Cybersecurity has become one of the most talked about areas in tech, but for many partners, especially those rooted in connectivity, it is still not the easiest conversation to start.

That gap is exactly where SilverSky is focusing.

At an industry event, I met in person with John Britton, VP of Channels, to understand how the company is positioning itself in a market that is growing, but still fragmented in how solutions are delivered and sold.

The starting point is breadth.

“We’re a multi service security provider,” Britton said, describing a model that spans professional services, managed technology, and managed detection and response.

That combination is intentional.

Rather than focusing on a single layer of the stack, the company is designed to meet customers wherever they are in their security journey.

“What we’ve found is that organizations have evolved their security differently,” Britton said. “They’re all at different stages.”

That creates complexity.

Some companies have invested heavily in tools but lack coordination. Others are earlier in the process and need foundational support. Most fall somewhere in between.

SilverSky’s approach is to start with what fits.

“We identify where we best fit from the initial conversation and then build from there,” Britton said.

That flexibility extends into how the company works with partners.

The go to market strategy today is primarily channel driven, but with multiple engagement models.

For MSPs, SilverSky can operate behind the scenes as an MSSP, enabling partners to deliver security services without building their own infrastructure.

For resellers, the company can take a more direct role while still supporting the partner relationship.

“We’ve created an ecosystem to serve both,” Britton said.

That dual model allows partners to engage at different levels depending on their capabilities and goals.

The bigger challenge, however, is not delivery. It is adoption.

A large percentage of telecom focused partners are still centered on connectivity.

“Eighty percent of them are selling circuits,” Britton said. “They’re not selling cybersecurity.”

That creates a disconnect.

Security is a growing requirement, but it is often perceived as complex or difficult to position.

SilverSky’s response is to simplify the entry point.

“We focus on easy conversations,” Britton said.

One example is penetration testing.

For many organizations, annual testing is already a requirement, making it a natural starting point for broader security discussions.

“It’s not an over complicated conversation,” Britton said.

From there, the relationship can expand.

The results of a penetration test often highlight gaps, which can lead to additional services across monitoring, response, and ongoing management.

That step by step approach aligns with how many customers actually adopt security solutions.

It also reflects a shift in what is driving demand.

For years, the primary message around cybersecurity was risk.

But that message has evolved.

“Compliance has become a much bigger driver,” Britton said.

Regulations are increasing, and penalties for non compliance are becoming more significant. That is pushing organizations to take security more seriously.

AI has added another layer.

Initially, Britton said, it created confusion in the market.

“When generative AI came out, it changed how people were thinking about it,” he said.

Now, the conversation is becoming more practical.

Platforms like Copilot are driving interest, particularly among organizations already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.

SilverSky is aligning with that trend.

“We’re moving more toward being Microsoft centric,” Britton said, noting that this allows customers to better leverage existing investments.

At the same time, the company maintains an agnostic approach.

Customers often have multiple tools in place, each with different contracts and capabilities.

Rather than forcing a rip and replace, SilverSky works on top of existing environments.

“We meet them where they are,” Britton said.

That includes ingesting data from current systems, providing performance insights, and building a roadmap over time.

“We typically look at a six to twelve month plan for where they should be,” he said.

The goal is consolidation.

Fewer tools. Better integration. Lower total cost of ownership.

That approach can resonate with organizations that have accumulated security solutions over time without a unified strategy.

Operationally, the company is also investing in infrastructure.

SilverSky recently opened a new SOC in Fort Lauderdale and continues to emphasize US based operations, which can be important for customers with regulatory or data residency requirements.

“We’re growing,” Britton said.

The broader takeaway is that cybersecurity is no longer a single product conversation.

It is an ongoing process that spans assessment, implementation, monitoring, and optimization.

For partners, especially those coming from a connectivity background, the challenge is getting started.

For SilverSky, the strategy is to make that first step easier, then build from there.

Because in a market that is only getting more complex, simplicity at the beginning may be what drives adoption.

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Aside from his role as CEO of TMC and chairman of ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW Feb 9-11, 2027, Rich Tehrani is CEO of RT Advisors and a Registered Representative (investment banker) with and offering securities through Four Points Capital Partners LLC (Four Points) (Member FINRA/SIPC). He handles capital/debt raises as well as M&A. RT Advisors is not owned by Four Points.

The above is not an endorsement or recommendation to buy/sell any security or sector mentioned. No companies mentioned above are current or past clients of RT Advisors.

The views and opinions expressed above are those of the participants. While believed to be reliable, the information has not been independently verified for accuracy. Any broad, general statements made herein are provided for context only and should not be construed as exhaustive or universally applicable.

Portions of this article may have been developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence, which may have contributed to ideation, content generation, factual review, or editing