Yubico has introduced the YubiNation Partners program, a new global channel initiative aimed at bringing together security professionals worldwide. Amid increasing AI-related cybersecurity threats, this program is designed to empower partners to act as trusted advisors, enhancing digital safety and privacy for customers.
The program is set to tackle challenges such as phishing attacks, which contribute significantly to the rising cost of corporate security breaches, estimated to average $4.4 million.
YubiKeys' Role in Digital Security
The reliance on traditional security methods is shifting, as indicated by a Forrester Consulting study commissioned by Yubico. The findings suggest a 265 percent return on investment when YubiKeys replace standard Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and One-Time Passwords (OTP), significantly reducing the risk of phishing and credential theft by 99.99 percent.
Transforming the Reseller Model
The YubiNation Partners program seeks to evolve the conventional reseller framework into a dynamic growth-driven model. The initiative supports partners in delivering robust, phishing-resistant MFA solutions, enabling rapid adoption of passwordless systems.
Creating a Community of Experts
"With YubiNation Partners, Yubico is embracing a Partner-first strategy, moving beyond traditional resale to build a dedicated community of security experts who are shaping the future of digital identity," said Bettina Vahl, Yubico's vice president of global channels. This effort is structured to transform partners into trusted advisors, providing the necessary tools to facilitate secure, passwordless environments.
Program Tiers
The YubiNation Partners initiative introduces four partnership tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each tier is tailored to acknowledge technical proficiency and collaboration:
- Bronze: Focus on foundational training through the Yubico Academy and rapid value delivery.
- Silver: Offers lead sharing and co-sell opportunities for large engagements.
- Gold: Grants priority access to market development funds and provides dedicated go-to-market support.
- Platinum: Includes the most substantial deal incentives and strategic invitations.
Yubico Academy: Enhancing Partner Competency
Yubico Academy now offers training in essentials, sales, technical sales, and professional servicesThe Yubico Academy has expanded to cover diverse educational needs, introducing series focusing on essentials, sales, technical sales, and professional services.
The 400-series certification is now available for Platinum and Gold partners, reflecting a commitment to treating partners as integral team members and aiding the path to phishing-resistant solutions.
Feedback from Partners
Felix Brand, a cybersecurity architect at SVA, a Yubico partner, noted the program's structured approach provided targeted training that meets the unique needs of consulting partners. This feedback highlights the program's alignment with practical requirements.
Impact on the Identity Security Market
The YubiNation Partners program is structured to assist advisors in meeting market demands, with more than 30 percent of Fortune 500 and numerous top AI companies already utilizing YubiKeys. This partnership is intended to aid channel partners in leveraging existing market authority, shortening sales cycles, and driving sustainable revenue.
Implementation Details
Existing partners will be assigned to one of the four tiers based on current metrics, including revenue growth and Yubico Academy certifications. New partners interested in joining YubiNation may apply through Yubico’s website or local distributors.
Jake Pederson, director at Zones, emphasized the benefits of the program, noting that the new structure allows strategic partners to drive more significant impact within the identity security market while enhancing technical expertise and service integration.
Yubico, a modern cybersecurity company and creator of the most secure passkeys, announced the launch of YubiNation Partners, a new global channel program designed to unite a community of security experts.
In the face of growing AI-driven cyber threats, the program enables partners to become trusted advisors and cultivate a safer digital world for their customers, making identities private and secure.
YubiKeys
As the average cost of a corporate security breach climbs to $4.4 million, with phishing remaining a primary attack vector, the industry can no longer rely on passwords alone. In fact, a 2026 Total Economic Impact study from Forrester Consulting commissioned by Yubico, found that by replacing traditional Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and One-Time Passwords (OTP) with YubiKeys, customers achieved a 265 percent return on investment (ROI).
This effectively eliminated phishing and credential-theft risks, reducing an organization’s risk exposure to breach costs from addressable attacks by 99.99 percent.
With the ever-changing landscape, YubiNation Partners is more important than ever, transforming the traditional reseller model into a strategic engine for growth, empowering partners to deliver the gold standard in phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA) and help customers go passwordless at speed and scale.
Building a community of security experts
“With YubiNation Partners, Yubico is embracing a Partner-first strategy, moving beyond traditional resale to build a dedicated community of security experts who are shaping the future of digital identity,” said Bettina Vahl, vice president of global channels at Yubico. “This program is built to turn our partners into true trusted advisors, giving them the innovation, speed and scale they need to help customers go passwordless and stay secure everywhere.”
Welcome to YubiNation Partners: Built to accelerate partner success at scale
The new program features four distinct partnership tiers specifically designed to recognize technical expertise, investment and collaboration. Each tier unlocks deeper enablement and benefits:
- Bronze (building the foundation): Focuses on rapid enablement through the Yubico Academy and authorized distributors to help teams deliver value immediately
- Silver (expanding impact): Unlocks lead sharing and co-sell support for opportunities involving 200+ users
- Gold (accelerating at scale): Receives priority access to market development funds (MDF), a dedicated go-to-market team and a not-for-resale (NFR) allocation of up to 25 keys per quarter to support technical readiness
- Platinum (leading the way): Strongest deal incentives, services leads, direct access to MDF, invitations to exclusive strategic events and business planning sessions and an NFR allocation of up to 50 keys per quarter
Yubico Academy: The destination spot for effective channel enablement
Over the past year, Yubico has significantly expanded the Yubico Academy to support roles across our partner ecosystem: 100-series (Essentials), 200-series (Sales) and 300-series (Technical Sales), including completing a proof of concept with a fourth level of certification, the 400-series focused on Professional Services.
After incorporating feedback from partners worldwide, Yubico is also making the 400-series available to Platinum and Gold tier partners. This program reinforces the mission to treat partners as an extension of Yubico’s team and strengthens the partner networks’ ability to streamline our customers’ path to phishing-resistance. It also allows partners to leverage their expertise in a wider array of solutions to deliver additional Professional Services that ultimately enable customer success.
"The feedback from both my colleagues and I regarding the new Professional Services certifications has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly concerning the specialized vendor modules,” said Felix Brand, CISSP and cybersecurity architect at Germany-based Yubico partner, SVA. “This structured approach provided a highly targeted experience that directly aligns with the unique needs and strengths of each individual consulting partner."
Innovating for the future of identity
YubiNation Partners is built to help trusted advisors capture demand in a fast-moving market. Currently, over 30 percent of the Fortune 500 and 18 of the top 20 AI companies rely on YubiKeys to secure their workforces. By joining YubiNation, channel partners can leverage this brand authority to shorten sales cycles, drive recurring revenue and shape the future of securing digital identity.
The program creates a unified ecosystem where partners can advise, build and resell, supported by tailored enablement and campaign kits that drive measurable impact.
“We see Yubico’s updated channel program as a strong step forward in supporting strategic partners like Zones. The investments in enablement, tiering, and services alignment position us to drive greater impact together in the identity security market,” said Jake Pederson, director, software, cloud and security alliances at Zones. “By elevating partner certifications and Professional Services integration, the program empowers Zones to differentiate through technical expertise and end-to-end delivery excellence at global scale.”
Availability
Existing partners will be automatically placed into one of the four program tiers based on current criteria, such as revenue growth and Yubico Academy certifications completed.
New partners looking to advance their security mission and join the YubiNation Partners community can submit a Partner Application starting today on the Yubico website or through their local Yubico distributor.
