Renaissance partners with CyberSmart to widen Ireland reach

Renaissance has partnered with CyberSmart to distribute the UK cybersecurity provider's products in Ireland, extending its reach to enterprises, managed service providers and managed security service providers.

Under the agreement, the Irish reseller will offer CyberSmart tools for threat detection, vulnerability management, compliance monitoring and staff awareness training. The products are aimed mainly at small and medium-sized enterprises, though the channel relationship will also support larger customers and service providers looking to manage security programmes with fewer systems.

CyberSmart focuses on continuous monitoring and cyber risk management for smaller organisations. Renaissance has built its business through a reseller network in Ireland and has expanded its cyber and compliance portfolio in recent years.

The partnership is intended to give Irish customers access to a single platform covering security monitoring, compliance support and training across desktop and mobile devices. The system can also be used in remote working and bring-your-own-device environments, both of which have added complexity for IT teams as employees work across more locations and on personal hardware.

The platform is designed to complement existing systems rather than replace them. It provides ongoing visibility into security issues, automated patching and compliance checks aligned with frameworks including Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001 and NIS2.

That compliance focus comes as many businesses continue to grapple with cyber rules that have widened in scope and become more demanding. CyberSmart's research found that only one in four businesses reported being fully compliant with NIS2, citing budget constraints, limited internal resources and uncertainty over what the rules require.

For Renaissance, the deal adds another vendor to a cybersecurity catalogue it has been building for Irish partners. It has introduced more than 35 cybersecurity and compliance products to the Irish market over the past five years, reflecting steady demand from resellers and customers for tools that combine monitoring, employee training and governance support.

Service providers are likely to be central to the strategy. Managed service providers and managed security service providers are taking on a larger role for organisations that lack the staff or expertise to run security operations in-house, particularly smaller companies facing tighter budgets and greater scrutiny from customers, insurers and regulators.

The partnership will also allow partners to package cyber insurance services with monitoring and training. That reflects a broader market trend in which insurers, security suppliers and channel partners are linking risk assessment, controls and cover more closely, as businesses are increasingly expected to show they meet minimum standards before policies are issued or renewed.

Renaissance has operated in Ireland for more than 30 years and works with resellers and end users across the country. Its role in the channel has been to bring technology suppliers to local partners while providing pre-sales and post-sales support.

CyberSmart says it is used by more than 7,000 businesses. The company positions its products as helping organisations protect people, processes and technology through a mix of continuous detection, risk management and awareness training, rather than relying on a single security tool.

Michael Conway, Managing Director, Renaissance, said: "CyberSmart enables us to deliver a simpler, more proactive approach to cybersecurity. It helps our customers stay secure while reducing complexity across their IT environments."

Jamie Akhtar, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, CyberSmart, said: "Our mission is to make cybersecurity accessible and effective for every organisation, no matter the size, especially as the threat and regulatory landscape continue to shift. For example, our recent research revealed that only 1 in 4 businesses say they are fully NIS2 compliant, despite the initial 2024 compliance deadline.

"This is largely down to budgetary and resource constraints, as well as general confusion. As leaders turn to MSPs and MSSPs for cost-effective cyber support, partnering with Renaissance allows us to bring clarity and confidence to businesses across Ireland at scale and with ease, helping them remain secure and compliant."