and cost-free. By offering a complimentary enablement constitution, companions can practice their groups on related providers, creating an extra income stream. Furthermore, incentivising particular person representatives inside associate organisations ensures alignment with gross sales targets and buyer wants. These measures goal to foster motivation and profitability all through the partnership.
One important focus lies in buyer acquisition, with a devoted rebate program for companions securing new shoppers. This initiative not solely rewards effort but in addition encourages companions to actively pursue new enterprise alternatives. Moreover, the brand new associate program introduces deal registration capabilities, amplifying monetary advantages and enhancing competitiveness. Companions stand to achieve each financially and technically via this built-in strategy, thereby bolstering their possibilities of success inside the market.
‘These efforts are unified beneath the overarching framework of the New Technology Companion Program (NGPP). Comprising three major pillars—onboarding, day-to-day gross sales development, and incentivisation—this system seeks to empower companions at each stage of their journey. By prioritising associate enablement, facilitating ongoing gross sales actions, and rewarding achievement, the NGPP goals to foster strong gross sales promotion and engagement.
The outlined technique embodies a complete strategy to associate incentivsation inside the gross sales ecosystem. By addressing varied sides equivalent to onboarding, gross sales development, and rewards, this system goals to domesticate mutually useful partnerships, driving progress and success for all concerned events.
Do you anticipate the emergence of specialized associate streams, equivalent to these ‘born within the cloud’ or ‘born in AI’, as we transition from a cloud-driven to an AI-driven world? And the way pivotal will their position be in crafting mutually useful propositions for themselves and their companions?
In contemplating the evolution of partnerships within the context of AI, it’s essential to notice that we haven’t noticed a definite new class of companions rising solely targeted on AI. As a substitute, we see a continuation and evolution of the present set of techniques integration companions. These companions are diversifying and increasing their experience to incorporate AI and different new applied sciences. Nonetheless, on the core, the basic necessities of cybersecurity experience, equivalent to community safety, cloud safety, and endpoint safety, stay unchanged and important.
The companions who already possess a powerful basis in cybersecurity are well-positioned to include AI and machine studying into their choices. These companions are investing in constructing technical sources and expertise round AI, recognising it as a major new space of progress and alternative. They perceive that AI isn’t a alternative for cybersecurity however an extra layer of expertise that enhances their present experience.
I consider that almost all, round 95%, of the ecosystem serving these wants will include present companions who’ve efficiently upskilled themselves in these new applied sciences. These companions have established relationships with clients, making it simpler for them to introduce and implement AI options. They’ll leverage their technical proficiency in cybersecurity to persuade clients of the advantages of adopting AI and different new applied sciences.
Nonetheless, there can even be a smaller stream of latest companions getting into the ecosystem, much like the emergence of born-in-cloud companions in the course of the cloud adoption period. These new companions will specialize in AI and associated fields, providing distinctive and specialised providers to satisfy particular buyer calls for. Whereas these companions could also be fewer in quantity, they may play a invaluable position in driving innovation and pushing the boundaries of what’s attainable in AI and machine studying functions.
Will it require important efforts from world gamers like your organisation to develop these capabilities?
In product innovation and ecosystem growth, the accountability to cleared the path rests closely on us. We should domesticate a sturdy group of technically adept people throughout each our associate system and buyer base. This entails a dedication to steady innovation, guaranteeing that we combine new applied sciences into our core options to remain forward of the curve and successfully meet buyer wants. As Unique Tools Producers (OEMs), it’s incumbent upon us to create options that deal with the evolving calls for and menace landscapes confronted by our clients.
Right this moment’s challenges prolong far past the confines of the company IT surroundings. Geopolitical components, in addition to people motivated by varied incentives, together with monetary acquire, contribute to the complexity of the cybersecurity panorama. Furthermore, the regulatory framework surrounding cybersecurity continues to evolve. Given these complexities, OEMs like us should function thought leaders, integrating new applied sciences and approaches into our options to successfully deal with these challenges.
By embracing this position, we can’t solely improve the safety of our choices but in addition make sure that we’re well-positioned to offer our clients with the options they want. This proactive strategy permits us to not solely reply to but in addition anticipate and mitigate rising threats. In doing so, we will preserve a aggressive edge and ship larger worth to our clients, thereby solidifying our place as a pacesetter within the business.
How have you ever developed an ecosystem to know and meet the high-skill necessities from the federal government sector, guaranteeing alignment with nationwide wants, contemplating the distinctive challenges of presidency deployments?
Over the previous few years, there was a outstanding enhance in cybersecurity consciousness amongst authorities departments, particularly in the course of the pandemic period. This heightened consciousness is mirrored within the important cybersecurity investments made by not solely the central authorities but in addition state governments. It’s encouraging to see governments prioritise cybersecurity and allocate sources to handle evolving threats, guaranteeing the security and stability of their techniques for residents.
We now have been actively collaborating with varied authorities departments, together with central ministries and defence portfolios, such because the Military and Air Power, to offer technological improvements and strong options. Our objective is to assist them in enhancing their cybersecurity posture. We interact in steady consciousness campaigns, sharing insights on rising menace vectors from around the globe, leveraging our world publicity and partnerships. These efforts assist authorities companies keep proactive and ready for potential cyber threats, contemplating their geopolitical context.
Along with offering options, we conduct workshops and consciousness periods tailor-made to the precise wants of various authorities departments. These periods allow them to know and deal with cyber threats successfully, aligning their necessities with our capabilities. We additionally actively take part in authorities initiatives and occasions to achieve a wider viewers, each in state and central governments, fostering a tradition of cybersecurity consciousness.
Certainly one of our key initiatives is the annual publication of the cybersecurity report, a world overview of cyber menace traits. This report, based mostly on analysis carried out by Verify Level Analysis (CPR), our devoted cybersecurity analysis arm, offers insights into the evolving menace panorama and informs authorities companies and industries alike. By sharing these findings, we goal to assist organisations enhance their IT methods and higher defend towards cyber threats.
Our engagement with authorities companies goes past offering merchandise and options; we attempt to be cybersecurity evangelists, sharing intelligence and finest practices to reinforce the general cybersecurity posture of the federal government.
How does your organisation put together its associate ecosystem to have interaction in cybersecurity discussions with high-level executives, contemplating the shift in the direction of a extra world dialogue the place CEOs and CFOs are more and more concerned in decision-making, prioritising enterprise outcomes over mere product gross sales?
One of many key methods we make use of is to facilitate joint conferences the place your entire workforce can deal with the necessities. This collective studying course of happens day by day and permits us to repeatedly enhance. Moreover, our Verify Level merchandise and options are supported by Infinity Providers, an overarching platform that gives a single pane of administration for purchasers to watch and defend towards threats throughout all areas. Companion engagement is essential right here, as they play a pivotal position in speaking these choices to clients successfully.
Within the unlucky occasion of a malware assault or cyber incident, our Incident Response Group (IRT) swings into motion. This service, coordinated by our companions, ensures swift on-site remediation and leverages our menace intelligence engine to offer options based mostly on previous incidents. This proactive strategy helps us mitigate the influence of such occasions and defend our clients’ IT infrastructure successfully.
Enabling our companions to have interaction in boardroom conversations is one other essential side. We conduct common enablement periods to familiarise them with Verify Level’s overarching story and its relevance to the board. Understanding how cybersecurity impacts enterprise operations, market fairness, and buyer relations is important for companions to articulate the worth proposition successfully. We goal to offer companions with the mandatory intelligence and insights to have interaction in significant conversations with clients, typically accompanying them to key conferences to offer technical assist and guarantee a complete understanding of our options.
Furthermore, we provide quite a lot of coaching modules on our associate portal, freed from price, to assist ongoing studying and growth. These sources are readily accessible and assist companions keep up to date with the newest traits and options in cybersecurity. General, our strategy is centred on empowering our companions with the data and instruments wanted to handle the evolving cybersecurity panorama successfully and supply worth to our clients.
Final yr, you added 150 Companions. In order of now, what’s the full energy?
In India, our community boasts roughly 800 registered companions, a determine we anticipate will surpass 1000 by the top of this yr. To supply a deeper perception, on common, we interact with round 450 transacting companions. Nonetheless, this quantity fluctuates as new companions be a part of and a few interact sporadically whereas others transact often. At the moment, our ecosystem includes over 800 companions, and we envision reaching the milestone of 1000 companions by the shut of 2024. This progress displays the increasing attain and influence of our community inside the Indian market.
As we transfer into a brand new yr, what will likely be your key priorities and the way do you propose to realize them effectively?
The brand new partnership program brings a number of key differentiators that goal to reinforce the channel technique, funding, and communication processes. Starting with the technique side, there’s a major emphasis on bolstering the channel organisations, marking a notable enhance in funding. Whereas particular figures aren’t disclosed, Verify Level asserts itself as boasting one of many largest channel gross sales organisations within the business. This funding aligns with the inflow of companions skilled during the last yr, reflecting a dedication to catering to an enormous ecosystem.
When it comes to funding, Verify Level is doubling down on offering certifications to companions, streamlining the associate program, and enhancing associate technical assist. This consists of growing the presence of technical personnel within the area to raised serve clients and implementing a rewards system to make sure substantial profitability streams. Moreover, instruments like a cell app for associate engagement and entry to Verify Level intelligence and documentation goal to facilitate smoother interactions and empower companions with independence in buyer interactions.
A notable shift in focus is noticed from merely providing certifications to a extra hands-on strategy to associate technical enablement. This consists of common technical coaching periods throughout the nation, establishing a centre of excellence in Bangalore, and collaborating with distribution companions to create related centres nationwide. Suggestions mechanisms like associate advisory boards and belief surveys carried out quarterly guarantee steady enchancment in associate engagement initiatives.
One important change within the new technology associate program is the revamped deal registration course of. Eradicating the earlier minimal deal worth threshold and doubling the monetary advantages for companions with legitimate deal registrations characterize main shifts. This not solely offers companions with strategic benefits but in addition emphasises the significance of renewals, providing monetary and lock-in benefits to incumbent companions.
The tiering course of has been simplified within the new technology associate program, lowering from six tiers to 4, based mostly totally on revenues and completion of certification necessities. Moreover, specialisation has been launched to cater to companions specializing in particular answer areas. Companions specialising in sure areas obtain extra advantages equivalent to reductions, differentiation components, and improved visibility within the associate locator.
To boost communication, a month-to-month publication has been launched, updating companions on essential developments and alternatives, each regionally and globally. These modifications goal to foster stronger relationships between Verify Level and its companions, guaranteeing alignment with evolving market traits and buyer wants.
The launch of the brand new technology associate program throughout CPX Bangkok in February obtained promising preliminary responses from companions, indicating a constructive trajectory for this system’s success. General, these modifications mirror Verify Level’s dedication to empowering its companions and driving mutual progress and success within the cybersecurity area.
