CrowdStrike is widening its frontier AI security program, Project QuiltWorks, to managed service providers and other channel partners serving small and mid-sized businesses, the cybersecurity firm told CRN in an exclusive interview. The move lets MSPs lead clients through protection against vulnerabilities discovered by advanced AI models like Anthropic's Claude Mythos and OpenAI's Daybreak, bringing enterprise-grade defenses down to the SMB level. Daniel Danielli, vice president of global scale partnerships at CrowdStrike, said the expansion ensures "access to the best cybersecurity technology wasn't just the domain of the largest enterprises."
The QuiltWorks expansion brings in seven distribution and marketplace partners: Pax8, TD Synnex, Arrow Electronics, Ignition Technology, Nord Security, Westcon-Comstor, and Zip Security, CrowdStrike announced Thursday. Rather than handing partners direct access to frontier models, QuiltWorks wraps capabilities from Anthropic and OpenAI around the Falcon platform, letting service providers blend AI-driven vulnerability discovery with their own prioritization and remediation offerings. Partners wanting to join need enrollment in CrowdStrike's Engagement Licensing Program—which grants 60 days of Falcon access for templated assessments—or can work through distributors that already hold those credentials. The second requirement is a services capability, since partners earn more revenue from remediation and mitigation services than from platform sales alone, according to Danielli.
CrowdStrike was an original member of both Anthropic's Project Glasswing and OpenAI's Daybreak Access (formerly Trusted Access for Cyber), giving the firm early ties to frontier AI labs focused on vulnerability discovery. "What they are doing is working with a partner, in CrowdStrike, who is deeply embedded in both of the frontier AI labs," Danielli said. The company has built harnesses within the Falcon platform to assess vulnerabilities and exposure, then deliver outcomes "in a simple, digestible way" for downmarket MSPs. The QuiltWorks framework begins with an assessment of a customer's security environment, followed by remediation and mitigation strategies, and concludes with transformation steps like modernizing identity stacks and protecting the spread of AI agents across the enterprise.
The push reflects a shift in threat dynamics: adversaries no longer discriminate by company size, Danielli explained. Instead of targeting only high-value enterprises, attackers can "send a swarm of agents out—and whatever comes back, if they get $10, but they do it a million times, it's a big win for them." Small businesses adopting AI tools like vibe coding enjoy operational gains but often lack guardrails, creating exposure they don't see. QuiltWorks aims to shine a spotlight on hidden vulnerabilities, then guide customers through remediation and transformation so SMBs can adopt AI safely and capture its strategic benefits. For accounts with 250 seats or fewer, CrowdStrike now runs an alliance-led sales motion with no direct sales reps, relying entirely on partner account executives—a structure Danielli said reflects the belief that "this segment is won and is owned by the channel ecosystem." The company is equipping distributors with technical resources, training, and certification through programs like APEX channel development, helping small MSPs migrate customers off legacy antivirus and SIEM tools and consolidate multiple sensors into one platform. Partners stepping into this role won't just sell software—they'll architect defenses against threats that evolve faster than any single vendor can track, making channel expertise the last line between automation and exploitation.