Huntress is expanding into Africa through a new distribution partnership with QBS Software Africa, the company announced today. The move marks the latest step in Huntress’ international growth as organised, AI-enabled cybercrime continues to rise worldwide.

The expansion comes as Africa faces a mounting cybersecurity crisis. According to INTERPOL’s 2026 African Cyberthreat Assessment, artificial intelligence is now linked to 55% of reported cybercrime across the continent, with direct economic damages surpassing $5 billion. Attackers are increasingly using AI to scale established tactics against under-resourced organisations, exploiting gaps in security coverage.

Under the new agreement, local value-added resellers and managed service providers will gain access to the Huntress Agentic Security Platform and its 24/7 AI-centric Security Operations Center. The platform is powered by Athena, Huntress’ agentic investigation system, which the company says combines machine-speed threat investigation with human security expertise to catch novel attacks before they escalate.

“Expanding into Africa is an important step in Huntress’ mission to protect all businesses from organized cybercrime,” said Adam Waggott-Moss, Head of EMEA Distribution at Huntress. “QBS Software Africa brings the local market knowledge, channel relationships, and regional expertise to help extend that protection to more businesses and build a strong foundation for long-term growth across the region.”

Headquartered in South Africa, QBS Software Africa will act as a launchpad for the rollout, beginning in South Africa before extending into select Sub-Saharan African markets. The partnership pairs Huntress’ cybersecurity technology with QBS Software Africa’s local channel expertise, technical support, and go-to-market resources, aiming to help regional partners scale stronger security offerings for their customers.

“Huntress’ combination of innovative technology and elite security expertise gives businesses across Africa the ability to keep pace with the attackers targeting them,” said Sanjay Mithal, Head of Strategic Vendor Alliances at QBS Software Africa. “The Huntress Agentic Security Platform brings layered defence together with the security experts who understand adversary behavior best, helping organizations across the region stay ahead of threats and sleep a little easier at night.”

The Africa launch builds on a period of rapid international growth for Huntress, which now protects 270,000 businesses across more than 100 countries. Over the past year, the company has deepened its presence across Europe and Asia Pacific, with adoption spreading across sectors including manufacturing, construction, retail and utilities, driven by investment in regional teams and channel partnerships.

Huntress plans to host a livestream on September 16 covering its Agentic Security Platform, titled “Inside the Agentic Huntress Platform: Beating Adversaries at Machine Speed.” You can register for the webinar here.

The post Huntress Expands into Africa with New QBS Software Africa Partnership appeared first on IT Security Guru.

UK cybersecurity specialist Core to Cloud has appointed former Currys Group CIO Andy Gamble as Chair of its Advisory Board as the company looks to accelerate the growth of its managed security services.

Gamble brings nearly 30 years of board-level technology leadership and will work with Core to Cloud on its strategic, advisory and commercial direction across the UK enterprise and mid-market sectors.

His appointment adds further experience to the company’s Advisory Board, which includes senior security leaders from major UK organisations.

From cybersecurity buyer to advisor

Gamble spent six years as Group CIO and Chief Transformation Officer at Currys PLC, where his responsibilities included large-scale technology transformation and cyber risk.

His career has also included senior CIO positions at Dyson, Sony Electronics and Essentra PLC. That experience means Gamble has spent much of his career on the customer side of the cybersecurity market, buying and managing the types of services Core to Cloud now provides.

“I spent the better part of three decades as a buyer of cybersecurity services, and the experience left me with a clear view of where the market falls short,” Gamble said.

“Most organisations understand that cyber risk is real. Far fewer have a security function that can communicate that risk clearly at board level, or a partner that moves fast enough to keep pace with the threat.”

Gamble said Core to Cloud stood out because of its focus on proactive security, adding that he intends to help the business scale its model as a challenger to conventional managed security service providers.

Supporting Core to Cloud’s next stage of growth

Based in Cirencester, Core to Cloud works with more than 150 organisations across sectors including the NHS, retail, financial services and critical national infrastructure.

Its services span Managed Detection and Response, Third-Party Cyber Risk Management, Security Assurance, Dark Web Monitoring and Threat Intelligence, and Cyber Crisis Simulation.

James Cunningham, CEO and Founder of Core to Cloud, said Gamble’s experience at the intersection of technology, risk and commercial strategy would bring a new perspective to the company.

“He understands what good security looks like from the inside and brings a depth of experience and perspective that will be hugely valuable as we continue to grow,” Cunningham said.

“We have an ambitious business, a strong customer base and services we genuinely believe in. Having Andy chair our board will help us build on those foundations, challenge our thinking and accelerate the next stage of Core to Cloud’s growth.”

The post Former Currys CIO Andy Gamble Joins Core to Cloud as Advisory Board Chair appeared first on IT Security Guru.

Forescout has expanded its investment in its global partner ecosystem to strengthen technical expertise and help partners support customers managing increasingly complex IT, OT, IoT, and IoMT environments.

Nearly 100% of Forescout’s customer business is transacted through partners, making the channel a central part of the cybersecurity company’s growth strategy. Its latest investment includes the ongoing Mission: Possible enablement roadshow and the continued support of several partners in its Envision Partner Program.

Mission:Possible reaches partners worldwide

Launched in May, Mission:Possible represents the largest investment in channel engagement in Forescout’s history.

The programme is targeting 90 cities across more than 40 countries, with content available in 22 languages. More than 1,300 people have attended events so far, with Forescout expecting to engage over 2,000 partner professionals by the end of September.

Through technical education, hands-on discussions and local engagement, the programme is designed to give partners the expertise needed to help customers address emerging risks, including those associated with frontier AI and complex cyber-physical environments.

Partners advance through Envision programme

Forescout has also recognised several organisations that have reached new levels within its Envision Partner Program.

TIC Defense has advanced from Authorised Training Partner to Silver Reseller, while Trace3, Upstart Cyber and Sidif have moved from Silver to Gold Reseller status.

NTT Australia, Hitachi Sunway Information Systems Malaysia, DOR Information Technologies Israel and Computacenter Germany have all progressed from Gold to Platinum Reseller.

David Creed, Vice President of Worldwide Channel Sales at Forescout, said the company is continuing to raise expectations around technical capability, certifications, customer success and business performance.

“We’re proud to recognise these partners who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to customer success, technical excellence, partner enablement, and business growth while helping organisations meaningfully reduce cyber risk across converged IT, OT, IoT and IoMT environments,” he said.

Milo Sanchez, Senior Practice Director at Trace3, said Forescout’s technical investment and collaborative approach had helped the company better support its clients and grow the partnership.

Channel expertise becomes increasingly important

Forescout said partners are playing a growing role in helping organisations improve visibility and respond to threats across connected environments.

According to the company, organisations using its technology have reported discovering 50% more unknown IoT devices and reducing median breach containment time by 98.7%. The average time required to identify unknown, unmanaged and unauthorised assets has also fallen from 41 hours to six minutes.

The company’s channel programme has also received industry recognition, with the Envision Partner Program included in CRN’s Partner Program Guide and Forescout executives recognised in CRN’s Channel Chiefs and Channel Leaders EMEA lists.

The post Forescout Expands Global Investment in Channel Partners appeared first on IT Security Guru.

KnowBe4 has appointed cybersecurity channel veteran Kurt Mills as its new channel chief, as the company looks to strengthen its global partner ecosystem and expand its channel routes to market.

In the role, Mills will lead the evolution of KnowBe4’s global partner programmes and operations, with responsibility for supporting the company’s relationships across VARs, MSPs, systems integrators, distributors and technology partners.

Mills brings more than 25 years of channel experience to KnowBe4, having previously held executive channel and partner sales positions at Check Point Software Technologies, Mimecast, FireMon and Blue Coat Systems.

Throughout his career, he has focused on aligning partner strategies with wider business and revenue goals, building partner networks and channel teams through periods including IPOs, acquisitions and rapid market expansion.

“Partner ecosystem growth is central to our mission, and Kurt’s appointment reflects our continued investment in that strategy,” said Bryan Palma, CEO of KnowBe4. “Kurt’s deep channel expertise, proven ability to scale high-performing teams, and track record of building long-term partner value will be instrumental as we expand our market reach.”

Mills’ appointment follows a number of additions to KnowBe4’s channel leadership team, including Neill Burton and John Noha, who have both joined as vice president of channel to support the company’s global initiatives.

The expanded leadership team will focus on providing partners with the programmes, tools and resources needed to identify new opportunities and support customers throughout the security lifecycle.

KnowBe4 said the investment reflects the increasingly important role partners play in its global growth strategy and in delivering its digital workforce security offering to organisations worldwide.

“Joining the KnowBe4 team at this critical point in the company’s growth is an incredible opportunity,” said Kurt Mills, newly appointed channel chief at KnowBe4. “I’ve built my career on creating focused, measurable, and engaged teams that drive mutual success for organizations and their partners. I am thrilled to team up with everyone at KnowBe4 to scale our partner programs, deepen our relationships across VARs, MSPs, SIs, distributors, and tech partners, and fuel our next phase of global growth.”

The post KnowBe4 Names Kurt Mills as Channel Chief to Lead Next Phase of Partner-Led Growth appeared first on IT Security Guru.

DigiCert, a global leader in intelligent trust, has announced a strategic distribution partnership with Ignition Technology to scale its presence across EMEA, accelerate market entry and expand partner-led growth.

Through the partnership, Ignition will bring DigiCert ONE® to customers and partners across the UK and Ireland, DACH, France, Benelux and the Nordics. DigiCert’s comprehensive platform unifies PKI, DNS and automated certificate lifecycle management, helping organisations establish trust across machine identities, software, devices, digital content, and AI agents, while reducing outages, strengthening compliance and supporting the transition to post quantum cryptography.

“Across EMEA, organisations are facing increasingly complex security, operational and regulatory challenges as they embrace AI, modernise infrastructure and prepare for the post quantum era,” said Sean Remnant, Chief Strategy Officer, Ignition Technology. ”They don’t need more disconnected tools. They need a platform that simplifies complexity, helps them move faster and gives them confidence they’re ready for what’s next.”

“This partnership is about creating high impact, scalable growth across EMEA,” said Paul Holt, Group Vice President, EMEA at DigiCert. ”Ignition understands how to build markets, grow partner ecosystems and execute at pace. Together, we’ll help more organisations build the confidence to embrace AI, automate trust at scale and prepare for the post quantum era.”

The partnership reinforces DigiCert’s commitment to growing its channel across EMEA, enabling partners to help organisations simplify security, strengthen resilience and prepare with confidence for the AI and post quantum era.

The post DigiCert expands its EMEA channel strategy with Ignition Technology appeared first on IT Security Guru.

Huntress has struck a new distribution partnership with UK channel marketplace Giacom, giving the managed service providers (MSPs) on Giacom’s Cloud Market platform direct access to Huntress’ Agentic Security Platform and its 24/7 AI-centric Security Operations Centre (SOC). 

The deal is one of two announced this week, alongside a parallel agreement with MSP Nordics covering Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as Huntress looks to broaden its footprint across EMEA. Both moves are aimed at removing friction for MSPs that want to add enterprise-grade detection and response capability without taking on new vendor relationships from scratch. 

Giacom supports more than 6,000 MSPs and technology providers in the UK through its Cloud Market platform, which bundles cloud, connectivity, mobile, hardware and security offerings from multiple vendors alongside sales, management and enablement tooling. Bringing Huntress into that catalogue means Giacom partners can now sell managed EDR, identity threat detection and response (ITDR), identity and endpoint security posture management, managed SIEM and security awareness training through a distributor relationship many of them already use.  

For Huntress, the tie-up also reinforces its existing alliance with Microsoft, giving the vendor a path to partners through Giacom’s established Microsoft practice, a route the company says will help it reach MSPs that remain heavily exposed to ransomware, business email compromise, account takeover, phishing and abuse of legitimate remote management tools. 

“MSPs are under increasing pressure to deliver stronger security outcomes for customers without adding complexity to their own operations,” said Carl Oliver, Head of Product & Cloud Practice at Giacom. “Huntress stands out for its ability to deliver high-quality managed detection and response in a way that is purpose-built for MSPs, backed by around-the-clock specialist support. By bringing Huntress into our portfolio, we are giving our partners another way to strengthen their security services, support more customers with confidence, and create new opportunities for growth.”

“Scaling security across regions depends on trusted relationships within those markets,” added Kevin Hallmark, Head of Global Distribution at Huntress. “Giacom and MSP Nordics bring the relationships, regional expertise, and partner-first approach needed to help us equip more MSPs to defend businesses across the UK and Nordics that remain most exposed to today’s cybercriminals.”

Huntress says its platform currently safeguards more than five million endpoints and 13 million identities worldwide, with its analyst-led SOC often among the first responders to major incidents affecting the security community. The company positions itself as making enterprise-grade protection accessible to businesses that would otherwise lack the budget or in-house expertise to defend against modern threats. 

 The Giacom and MSP Nordics agreements follow a pattern familiar to the channel: rather than selling direct, security vendors increasingly lean on regional distributors with existing trust and reach to accelerate adoption among smaller and mid-sized MSPs.  

The post Huntress Signs Giacom to Widen UK MSP Access to Managed Detection and Response appeared first on IT Security Guru.