By Chinenye Anuforo
In a move aimed at bolstering the business growth and profitability of Managed Service Providers (MSPs), global cybersecurity leader Sophos today unveiled its new MSP Elevate program. The initiative promises to equip MSPs with exclusive access to cutting-edge security solutions, attractive discounts, rewarding rebates, and comprehensive training, all designed to empower them in delivering unparalleled cybersecurity defenses through the Sophos Central platform.
Recognizing the escalating sophistication and frequency of cyberattacks, Sophos highlighted the increasing reliance of organizations on MSPs for round-the-clock, expert-led monitoring and management of their security infrastructure. The company’s own “MSP Perspectives 2024” report indicated that a significant 81% of MSPs are already offering Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services, underscoring its critical importance in the current threat landscape.
The MSP Elevate program is strategically designed to enable MSPs to distinguish themselves as high-value providers. A key component of this differentiation is the exclusive offering of a premium Sophos MDR service. This comprehensive service includes 24/7 incident response, a full year of data retention, Sophos Network Detection and Response (NDR), and seamless integration packs, allowing security professionals to leverage all available data across a customer’s environment for faster and more accurate threat detection and response.
Addressing a significant pain point for MSPs the complexity of managing multiple security platforms, Sophos emphasized that consolidating onto a single platform like Sophos Central can potentially reduce day-to-day management time by an estimated 48%. To further streamline operations, MSP Elevate introduces Network-in-a-Box bundles. These bundles allow MSPs to manage the entire network stack, including Sophos Firewall, Sophos Switch, and Sophos Wireless Access Points, all through the unified Sophos Central platform. This consolidation frees up valuable staff time, allowing them to focus on business development and growth.
Furthermore, acknowledging the shortage of in-house cybersecurity expertise as a major concern for MSPs, Sophos emphasizes that its network solutions are designed to automatically respond to threats across a customer’s environment.
This automation empowers MSPs to enhance their customers’ security posture without a corresponding increase in workload.
“MSP Elevate is the first of many business-driving MSP programs following the powerhouse union of Sophos and Secureworks,” stated Chris Bell, senior vice president of global channel, alliances and corporate development at Sophos. “As a channel-first organization that defends more than 250,000 customers of MSPs, we are constantly looking for opportunities to reward our partners and invest in their success when they grow their business with us. MSP Elevate fuels long-term growth for our partners by providing MSPs with exclusive solution access, discounts, rebates and training to deliver the best possible value to customers.”
Raja Patel, chief product officer at Sophos, emphasized the program’s ability to empower MSPs: “MSP Elevate enables MSPs to quickly deploy a comprehensive MDR service that eliminates blind spots by leveraging all available telemetry from across the customers’ environment. This enhanced visibility accelerates threat detection and response while delivering improved return for customers on their existing technology investments. Furthermore, the service adapts seamlessly as the technology environment evolves over time, future-proofing customers’ defenses and providing both commercial and cybersecurity peace of mind.”
Participation in MSP Elevate requires a non-exclusive commitment to selling Sophos’ top-tier cybersecurity solutions available on the Sophos Central platform, including Sophos MDR, Sophos Endpoint powered by Intercept X, and Sophos Firewall. MSPs need to commit to a minimum monthly spend for a 12-month period and must be part of the existing MSP Flex program, which facilitates monthly billing for Sophos solutions.
Early reactions to the program have been positive. Craig Faiers, sales director at Arc, commented, “Joining MSP Elevate is a no-brainer. This new program adds further rocket fuel to the MSP growth trajectory we’ve enjoyed with Sophos over the last 17 years. Not all MDR offerings are the same, and I’m excited to be able to offer a superior service based around value and quality of outcomes that will elevate my customers’ defenses and differentiate my business in this increasingly crowded market.”
Sophos also highlighted the flexibility offered by its MDR service, noting that while 80% of MSPs offering MDR do so through a specialist vendor, partners can choose to have Sophos fully deliver the service or use it to augment their in-house teams, particularly for after-hours coverage – a critical factor given that 88% of ransomware attacks initiate outside of standard business hours.
With Sophos MDR already securing over 18,000 MSP-managed customer environments, the company underscores the unparalleled insights gained from this extensive coverage. These insights are continuously used to update customer defenses in real-time, ensuring optimal protection against the ever-evolving threat landscape.