Climb, Sophos seal exclusive Irish cybersecurity deal

Climb Channel Solutions has signed a distribution partnership with cybersecurity supplier Sophos for the Irish market, creating a new route to market for Sophos products and services through local resellers and managed service providers.

Under the agreement, Climb becomes Ireland's only authorised distributor of the Sophos Threat Profile assessment service. The deal extends the companies' existing North American relationship into Ireland.

Threat Profile

The Sophos Threat Profile assessment is positioned as an entry point for organisations seeking an external view of their cyber exposure. The service flags exposed credentials, suspicious domains, dark web exposure and internet-facing vulnerabilities, and ranks remediation and risk-reduction actions.

The exclusive distribution status gives Climb a differentiated service in the Irish channel, where distributors often compete on access to vendor programmes and the ability to package assessments with follow-on security tools and services. Threat profiling and exposure assessments are also a common lead-in to managed detection and response services.

Wider portfolio

Climb will distribute the full Sophos suite in Ireland, including managed detection and response, and will make Sophos Central available through its channel relationships. Sophos Central is the vendor's security management platform.

The portfolio spans endpoint, firewall, email and cloud security. Sophos also sells extended detection and response, identity threat detection and response, and security information and event management products. It operates a threat intelligence and response function branded Sophos X-Ops.

The partnership comes as Irish organisations face pressure to strengthen security controls across hybrid estates, combining cloud services with on-premise networks. Security teams increasingly manage distributed endpoints and identities alongside internet-facing infrastructure.

Irish market

Industry groups Cyber Ireland and NI Cyber reported 13.4% growth for Ireland's cybersecurity sector and revenue of €2.7 billion in a 2025 report cited by Climb. The sector includes vendors, service providers and channel businesses selling into Irish enterprises and public sector organisations.

Climb also pointed to its own survey on how organisations approach artificial intelligence and technology procurement. The research, conducted by Censuswide among 600 AI and IT decision-makers in Ireland, the UK and Germany, found 53% said they have a clear AI strategy, while 55% said they are working with technology vendors on AI programmes.

Brian Davis, VP of Sales UK&I at Climb, linked the deal to market growth and shifting customer requirements.

"Ireland's cybersecurity landscape is evolving at pace with recent research showing growth of 13% per annum. Threats are becoming more sophisticated, and customer expectations are rising. Cybersecurity remains a key strategic growth area for Climb, and we are continuously looking to expand our portfolio in Ireland. Extending our successful relationship with Sophos into Ireland is a pivotal moment as we enhance our cybersecurity portfolio," Davis said.

He also connected demand for security to organisations deploying AI and modernising IT estates.

"As Irish organisations advance their AI capabilities at an unprecedented rate, Irish businesses must secure hybrid environments while embracing AI and digital transformation. As a dedicated Sophos distributor in Ireland, we're bringing world-class cybersecurity, genuine partner support, and the kind of speed and access that helps you move fast and grow confidently," Davis said.

Channel strategy

Sophos sells largely through partners. The Irish agreement gives Sophos a single distributor for the Threat Profile assessment, while broadening Climb's security product line.

Jason Ellis, VP Channel Sales EMEA at Sophos, said the Irish expansion reflects the companies' prior work together and the role of Climb's local partner base.

"Sophos is a global leader in cybersecurity, offering a comprehensive portfolio of AI-powered cybersecurity technologies. Coupled with its advisory services, these capabilities proactively reduce risk for organisations. Expanding our presence in the Irish market is a reflection of the great relationship we hold with Climb in North America. Climb's strong Irish channel ecosystem will allow us to expand our Irish market footprint, enhancing our ability to deliver AI-powered cybersecurity solutions to Irish businesses," Ellis said.

He highlighted Climb programmes focused on AI skills and partner development. Climb runs an AI Academy and a partner programme called the Skyward Project, positioned around moving partners from early AI exploration to implementation.

"We recognise Climb as an innovative leader, particularly in areas such as AI, where they're providing unique channel solutions through their Skyward Project and AI Academy. These programmes help partners understand where AI and security intersect, delivering differentiated, yet complementary services to our Sophos portfolio," Ellis said.

Ellis added that Sophos expects the distributor to improve partner coverage and customer support in Ireland.

"Climb's knowledge and understanding of the Irish market, along with their ongoing investment, help us better support our partners and customers, enabling them to improve cyber resilience and respond effectively to emerging threats," Ellis said.

Climb works with Irish resellers and managed service providers across cloud security, backup and recovery, endpoint management, firewall and network security, and application security. It plans channel activity tied to AI and security, including an AI and Security Day event.