IBM, Palo Alto Networks: Platformization Essential to Simplify Cybersecurity

NewsIBM, Palo Alto Networks: Platformization Essential to Simplify Cybersecurity

Global Survey Highlights the Importance of Consolidated Security Approaches for Enhanced Business Outcomes

Date: January 28, 2025

In a recent global survey conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) and Palo Alto Networks, significant insights have emerged regarding the challenges organizations face with security complexity. The survey reveals that a substantial 75% of organizations pursuing a consolidated security approach recognize the crucial need for enhanced integration across various technology platforms, including security, hybrid cloud, and artificial intelligence (AI). This integration is seen as a key factor in driving better business outcomes.

The study, titled "Capturing the Cybersecurity Dividend: How Security Platforms Generate Business Value," sheds light on the complexity of security solutions that organizations are currently managing. On average, surveyed companies are using 83 different security solutions from 29 vendors, leading to a fragmented security landscape. This fragmentation is perceived as a significant barrier to effectively addressing cyber threats, with over half of the executives surveyed acknowledging its impact.

The Challenges of Cybersecurity Complexity

In today’s interconnected digital world, the expansion of attack surfaces has introduced new vulnerabilities, making cybersecurity a more formidable task. Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and both attackers and defenders are leveraging AI to outpace each other in this ongoing battle. As a result, companies are grappling with the high costs associated with fragmented security systems.

Surveyed executives estimate that security fragmentation costs their organizations approximately 5% of their annual revenue. For a company with $20 billion in annual revenue, this translates to a staggering $1 billion in costs, encompassing security incidents, lost productivity, failed digital transformations, stalled AI initiatives, customer trust issues, and reputational damage.

Mark Hughes, Global Managing Partner for Cybersecurity Services at IBM, emphasized the dual challenge organizations face: "Organizations need to update their security posture to address new threats while also reducing complexity and costs. Security executives must enable innovation, protect assets, and derive value from their cybersecurity investments to help their organizations thrive and achieve their business goals."

Karim Temsamani, President of Next Generation Security at Palo Alto Networks, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the benefits of adopting a platformized security approach. He stated, "IBM and Palo Alto Networks are aligned on a common vision of creating better outcomes for our customers. Platformization not only addresses current fragmentation but also enables better future outcomes."

Insights from Business Leaders

The survey provided valuable insights from business leaders, revealing key trends and challenges in the cybersecurity landscape:

  1. 52% of executives identified complexity as the biggest obstacle in their cybersecurity operations.
  2. 80% of respondents face pressure to reduce security costs, with 41% indicating that security fragmentation has increased procurement expenses.
  3. Four out of five organizations not utilizing a platform approach struggle to effectively manage the volume of threats and attacks.
  4. 80% of platformization adopters report having full visibility into potential vulnerabilities and threats.
  5. Organizations that have embraced platformization experience significantly shorter mean times to identify (MTTI) and contain (MTTC) security incidents, by an average of 72 and 84 days, respectively.

    The Power of Platformization in Digital Transformation

    The research underscores the importance of platformization in effective security management. By consolidating multiple tools into a unified platform, organizations can enhance their security posture and achieve nearly four times the return on investment (ROI) from their cybersecurity expenditures. This leads to revenue generation and increased operational efficiencies.

    Integrating AI into security platforms further empowers organizations to ingest and analyze data effectively, delivering actionable insights. With 90% of surveyed executives planning to scale, optimize, or innovate with AI in the next two years, incorporating AI into security platforms is seen as crucial for advancing security preparedness.

    Through the strategic partnership between IBM and Palo Alto Networks, organizations are equipped with leading security platforms, AI capabilities, and transformational tools to navigate their digital transformation journey confidently. This collaboration aims to help businesses achieve their desired outcomes and drive substantial business value.

    Tips for Successful Platformization

    For organizations considering a shift towards platformization, the following tips can aid in achieving success:

  6. Choose partners that streamline your security mission: Carefully evaluate current and potential technology, services, and support partners. Make informed decisions about where to focus efforts and when to part ways.
  7. Run your playbook: Conduct incident response drills to assess where a unified platform can have the greatest impact. Take proactive measures to enhance incident response capabilities.
  8. Prepare your business to respond to threats: Engage in cyber range experiences to train business and technical teams to address the latest cyber threats through immersive, organization-wide engagements. IBM and Palo Alto Networks offer a joint Cyber Range experience in Cambridge, Massachusetts, supporting continuous improvement, training, and change management.

    Additional Resources

    The IBM Institute of Business Value (IBV) conducted this research in collaboration with Oxford Economics, surveying 1,000 executives across 21 industries and 18 countries from July to September 2024. The study resulted in the creation of a "platformization index," measuring the extent of an organization’s shift towards security platformization and its correlation with security and business outcomes.

    About IBM: IBM is a global leader in hybrid cloud, AI, and consulting expertise, serving clients in over 175 countries. With a focus on insights, streamlined processes, cost reduction, and competitive advantage, IBM supports digital transformations across industries.

    About Palo Alto Networks: As a global cybersecurity leader, Palo Alto Networks is dedicated to enhancing daily safety with AI-powered solutions in network security, cloud security, and security operations. Their platformization approach integrates diverse security solutions into a unified, scalable platform, providing operational efficiencies and comprehensive protection.

    For more information on IBM’s thought leadership, visit IBM IBV.

    This informative article provides a comprehensive overview of the global survey findings, emphasizing the benefits of a consolidated security approach for organizations seeking to enhance their cybersecurity posture and drive business value.

For more Information, Refer to this article.

Neil S
Neil S
Neil is a highly qualified Technical Writer with an M.Sc(IT) degree and an impressive range of IT and Support certifications including MCSE, CCNA, ACA(Adobe Certified Associates), and PG Dip (IT). With over 10 years of hands-on experience as an IT support engineer across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Linux Server platforms, Neil possesses the expertise to create comprehensive and user-friendly documentation that simplifies complex technical concepts for a wide audience.
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