The SecureFirst Partner Program is Evolving

SonicWall’s SecureFirst Partner Program continues to grow to better meet partner needs as the industry evolves. See what’s new.

The partner landscape has changed.

Customers no longer want point products. They expect continuous protection, measurable security outcomes and rapid response when something goes wrong. At the same time, partners are under pressure to grow recurring revenue while controlling costs and headcount.

Relying on standalone firewalls and one-off projects is no longer enough to stay competitive.

The updated SecureFirst Partner Program is designed to help partners adapt to this shift — reducing friction, accelerating time to revenue and enabling expansion across SonicWall’s broader portfolio without increasing operational risk.

New SecureFirst program requirements take effect March 1, 2026,  with partners having until January 31, 2027, to comply.

Expanding Opportunity Across the SonicWall Portfolio

SonicWall’s portfolio has grown well beyond firewalls. In addition to network security, partners now have expanded opportunities across:

• Security Service Edge (including Cloud Secure Edge, Secure Private Access and Secure Internet Access)
• SonicSentry MXDR managed services
• Managed Protection Security Suite (MPSS)
• Endpoint Security with Capture Client
• Unified Management and embedded ZTNA capabilities

This expansion creates new pathways to recurring revenue and higher-value engagements, allowing partners to deliver ongoing protection instead of transactional projects.

The SecureFirst enhancements are built to support that evolution.

Modernizing Recognition: Firm-Level Specializations

SecureFirst Specializations are now awarded at the firm level rather than the individual level. This change reinforces organizational capability and allows partners to showcase collective expertise across solution areas.

Partners can earn Specializations in Network Security, Cloud Secure Edge (CSE), Managed Security Services and Endpoint Security.

To achieve a Specialization, companies must have at least two individuals complete the required accreditations within the relevant product competency. This structure ensures depth of expertise while strengthening team-wide readiness.

Accelerating Enablement With Role-Based Accreditations

To support faster growth across the expanded portfolio, SonicWall has introduced a structured, role-based accreditation framework.

Accreditations are aligned to sales, technical pre-sales and post-sales professional services roles. They are on-demand, self-paced and built around practical application scenarios to reduce ramp-up time and accelerate time to revenue.

The framework spans five progressive levels:

• Foundation (All Roles)
• Associate (Sales)
• Professional (Pre-Sales Technical)
• Advanced (Post-Sales Technical)
• Technical Expert (Professional Services and MSPs)

Each level builds deeper capability — from understanding the threat landscape and positioning solutions, to advanced deployment and complex troubleshooting for professional services teams and MSPs.

Some accreditations are available today, with additional offerings rolling out through the first half of the year.

Importantly, SNSA and SNSP certifications remain valid but are no longer required. Continuing Education (CE) points are also no longer required for tier eligibility. These updates remove unnecessary complexity while preserving meaningful skill development.

Removing Friction in the Sales Cycle

Enablement now extends beyond training into active deal support.

SonicWall has launched the CSE Catalog, an on-demand resource that allows partners, customers and sales teams to instantly book live sessions with SonicWall Sales Engineers and Architects. Available services include general presentations, live demonstrations, workshops and product trial setups — helping shorten sales cycles and provide technical depth during critical opportunities.

Additionally, SonicWall has removed the deal size threshold for all CSE and MPSS opportunities for deal registration. This enables partners to register more opportunities, access deal registration discounts and receive sales assistance throughout the opportunity lifecycle — regardless of deal size.

Enhanced Onboarding and Learning Experience

SonicWall has also introduced an improved onboarding experience to help new partners get up and running quickly.

Partners now benefit from a guided checklist, curated onboarding training and a new learning platform with embedded AI functionality to quickly locate sales tools, content and resources. SonicWall University remains the core learning platform, now enhanced to bring more tools and support into a single location.

Expanded Benefits for Service Providers and Competitive Partners

The Service Provider Program now includes Elite Support for all service provider partners and access to exclusive managed service offerings, strengthening operational confidence for MSPs delivering recurring services.

For partners joining from competitive vendors, the Tier +1 Promotion accelerates tier progression within SecureFirst, allowing earlier access to higher-tier benefits while building their SonicWall business.

Partners continue to benefit from discounts, back-end rebates and Market Development Funds (MDF) for Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers (benefits may vary by region). 

SonicWall also offers AI-powered marketing services through a third-party provider, enabling partners to utilize earned MDF for fully serviced marketing programs.

New SecureFirst partner badges are available across all tiers and can be downloaded from the Partner Portal.

Timeline and Next Steps

Updated SecureFirst program requirements take effect March 12, 2026. Partners have until January 31, 2027, to meet the new requirements and align with the refreshed framework. Revenue and progress can be tracked through the Partner Dashboard in the Partner Portal.

To maximize the opportunity, partners should:

• Review the SecureFirst Program Guide
• Begin role-based accreditations
• Leverage the CSE Catalog for active opportunities
• Enroll in the Service Provider Program to monetize recurring service revenue
• Apply to the SecureFirst Partner Program and explore the Tier +1 Promotion if new to SonicWall

The FY27 SecureFirst updates reflect the reality of today’s security market: customers expect ongoing protection and measurable outcomes, and partners need scalable ways to deliver both. 

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