Fortra’s Offensive & Defensive Approach to Channel Security

Security vendor Fortra is joining a crowded market with a simple value proposition: there are too many options on the market, but very few that provide the end-to-end, holistic approach Fortra has built. Channel Insider spoke with Fortra’s VP of Global Channels and Alliances, Faraz Siraj, and Chief Strategy Officer, John Grancarich, to learn more about the company’s approach to security, goals for 2025, and how channel partners can work with Fortra.

How a legacy brand is reinventing itself and meeting the modern security demand

Fortra is not a new brand; in fact, it has been in existence in one form or another for over 40 years. However, following a string of acquisitions and product investments, the company is reintroducing itself as a unified provider of security solutions that address “all aspects” of the attack surface.

Siraj and Grancarich tout the company’s mission, “to break the attack chain,” as a key differentiator from others on the market. Fortra is the result of both acquisition and further internal innovation, and the company now wants to address security through an approach that Siraj and Grancarich say keeps offensive and defensive approaches equally balanced.

“There are over 4,000 security companies in the market, and that’s because our industry is so specialized,” Grancarich said. “But that means that most providers and customers now have all these different tools that each do something different. We’re an aggregator of all those elements, so now you only have to work with a single platform from a single provider.”

The platform concept is gaining momentum quickly across the tech industry and among many vendors operating in the channel. Grancarich asserts that Fortra was at the forefront of the all-in-one experience before many others in the space.

“I’ve been with Fortra for seven years now, and in that time we’ve done 17 acquisitions,” Grancarich said. “Before platformization really was a thing, that was really our strategy.”

“So even when we were acquiring individual cybersecurity companies, individual solutions, our long-term vision and strategy was always to become a security platform company,” Grancarich continued. “And so, fast forward seven years ahead and now we’re at this really incredible milestone and juncture in the company’s history where we’ve pivoted to this platform.”

That said, both leaders understand that many partners and potential customers remain unfamiliar with who Fortra is and what its technology can offer.

“We know the name Fortra is still relatively new,” SIraj said. “Most customers still recognize the brands we acquired, but not our main Fortra brand. This year we’re going to change that.”

Grancarich adds that he believes once partners and customers see everything Fortra offers on its platform, the overall value and opportunity will resonate. 

“It’s much easier for our channel partners to have a cohesive conversation with an end customer,” Grancarich said. “The end customer now gets to work with a single company and a single partner across a broader range of solutions, and that just simplifies the entire experience from both procurement and purchasing through implementation and usage of the solutions.”

Siraj agrees and highlights the lack of understanding in the market as a key opportunity for the company this year.

“2025 is the year to change the ‘I didn’t know Fortra did that’ message in the market,” Siraj said.

Why channel partners are crucial to Fortra’s mission

Siraj’s role is dedicated to enabling channel partners working with Fortra to extend security to customers worldwide. He joined the company in October 2024 to deepen and expand Fortra’s partner ecosystem and overall channel strategy.

Siraj said 2025 marks the first time Fortra has identified a dedicated push into the channel.

“We are a channel-first company,” Siraj said. “For us, that means truly understanding partners and what they bring to the table. I’ve worked in the channel for a very long time, and I know the value they bring in accelerating deals on collaborating with us on identifying opportunities.”

As the company continues to implement its channel-first approach, Siraj says it is continually improving how partners can succeed with its products.

Partners will now receive guaranteed margins on deals, in an effort to solidify trust and understanding before Fortra and its partners go to market with specific customers.

“We’d rather have our teams working together already knowing that information,” Faraz said. 

Fortra collaborates with various partner types, including Value-Added Resellers (VARs), Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Global System Integrators (GSIs), Financial Services Integrators (FSIs), and distributors. 

“We aren’t begging for net-new logos from our partners, because we have a wide customer base already,” Siraj said. “What we want is to go deeper with our partners into new opportunities within their clients, and help them establish recurring services revenue on top of our product.”

Siraj also highlighted the importance of hyperscaler marketplaces to his go-to-market strategy.

“We know that buyers are looking at products differently than before, and the buying habits in our space have changed,” Siraj said. “Those marketplaces are a crucial part of our overall approach to the market.”

The road ahead in 2025

Siraj and Grancarich both emphasize that 2025 is a year of reintroduction and brand identity for Fortra. Beyond that, the two leaders also plan to bring more partners into the fold and expand the already large customer base as the company proves out its mission in the market.

Grancarich also says the Fortra team, like many in tech right now, continues to explore ways to leverage new AI-enabled technologies on the platform.

Specifically, the platform utilizes AI and machine learning algorithms with pattern-matching capabilities that learn attack patterns, allowing for the identification of potential threats and the prediction of subsequent actions during an attack.

Everything Fortra does, according to both leaders, will be designed to address the needs of partners and customers in a complex threat landscape and crowded solutions market.

“I’ve never seen the market the way it is now,” Grancarich said. “Partners and customers both have tool fatigue, but security is still crucial. We’re in the business of trust, really, and partner feedback is crucial to our plans.”
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