Dragos overhauled partner program to raise the bar amid growing OT security threats

The opportunities are growing, but partners require specialised skills, domain knowledge and real-world OT experience.

Securing operational technology (OT) is becoming increasingly important as these systems and networks become critical parts of Australia’s digital infrastructure. At the same time, the adoption of AI, automation and digital transformation are increasing OT security threats.

For partners, there’s a significant opportunity to develop capability in the OT space, according to Ben Sullivan, Director, APJ channel and alliances, Dragos.

Sullivan pointed to growth predictions for managed security services in Australia, driven by government regulations around securing operational technology and growing enterprise requirements.

“I see a lot more opportunity for MSSPs to develop capability in the operational technology space,” he told CRN Australia.

The challenge for partners, however, is that it’s going to take significant investment to upskill people to have the right people for the right role to meet customer needs.

“While the opportunity is large, the investment to achieve those outcomes is also large,” he said.

Refreshed partner program to meet growing OT needs

While the partner program is global, Dragos has found that local operators want to engage with local partners who have in-country experience.

“There’s a personal and national security aspect to OT companies, and so while you can be a global firm, it all comes down to people on the ground,” said Rob M. Lee, CEO and founder, Dragos.

However, there’s a high barrier to entry. Credentials and certification alone don’t provide site-level knowledge and understanding of the consequence if something goes wrong.

“Nobody really wants your first OT system to be their OT system. So getting started is very hard,” Lee told CRN Australia.

“But once you have the experience, going from a senior-level individual to principal-level individual is much easier than getting started as a junior,” he added.

Seeing the growing need for highly experienced partners, Dragos refreshed its partner program in mid-2023, aiming to lift technical capability and set a higher bar for OT expertise.

OT security requires deep technical understanding, sector-specific domain knowledge and the ability to carry out testing and implementation without disrupting sensitive, critical systems.

“The level of technical depth required to conduct some of these services in operational technology is pretty extreme,” said Sullivan.

“When you look at the type of networks that assessments are being conducted on, if there’s any disruption, there's a significant chance of potential outages, which has knock on effects,” he added.

Dragos raised the certification levels required to operate in OT environments to ensure partners are providing the expertise customers expect and can deliver end-to-end protection — far beyond simply reselling.

“We’ve invested more to up-level partners and have a higher set of expectations, based on market demand, for what those partners can deliver,” said Sullivan.

OT advisory services are emerging as an important area of partner value as asset owners and operators looking to partner to guide them in their OT security journey — long before they consider tools or platforms.

“Stewardship is important to Dragos and it’s letting the partner understand we need to meet the customer where they are and not take them on a journey where they're not yet ready to be,” he said.