Security used to be a conversation that businesses had only after a breach. However, that spending pattern is starting to shift, Carbon Black CEO Patrick Morley says.

"Today, you see organizations being much more proactive," Morley said in a recent interview at company headquarters in Waltham, Mass. "Everyone has CISOs and boards who are very aware and don't want to (have) breaches. The mandate now is to improve the security posture."

Morley said CISOs and boards of directors aer pushing to upgrade the overall security stack, with companies willing to spend more on security than in years past. That has driven big growth in the security market, with Gartner predicting the market will more than double, from around $75 billion in 2015 to around $170 billion in 2020

That push is especially apparent in "forward-leaning organizations," such as companies with remote locations, utilities, oil and gas, and medical, Morley said.

Morley said companies used to invest primarily in traditional security technologies, such as anti-virus, but are increasingly using their blooming budgets to invest in next-generation technologies, such as next-generation firewalls, next-generation endpoint security and SIEM.

"Today you see more of the new entrants all being part of that decision with the customer," Morley said.

That's a shift Morley has seen at his own company, which sells next-generation endpoint security solutions. He said more customers are coming to Carbon Black to be more proactive about their security, rather than post-breach as in years past. Next-generation endpoint security plays a particular role in that conversation, he said, as more companies look to secure emerging workplace trends such as BYOD and IoT.

"With a move to a more device-centric world, we're going to see a lot of security dollars put to better protect the endpoint and the device," Morley said. "You can't be blind on those endpoints anymore … Next-generation endpoint is part of that answer."

Solution providers and managed secuitry service providers are a critical part of that emerging security strategy for customers, Morley said, as partners are trusted advisors to customers and can help them navigate the extensive options on the market.

For Carbon Black, that means a focus on partners is critical to its success, Morley said. He said the company takes a "partner-first mentality" when it comes to its go-to-market. It's investing in go-to-market programs, coverage models, channel representatives, systems engineers and training to further that push.

"The channel strategy is a core differentiator," Morley said. "If we do a good job at it, we will continue to differentiate."