D&H Distributing's Strategic Cybersecurity Expansion with Fortinet and Check Point

The cybersecurity market for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and midmarket organizations is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by escalating cyber threats and a surge in demand for advanced security solutions. As global spending on cybersecurity is projected to grow by 12.2% in 2025, distributors like D&H Distributing are positioning themselves at the forefront of this transformation. By forging strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Fortinet and Check Point, D&H is capitalizing on a market poised for exponential growth, particularly in the SMB and midmarket segments where profitability is increasingly tied to proactive security investments.

A Market in Motion: Cybersecurity Demand in SMBs and Midmarkets

The urgency for robust cybersecurity measures has never been higher. In 2024 alone, U.S. SMBs reported 193,407 phishing and spoofing incidents, resulting in over $70 million in losses. Ransomware attacks have also surged, with 47% of small businesses hit in the past year and average ransom payments skyrocketing 500% to $2 million. These trends are reshaping priorities: 57% of SMBs now rank cybersecurity as their top business priority, up from 43% in 2024.

Midmarket organizations are similarly recalibrating their strategies. The rise of AI-powered threats-such as deepfake scams and generative AI-driven attacks-has pushed midmarket firms to adopt AI-enabled defenses and enhance threat intelligence capabilities. Meanwhile, the managed security services (MSS) market is projected to grow from $30.6 billion in 2023 to $87.5 billion by 2030, reflecting a broader shift toward outsourced, proactive security solutions.

D&H's Strategic Alliances: Fortinet and Check Point as Catalysts

D&H Distributing's partnerships with Fortinet and Check Point are emblematic of its strategy to dominate the cybersecurity distribution landscape. While details on the Check Point collaboration remain sparse, Fortinet's partnership offers a clear blueprint for D&H's approach.

In 2025, D&H expanded its portfolio to include Fortinet's entire security product suite, including managed detection and response (MDR), endpoint detection and response (EDR), and secure access service edge (SASE) offerings. This move aligns with the growing demand for integrated, AI-driven solutions. For instance, 59% of SMBs and 87% of midmarket firms are seeking AI to automate incident response and enhance threat detection. Fortinet's technologies, now distributed through D&H's network, address these needs while enabling partners to transition from managed service providers (MSPs) to managed security service providers (MSSPs)- a lucrative shift as MSS demand surges.

The partnership is underpinned by aggressive financial goals. Fortinet's U.S. Sales Executive Vice President, Trevor Pagliara, has emphasized targeting "hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue by 2026" through this collaboration. D&H's FWD enablement program, which includes structured training, certification paths, and technical support, ensures partners can effectively deploy and monetize these solutions. For example, Dayton Cincinnati Technology Services aims to sell $500,000 to $1 million in Fortinet's EDR and MDR products annually, underscoring the scalability of this model.

Profitability in a High-Stakes Market

The profitability of D&H's strategy is rooted in the structural dynamics of the SMB and midmarket cybersecurity sector. As of 2025, 61% of SMBs spent more on cybersecurity than initially planned, while 58% of SMBs increased 2024 budgets beyond expectations. This spending surge is driven by both necessity and regulatory pressures, with midmarket firms increasingly aligning cybersecurity investments with corporate strategy.

D&H's role as a distributor is uniquely positioned to benefit from these trends. By providing access to advanced solutions like Fortinet's MDR and Check Point's threat intelligence platforms, D&H enables partners to capture a share of the $87.5 billion MSS market. Additionally, the lack of in-house expertise in many SMBs- only 22% have implemented multi-factor authentication-creates a dependency on distributors and MSSPs to bridge the gap.

Conclusion: A Lucrative Future for Cybersecurity Distributors

D&H Distributing's strategic alliances with Fortinet and Check Point are not just defensive maneuvers but calculated investments in a market that is rapidly redefining profitability. As cyber threats evolve and SMBs prioritize security, distributors that offer scalable, AI-driven solutions will dominate. With Fortinet's partnership already generating ambitious revenue targets and the MSS market expanding at a breakneck pace, D&H's expansion into cybersecurity distribution is a compelling case study in aligning with industry tailwinds.

For investors, the message is clear: the cybersecurity market's growth is no longer speculative but a reality, and distributors like D&H are the gatekeepers to its most lucrative segments.