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OnDefend, a local cybersecurity firm, has partnered with the national staffing, IT and consulting services brand Modis — one of Adecco’s brands — to offer cybersecurity solutions to its customers.

It’s the first such partnership for OnDefend. The two companies will be offering security services to Modis’ clients throughout the U.S., including vulnerability management, network and penetration testing, cloud environment security, email phishing training and more.

“It’s a natural extension,” OnDefend Managing Parter Chris Freedman said. “Primarily right now, cybersecurity is critical.”

OnDefend is focused on finding channel partners as it continues to add new cybersecurity offerings to its portfolio, Freedman said. Modis is particularly well suited for OnDefend because they have a large footprint and many clients that would benefit from these services.

They had been collaborating for months, Freedman said, as the pandemic wore on and illustrated how integral cybersecurity was in the nature of remote work.

“I think with this pandemic, the timing is really interesting, outside of us planning to partner and serve those clients, it’s really drawn out a really big need,” Freedman added.

OnDefend has reshaped its offerings to partner with national brands, Freedman said, finding its stride in focusing on business-to-business channel partnerships.

“We have built ourselves to truly add value by creating a non-invasive kind of overall solution and services for clients,” Freedman said.

This partnership was particularly exciting for Freedman because he is a Jacksonville native who remembers when the Modis sign was the biggest thing on the Jacksonville skyline.

While the pandemic caused many companies to tighten their purse strings and review their expenses, it also illustrated the importance of cybersecurity for the modern workforce, he said. Freedman believes that the pandemic will likely cause businesses to rethink the way they operate — in terms of office space and remote work — but also in their need for investing in their security.

“I think there are going to be a lot of opportunities coming out of this,” Freedman said.

Freedman said that work has already been trending in this direction and it makes sense to consider the need for cybersecurity. Modis clearly thought so, “The Modis – OnDefend partnership is an exciting combination,” Pete Broding, head of Modis consulting and academy, said in the press release. “By complementing our Modis Consulting technology capabilities with OnDefend’s portfolio of security services, we greatly enhance the impact our solutions bring to our clients’ business.”