November 18, 2025 — Tradewinds Networks Inc. (TNI) is pleased to announce that GuardTower, its advanced, next-generation AI-driven cybersecurity platform, redefining how enterprises detect and deter cyberattacks, has been named a 2025 CRN Stellar Startup for Security by The Channel Company. The annual CRN Stellar Startups list honors emerging technology suppliers six years old or younger that are transforming the IT channel through innovation, measurable outcomes, and partner-centric growth.

GuardTower’s selection marks a defining moment in the cybersecurity industry. The company’s low-noise, deception-driven detection platform has shattered the limitations of traditional prevention-based tools by eliminating dwell time, reducing false positives to zero, and flattening complexity across disparate systems. Built for the channel, GuardTower empowers Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), MSPs, and systems integrators to offer their clients a next-generation layer of defense that delivers sub-second detection and actionable intelligence before adversaries strike.

“Being recognized as a CRN Stellar Startup is more than an award—it’s a declaration that the channel is ready for evolution,” said John Santoyo, CEO of GuardTower. “For decades, cybersecurity has chased threats in the dark. GuardTower ends that chase before it begins. We give CISOs, SOC teams, and their channel partners a clear signal—fast, accurate, and free from noise.”

The CRN Stellar Startups recognition validates GuardTower’s disruptive mission to make proactive defense the new industry standard. Rather than adding yet another alerting system to an already crowded stack, GuardTower fuses deception, detection, and deterrence into a unified AI architecture that optimizes existing SIEM and SOC workflows. Its partner-ready deployment model turns the most complex security environments into streamlined, self-defending ecosystems—reducing mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR) while enhancing revenue opportunities for channel providers.

“In a world of escalating attack velocity, prevention alone no longer suffices,” added Keith Alexis, President and CTO of GuardTower. “Our platform gives defenders what they’ve always lacked: time. We slow down attackers, we simplify the battlefield, and we hand the advantage back to the enterprise. That’s why this recognition from CRN is so significant—it signals that the channel is embracing active defense at scale.”

A New Channel Standard for Cyber Resilience

Since 1982, CRN has been the IT channel’s most trusted source for technology news, analysis, and partner enablement. The Stellar Startups list highlights vendors that empower partners to move beyond resale and deliver differentiated solutions with measurable impact. GuardTower’s architecture embodies that principle—engineered from inception for ease of integration, frictionless deployment, and partner profitability.

The recognition also reflects a major shift in cybersecurity strategy. As nation-state and criminal adversaries employ stealthier tactics and longer dwell times, enterprises require technology that deceives attackers, creates operational confusion, and alerts security teams in real time. GuardTower’s platform builds dynamic deception zones—controlled traps that lure and observe adversaries—while providing CISOs with early, verified intelligence that optimizes their existing SOC and SIEM tools.

This design not only strengthens enterprise defense but also unlocks new revenue and differentiation opportunities for partners, allowing them to bundle GuardTower as a premium active-defense layer in managed services portfolios. With its CRN recognition, GuardTower signals to MSSPs and resellers worldwide that proactive deception is no longer optional—it’s the new competitive standard.

The Industry Impact

GuardTower’s emergence represents a decisive break from reactive cybersecurity. By collapsing the gap between detection and decision, the company enables IT teams and managed service providers to reclaim control of their threat landscape. Enterprises deploying GuardTower report dramatically lower alert volumes, faster incident containment, and improved ROI across their security stacks. For the channel, this means new margin potential, stickier customer relationships, and the ability to deliver true outcome-driven security.  GuardTower gives the channel the tools to lead that change.”