Why Unified Platforms Will Rise as Security Portfolios Fail

Gone are the days when your business could have one security product to counter each threat it was facing. Today’s attacks are sophisticated and dangerous – complex, multi-faceted and cross-channel. And they are growing in numbers. At the same time, stretched security teams are being relied on to secure digital business for a new generation of hybrid workers. Something made even harder by the pronounced shortage of skills that the cybersecurity sector is facing. The latest (ISC)² cybersecurity workforce study revealed the global cybersecurity workforce still needs to increase by 65% to effectively protect organisations against cyber threats.

Cracks emerging

With limited budgets and resources but a burgeoning to-do list, mid-sized businesses need to stay focused on reducing complexity and increasing efficiency. However, too many organisations are still trying to manage multiple point-products. In fact, our research into the state of the UK’s cybersecurity response shows mid-market firms typically use an average of 24-point products to protect themselves. As a result, security teams are battling incompatible dashboards and struggling to integrate new systems with existing defences. More worryingly, between each point solution is a security gap that cybercriminals are exploiting.

Integrated security driven from a single cloud-based platform relieves this pressure and enables organisations to reduce those gaps. Organisations can eliminate the vulnerabilities that sit between and across major attack surfaces by connecting email, web and cloud application security using identity and context. Crucially, consolidating security with a coordinated approach makes cybersecurity easier to manage and helps future-proof defences. According to Gartner^® Predicts 2022, “driven by the need to reduce complexity, leverage commonalities and minimize management overhead, security technology convergence is accelerating “.

A platform approach enables organisations to move away from the more expensive and time-consuming approach of running separate solutions in silos. It gives organisations a single platform that’s simpler to use, easier to manage and reduces the need for manual intervention. In addition, there’s the ease of reporting, transparency on all incoming threats and ability to have a holistic view of your entire security posture in one place.

Finally, a platform approach enables digital business, giving users the freedom to access the applications and data they need regardless of device or location, whilst providing visibility for IT and adequate protection. It also prepares organisations for the next step in the evolution of cyber security – zero trust – where every user and every request are granted the least amount of privilege. This change goes beyond keeping threats out of the ‘safe zone’. A platform approach will empower organisations to validate a user’s context and identity at lightning speed using information on geolocation, device integrity, and credentials before they connect to sensitive information and systems.

Embracing integrated security

However, it’s important to remember that not all vendors can deliver a truly consolidated platform, so security teams need to make sure they’re getting the right support when evaluating vendors.

At Censornet, our mission is to give mid-market businesses access to enterprise-grade security but without the cost and complexity that comes with running expensive solutions or multiple products. We achieve this with an integrated approach.

Our platform replaces multiple individual point products with one strategic offering. Web, email, cloud application security and identity-as-a-service (IDaaS) are incorporated into one platform, autonomously sharing attack intelligence to tackle threats at machine speed. Updates are deployed without the need for manual intervention, giving businesses the protection they need, at the right time and in a way that is easy to manage.

To discover more on how to embrace integrated security and prepare for a new generation of security challenges, read our latest guide – A platform perspective for the mid-market: why security portfolios will fail as platforms prevail.