It’s no secret that the cybersecurity platform discussion is important to many right now. Yet the platform approach to cybersecurity has been around for years, and there has long been a debate across industries about choosing the best products versus using a unified platform.
However, as organizations grow more complex and the threat landscape changes, a number of scoring products are being used to manage the risk effects of technology overlap and unwanted blind spots. This outdated approach to security also exacerbates the ongoing cybersecurity talent shortage, creating more work for security and IT teams, many of which are already overworked and understaffed.
The reality is that these unique challenges will only intensify as new threats emerge and businesses continue to evolve. That’s why businesses must choose an integrated, platform-focused approach to effectively protect their digital assets. Simplifying security is important for organizations of all sizes in all industries, and the first place to start is for teams to optimize the products they use and integrate vendors where possible.
Is there still a role for point products?
As organizations increasingly adopt a platform approach to cyber security, it raises the question of why we still have products that make sense and whether they are worthwhile in a risk management strategy.
The answer lies in the ever-changing nature of cyber security and infrastructure. Because the threat landscape is constantly changing, the industry will always need to create new defenses, leading to new point products. As infrastructure constantly evolves to meet the changing needs of all businesses—such as supporting a hybrid workforce or moving more applications to the cloud—new point products will still be needed to address new risks and opportunities. As certain point products stabilize or become commercialized over time, they can and should become part of a cybersecurity platform.
The cybersecurity field requires real collaboration
While it makes sense to integrate many commonly used components into a single platform to simplify operations and integrate key functions, there must be deep interoperability between these components for products to function as a true platform. At the very least, everything should work on a standard operating system. It is not enough to simply integrate technologies that are designed to work as standalone solutions. Without a common base of operations, true collaboration cannot be achieved.
There is another related situation that occurs frequently that should raise concerns among organizations looking to transition into a cybersecurity environment. In the race to push the platform to market, many companies will acquire point products from other, smaller vendors. Instead of taking the time to fully integrate the functions and functionality of the acquired products into an integrated solution, they tie this acquisition to another offering, call it a “platform,” and take it to market. At best, this is false advertising. At worst, unpredictable security and IT teams end up investing countless resources in a “platform” that doesn’t deliver what they want, leaving their business open to unnecessary risk and possibly not creating any potential for their day-to-day operations.
Start your field trip
Every company would like to reduce operating costs while improving its security posture. A cybersecurity platform approach can achieve this by truly integrating point products, reducing overhead, and enabling native automation across multiple technologies. Some companies will choose to use only active platforms, while others may choose to use platform suites or specific dual-source offerings.
The speaker’s journey will look different for every organization based on unique needs, but the goal remains the same: to move from using only point products.
Key components of a strong cybersecurity platform
When evaluating cybersecurity platform offerings, remember that not all platforms are the same. Many vendor solutions labeled as platforms are made up of separate products that run on different operating systems, have different data structures, and use different management consoles.
It’s important to look at the bottom of the cybersecurity platforms you’re considering. A true cybersecurity platform should be supported by a single operating system, have a unified agent, use a single management console, rely on a single data pool, use open APIs, and easily integrate with third-party products.
And don’t just take the vendor’s word for it when it comes to their capabilities and the completeness of their platform offering. During the evaluation process, ask to speak with current customers and seek guidance from industry analysts.
Choose the right cybersecurity platform for your organization
Whether you’re already using a cybersecurity platform or just starting your journey into the platform era, choose your vendors wisely. Are the operating system and functional components of the platform you are considering truly integrated, or will you shift the complexity of your existing point-of-sale product portfolio to a different type of feature? The approach you choose will have a significant impact on your organization’s overall security and day-to-day operations, both today and in the future.
Where should we direct the readers at the end of the episode?
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