Stellar Cyber did not show up at MSSP Alert Live to talk about itself first. Jeff Hill started with partners.
“No. 1, when it comes to engaging with our existing partners, it gives us an opportunity to celebrate who they are,” said the global senior director, MSSP and service providers for Stellar Cyber.
Hill, who spoke with ChannelPro at MSSP Alert Live, said Stellar Cyber ties its future to the service providers on the front lines. As tool stacks consolidate and MSSPs deepen their specialization, the AI-driven SecOps platform maker aims to strengthen those partners rather than replace them.
“We get to open new doors,” Hill told ChannelPro. “And opening new doors gives us the opportunity to identify new prospects.”
Matchmaking and the Power of Recognition
Hill described the audience at MSSP Alert Live as a mix of MSSPs and MSPs. He also cast Stellar Cyber in a specific role: to broker relationships. “Part of why we do these events is we engage with our partners because we’re ‘matchmakers.’”
That matchmaker mindset tied directly into the MSSP Alert Top 250 list highlighted at the event. The list included companies from Latin America, Europe, and Asia as well as North America. That honor matters in a crowded market.
“We’re celebrating organizations that have been recognized as key contributors to the MSSPs or service providers across the globe,” Hill noted. “Leveraging that as a credential presents value to both Stellar Cyber but also for our partners to differentiate themselves.”
All-in on the Channel
Stellar Cyber’s channel strategy ties directly to the structure of the security market and the limits of direct service. That’s important because candidly, there just aren’t enough resources in the world to support customers directly, he said.
Jeff Hill
“So, Stellar Cyber has committed to the channel that everything we do is through the channel and our partners.”
The company depends on MSSPs to drive revenue and extend its impact into specific industries and verticals, he emphasized. “The more we can help those partners succeed, the more that they’re going to be able to support whatever industry or vertical they’re focusing on.”
Hill said more MSSPs now specialize in verticals such as maritime, financial services, and incident response. This gives them a deeper value proposition than generalists.
Why Stellar Cyber Refused to Run a SOC
Stellar Cyber positioned itself very clearly. “We don’t want to be a SOC,” Hill said. “We want to be the platform that enables the SOC.”
For providers already using SIEM, EDR, or MDR tools, Hill said Stellar Cyber could displace legacy technology, integrate with existing stacks, or unlock new capabilities. In fact, the company historically has displaced traditional, longstanding SIEMs.
Hill tied that success to a unified, open XDR approach. “We have taken an approach to be a unified platform that gives complete visibility across the entire attack surface,” he said. “What ‘open’ means to us is the ability to embrace the complexity the industry has created with all the tool sets. It’s also to be as flexible as our partners need.”
Enablement and ‘Know Your Partner’
Stellar Cyber backed its platform with structured onboarding and training. New customers or prospects are treated to a six-week enablement engagement.
Then, there’s the “KYP,” or know your partner, Hill added.
“Our goal is to understand who they are, serve them better and support them better. We want to give them what they need from a standpoint of helping to monetize who we are, the platform, and help them deliver that to their end customers.
“All these things will help not only drive our ecosystem, but true partnership.”
Where MSPs Should Start
For MSPs that offer Tier 1 support but have not yet become MSSPs, Hill harkens back to relationships.
He offered two straightforward places to start building those relationships:
- Attend key industry events.
- Get to know vendors and OEMs that already have strong relationships. They can help make introductions to the right connections.
Trends That Will Define the Road Ahead
Looking ahead 12 to 18 months, Hill expects AI and “platformization” to shape roadmaps — with human judgment still in the loop.
“There’s a perspective that AI is going to solve the problems of everything. And it’s not,” he admitted. “It’s going to help automate, rationalize the security stacks, and identify opportunities to eliminate cost. But I don’t think human engagement is going to go away.”
A Market That Refuses to Slow
Hill concluded with a reminder that, despite the pressure, cybersecurity is still a place for optimism and opportunity.
“It’s exciting, it’s changing, and it’s not going to slow down,” Hill said. “The bad actors are going to continue to be bad. AI is going to be used in an attack sequence. We have to now be the defenders or the offenders, if you will. We’ve got to provide an offensive approach to solving some of these problems.”
For Stellar Cyber, the aim is simple. Back the service providers pushing the industry forward and offer a platform that lightens the lift, not the wallet.
Featured image: Adobe Stock
