Cybersecurity leaders at large enterprises are planning to ramp up spending on cloud security in 2025 and want channel partners to help them maximise their return on investment, according to new research by Westcon-Comstor.

According to the global technology provider, 83% of security leaders intend to invest in Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) and other cloud security technologies over the next twelve months, focusing on core business areas including AI Security Posture Management and Application Security Posture Management.

Westcon-Comstor claims that this growing appetite to invest is creating significant growth opportunities for channel partners.

Based on a survey of 500 CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) and other senior security executives across France, Germany, Italy, the UAE and the UK, Westcon-Comstor found that the vast majority (95%) already engage with channel partners when procuring and deploying security solutions.

Training and enablement emerged as the most valued benefit from working with channel partners, with 40% of security leaders singling this out as their main requirement – suggesting strong demand for knowledge-building support to enhance cloud security capabilities.

A third (32%) highlighted cost-effective access to new solutions as the primary reason for engaging with channel partners, while 28% said what they value above all else is assistance when navigating the cloud security market and identifying the best solutions.

When asked about the main drivers of CNAPP adoption, security leaders emphasised the need to consolidate capabilities into a single unified platform, reducing the complexity and blind spots that come from using multiple cybersecurity vendors and tools.

Other motivating factors include the need to integrate security and compliance testing seamlessly, and a desire to unify risk visibility across cloud environments and the application development lifecycle.

Furthermore, three quarters (75%) of respondents agreed on the need to adopt a DevSecOps approach to align with what Westcon-Comstor called the ‘shift left’ trend of operational responsibilities moving toward developers and cloud architects.

“CNAPP offers a holistic approach to securing cloud infrastructure, bringing together various security functions and capabilities in a single, unified platform to provide comprehensive security across the entire software development lifecycle, from code to cloud,” said Daniel Hurel, senior VP for Westcon EMEA, cybersecurity and next-generation solutions.

“As the cloud security market continues to evolve, we’re seeing CNAPP become the go-to solution for securing cloud workloads. 

“Our research suggests that this presents an opportunity for the IT channel, with particularly strong demand for training and enablement. Partners who establish themselves in this high-growth area stand to reap the rewards in 2025 and beyond.”

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Research from Vodafone late last year showed that channel partners are already pivoting to meet the changing needs of their end users as they begin to demand more specialised and complex technologies.

That study found almost all (84%) of channel partners agreeing they need to consider sector specialisation to remain competitive, with a similar number (80%) of end users reporting that they are aligning their business and tech strategies – as well as 74% saying they prefer to work with vendors that specialise in their industry – creating an opportunity for channel partners to provide specific value.