Infosecurity Europe to expand Channel Zone for 2026

Infosecurity Europe plans to renew and expand its Channel Zone for the 2026 event, putting more emphasis on relationships between security vendors and partners as organisations increasingly rely on managed service providers.

The organiser also released survey findings suggesting many organisations would be exposed if a key supplier failed. It found that 98% said they would be at least somewhat exposed to an attack if their primary managed service provider or security partner suddenly became unavailable.

The research points to growing dependence on third-party specialists at a time when attackers have targeted supply chains and shared service providers. Many organisations operate with a mix of security tools and platforms, increasing the need for integration work and round-the-clock operations.

The survey also found channel partners are embedded in day-to-day cyber security operations. Only 1% of respondents said managed service providers, value-added resellers and integrators were not important to their organisation's cyber security operations.

Demand for outsourced security also appears to be growing: 83% said they expect their use of managed security services to increase over the next 12 to 24 months.

Several factors are driving that trend, including persistent cyber security skills shortages, evolving regulation across European markets, and a widening attack surface as systems move across cloud environments and connect to more external services.

For vendors, the data points to a market where partner ecosystems are central to reaching customers and delivering ongoing services. Many buyers now evaluate suppliers on operational coverage and incident response, as well as product features.

Zone Expansion

The expanded Channel Zone at Infosecurity Europe 2026 will sit alongside the wider exhibition and conference programme. The space is set aside for resellers, integrators, managed security service providers, distributors, channel suppliers and vendors.

Access to the Channel Zone will be exclusive to those groups. It will include exhibitor stands, a networking bar and seating area, and a dedicated Channel Zone Keynote Theatre.

The keynote programme will cover buying trends, emerging threats and developments in security technology. Sessions will also address channel initiatives and market changes linked to artificial intelligence and cloud-first IT strategies.

Organisers positioned the Channel Zone as a venue for commercial discussions and partner planning, and as a route for vendors and service providers to meet potential distribution and services partners.

Rob Tomlin, VP, Northern Europe at Exclusive Networks, linked the expansion to the scale of managed services adoption and the operational role service providers and channel firms now play.

"The channel is critical to modern cybersecurity strategies, and the recent Infosecurity Europe survey findings highlight this, with a huge percentage expecting to increase their use of managed security services going forward. What's more is the recognition of just how reliant organisations are on the channel and their security/MSP providers to keep the lights on and ensure their businesses remain secure. Our channel community needs dedicated environments, where vendors, MSPs, MSSPs and resellers can engage commercially, share insight and align around the technologies and services that organisations increasingly depend on. It's a welcome addition to see Infosecurity Europe create such space with The Channel Zone."

Partner Resilience

Infosecurity Europe framed the move around partner resilience and continuity planning. The survey result on exposure following a provider outage points to concentration risk, particularly where a single supplier covers monitoring, incident response and platform management.

Buyers have also increased scrutiny of third-party controls through supplier assurance programmes. In many organisations, cyber risk reporting now includes supply chain considerations and vendor dependencies.

Brad Maule-ffinch, Event Director at Infosecurity Europe, said the channel's role has moved beyond sales and distribution into core security delivery.

"The channel is no longer simply a route to market; it is fundamental to cyber security strategies and shows how critical strong, stable partnerships have become. The Channel Zone is designed to support that reality, allowing vendors and partners to build, strengthen and future-proof their commercial partnerships."

According to Infosecurity Europe, the research was conducted by Zing Insights among 396 cyber security professionals in the UK, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium and Denmark. The 1% who said channel partners were not important came from responses in Denmark.

Infosecurity Europe 2026 is due to run over three days at Excel London, with the Channel Zone operating as a dedicated area for partner meetings, presentations and exhibitor activity.