Today, there are different security platforms with distinct approaches in the world of cybersecurity. Using these platforms, organizations meet their security requirements. Protecting the following is vital:
- Mobile workforce in any situation and with any equipment
- All digitalized work environments, including infrastructure, networks, and the Cloud
- Workloads, wherever they are being deployed, around the clock
This is truly challenging. What makes it worse is that organizations are compelled to work with a collection of independent solutions. This leads to the tedious and continuous task of integrating products that do not easily synchronize, adding to the responsibilities. Now is the time for a new approach that redefines security. An approach that empowers security teams, processes, and technologies to operate as a cohesive unit and aids SecOps, ITOps, and NetOps to collaborate more. This approach reduces complexities while strengthening security across networks, endpoints, clouds, and applications.
In the past, businesses tried to protect themselves from emerging threats by implementing new solutions, but this led to a vast security infrastructure that generated numerous alerts. The 2020 CISO Benchmark Study revealed that 44% of organizations received over 10,000 alerts daily, responding to only half of them. It's no surprise that 82% of CISOs found managing alerts from various vendors challenging.
Challenges in Cybersecurity
The root of this complexity lies in the buying behavior. The prevailing pattern is to "identify the problem and buy a solution", focusing primarily on the efficiency of the solution. While constructing an infrastructure with "best-of-breed" solutions is rational, decisions based on the efficiency of each product overlook a more strategic question: Do they all integrate seamlessly in a hybrid environment, or do they cause misalignments, render operations useless, add complexities, and result in extended workflows?
The outcome of this neglect is a wasteful cycle, turning cybersecurity into a draining task for experts, especially when 74% believe that managing cyber risks is harder today because of the expanding threat landscape. The increase in software vulnerabilities and complexities in tactics, techniques, and procedures used by adversaries are outcomes of this issue.
Simplifying Organizations with Security Platforms
As the digital revolution peaks in the coming years, cybersecurity must keep pace. Currently, 72% of organizations claim that environmental complexity is their primary concern. Most believe that simplifying can enhance their security team's operational impact and efficiency.
This is where the platform approach steps in. Recent CISO surveys and analytics indicate a growing trend towards vendor consolidation. While facilitating security, a platform amplifies the vendor's vision. IDC predicts that 30% of the 2020 security budget will go to vendors offering integrated platforms.
However, not all platforms are created equal. Various vendors use the term "platform" to describe different security approaches. While these approaches usually offer some common goals like increased impact through integration and clarity, others offer a limited set of operations and control points.
Another crucial distinction is whether integrations start from the vendors or if you have to undertake this intricate task. If your security team spends significant time on it, their attention is diverted from their primary role of hunting and mitigating threats and breaches. The value of integrated security platforms diminishes dramatically because they no longer facilitate security.