Lacework Looks to Secure Clouds via the Channel

Lacework, a provider of tools for automating security and compliance on public clouds, today launched its first global channel program.

The program is designed to make it possible for partners to resell a suite of tools around which customers can more easily implement a set of best practices for managing the inherent shared responsibility model associated with deploying applications on a public cloud, says Sanjay Kalra, chief strategy officer for Lacework.

Those policies can be maintained by deploying agent software that ensures they’ve been implemented on both virtual machines as well as any containers that might be deployed on those virtual machines, says Kalra.

Elements of the Lacework channel program include access to integration frameworks, market development funds, and product training.

Fresh off raising another $24 million in financing, Kalra says Lacework also plans to follow up with additional channel programs specifically aimed at systems integrators and managed service providers.

Kalra notes that given the number of vulnerabilities that are regularly exploited on public clouds it’s apparent there’s a significant opportunity for channel partners to deliver not just products, but also consulting services.

“There’s a big education gap,” says Kalra.

Early participants in the Lacework channel program include Optiv, SHI, and Tevora.

IT organizations are now especially challenged when it comes to securing application in the cloud in the age of DevOps as applications are built, deployed and updated faster. Developers are also increasingly being required to implement security controls within their applications as part of a set of best practices commonly referred to DevSecOps. The challenge cybersecurity teams are wrestling with is making sure those best practices have been followed without slowing down the rate at which applications are built and deployed. That need requires cybersecurity team to embrace platforms that automate cybersecurity and compliance management. Otherwise, Kalray says those cybersecurity teams will not be able to keep pace with the rate at which applications are being deployed and updated, especially in an age of microservices enabled by technologies such as Docker containers.

Lacework addresses that challenge by applying machine learning algorithms to the data its agent software collect to identify any anomalies indicative of a vulnerability or compliance issue.

Naturally, it’s clear early days when it comes to implementing DevSecOps practices at any level of scale. But the one thing that is clear is that as the shortage of trained cybersecurity professionals remains chronic, interest in all things relating to the automation of cybersecurity is on the rise.