CrowdStrike’s Daniel Bernard on Nord Security Partnership

CrowdStrike and Nord Security are both leveraging their cybersecurity expertise by partnering to redefine the small- and medium-sized business (SMB) landscape.

Enterprise-grade protection for every business

Through this collaboration, CrowdStrike’s AI-native Falcon platform will combine with Nord Security’s secure access and credential management solutions.

The combination will deliver enterprise-grade protection that is simple, accessible, and built for every business.

“Every growing business faces the same challenge: their attack surface is expanding faster than their ability to secure it,” said Mantas Ulozas, chief business development officer of B2B Commercial at Nord Security. 

“By combining our secure access and credential management solutions with CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform, we’re removing barriers of cost and complexity that have long limited SMBs’ access to enterprise-grade protection – giving them the visibility and confidence to defend against modern threats,” Ulozas continued.

This new partnership comes at a time when SMBs are struggling to adopt AI-powered defenses and invest in new tools.

According to CrowdStrike’s State of SMB Cybersecurity Survey, just 36 percent of SMBs are investing in new tools, while only 11 percent of SMBs have adopted AI-powered defenses.

New innovations to support SMBs include simplified access and Pax8 expansion

The CrowdStrike-Nord Security partnership will bring about two key innovations to assist SMBs with their cybersecurity postures:

• Simplified e-commerce access: Nord Security will now offer Falcon Go, CrowdStrike’s AI-powered solution purpose-built for SMBs, and Falcon Enterprise directly through NordLayer, a toggle-ready network security platform for business. This innovation pairs the Falcon platform with NordLayer’s secure access to make enterprise-grade protection easy to buy and deploy.
• Expanded MSP offerings through Pax8: CrowdStrike, Nord Security, and Pax8 will launch an add-on for Falcon Next-Gen SIEM to combine speed, detection, and accuracy of the Falcon platform with Nord Security’s secure access and network solutions. It will include a 90-day free access trial for qualifying customers.

Bernard shares more on how MSPs can approach SMB security in 2026

To dive deeper into what this partnership means for both organizations and SMBs, Channel Insider conducted the following Q&A with Daniel Bernard, CrowdStrike’s chief business officer.

How does this partnership change the way the channel and MSPs approach SMB cybersecurity?

This changes the conversation from tools to outcomes. For too long, SMB security has been about stitching together point solutions and reacting after something goes wrong. Or it’s been about status quo, keeping the same ineffective stale products that don’t work against today’s threat landscape.

With this partnership, MSPs like those in the Pax8 system can lead with a simpler, more proactive security model. They’re delivering industry-leading CrowdStrike protection alongside secure access and credential management in a way that’s fast, frictionless, and designed for how SMBs actually operate. It allows partners to focus on preventing breaches and driving real security outcomes, instead of managing complexity behind the scenes.

Why does this matter now, as adversaries increasingly use enterprise-grade tactics against SMBs?

Adversaries don’t discriminate by business size. Every business is a target. Adversaries target vulnerability, and SMBs are increasingly in the crosshairs because they’ve historically lacked access to enterprise-grade protection and don’t run.

This partnership helps level the playing field. By combining the Falcon platform with secure access and credential management, we’re giving SMBs the speed and protection they need without the overhead that typically comes with enterprise security. That means threats can be detected and stopped faster, before they turn into business-impacting incidents.

Why is this partnership different – and what does it unlock next for MSPs and the SMB market?

This isn’t about chasing the SMB market with a bundle. It’s about recognizing the real security problems SMBs face and bringing together award-winning products to solve them. It’s about meeting the market demand for Falcon – demand from SMBs who realize they need cyber protection.

We’re combining CrowdStrike’s AI-native Falcon platform with Nord Security’s secure access and credential management to deliver enterprise-grade protection that’s simple, accessible, and built for every business. When the right technologies come together the right way, partners win. Customers win.

Recently, CrowdStrike acquired SGNL to secure every identity and enable real-time, risk-based access controls for human, machine, and AI identities. Read more about the identity security deal valued at $740 million.