The 2024 Security 100

The 2024 CRN Security 100 highlights channel-friendly cybersecurity vendors across a number of market segments, ranging from the largest and best-known players to some of the small-but-promising startups.

Thousands of cybersecurity tools. A rapidly changing threat landscape. Massively complex, dynamic IT environments and distributed users that need protecting. And now, the impact of generative AI—a whole new class of technology with relevance for both cyberdefense and attackers. As 2024 gets underway, it’s clear that the challenges of cybersecurity for solution providers are not getting any less steep. To help with navigating the terrain, the CRN Security 100 highlights partner-friendly security vendors across key market segments including endpoint and managed security; identity, access and data security; network security; security operations, risk and threat intelligence; and web, email and application security.

Our list includes familiar companies and newer names in the market, ranging from the largest players to some of the small but-promising startups. Key themes this year include the growing focus on securing credentials as identity-based attacks continue to surge, along with the related need for zero trust security and secure remote access with many workforces remaining highly distributed. At the same time, the demand for cloud security—as well as for embedding more security into applications during the software-development process—continues to expand.

In addition, GenAI is widely expected to have a bigger real-world impact on the way cyberdefense gets done in 2024, following tryouts of the newly available technology by many organizations last year. “Coming into 2024, we’re really looking at a lot of organizations now getting serious about it,” said Randy Lariar, practice director for big data and analytics at Optiv, No. 24 on CRN’s Solution Provider 500 for 2023. The question for customers now is, “How are we actually going to use this? How are we going to get value out of it?”

All in all, research firm Gartner predicts that security and risk management spending will rise to $215 billion in 2024, up 14.3 percent from last year. Meanwhile, spending on security services is forecast to climb 11.3 percent to $90 billion this year compared with 2023, according to Gartner.

Unlike many key tech sectors, however, cybersecurity remains highly fragmented. The online database CyberDB tallies 3,000security vendors at present, a small percentage of which are large, “platform” companies. The rest offer a more limited set of product capabilities. And there are new vendors popping up continually: For every security startup that gets acquired, another launches with venture funding. Among other things, the number of companies in the space has exacerbated the widely felt issues of cybersecurity complexity and “tool sprawl.”

Still, there’s no question that innovation in cybersecurity tooling is critical, given the rapid evolution of the threat landscape. But it also helps to put solution providers in the unenviable position of having to navigate and sift through a vast ecosystem of vendors and all manner of claims about security efficacy (some of which are more supportable than others).

Based upon CRN’s research and conversations over the past year with top solution provider executives, vendor CEOs and channel chiefs, we’ve selected 100 cybersecurity vendors that we feel represent the most significant opportunities for the channel in2024. While far from being an exhaustive list of the security vendors that matter right now, we hope this list will be useful to solution providers that focus on the cybersecurity market.

What follows is the full list of vendors with details on some of their major, recently released product offerings.

The 20 Coolest Endpoint And Managed Security Companies Of 2024
From vendors providing endpoint protection and detection tools to companies offering managed detection and response, here’s a look at 20 key companies in endpoint and managed security.

The 20 Coolest Identity Access Management And Data Protection Companies Of 2024
From vendors offering identity and data security to providers of security service edge, here’s a look at 20 key companies in identity, access and data security..

The 20 Coolest Network Security Companies Of 2024
From vendors offering SASE platforms to those focused on protecting IoT and connected devices, here’s a look at 20 key network security companies.

The 20 Coolest Security Operations, Risk And Threat Intelligence Of 2024
From vendors that provide modern SIEM to those offering advanced threat feeds, here’s a look at 20 key companies in security operations, risk and threat intelligence.

The 20 Coolest Web, Email and Application Security Companies Of 2024
From vendors offering code security tools to those protecting inboxes and websites against attacks, here’s a look at 20 key companies in web, email and application security.