How Unified Cybersecurity Platforms Add Business Value

• Organizations with mature security platforms detect and contain threats faster, see higher ROI, and shift cybersecurity from a cost center to a strategic asset
  
• Fragmented security toolsets cost enterprises billions in complexity and inefficiency, but platformization reduces risk, improves visibility, and supports digital transformation
  
• AI-integrated platforms enhance proactive defense, protect business initiatives, and drive agility across security operations and broader enterprise systems
  

As cyberattacks grow more sophisticated and enterprise IT becomes more complex, organizations are finding that traditional, piecemeal security strategies no longer suffice. According to a global study by IBM and Palo Alto Networks, the average enterprise juggles 83 different security tools from 29 vendors, creating a fragmented environment where integration gaps and inefficiencies lead to serious risks and wasted resources. The report identifies security platformization as the most effective strategy to counteract this complexity, reduce operational costs, and accelerate both security and business performance.

Security platforms unify tools, data, and workflows into a consolidated system that improves detection and response times while enhancing ROI. Organizations that have adopted platformized security report a 72-day faster detection window and an 84-day shorter containment time for incidents. More than that, they see average returns of 101% compared to only 28% for non-adopters. Platformization transforms cybersecurity into a value-generating capability—96% of executives with mature platforms say security now contributes positively to revenue, innovation, and operational efficiency.

The research also emphasizes how integrated platforms empower AI-driven defenses. Platforms enhance AI’s ability to ingest and act on real-time data from across the enterprise, offering advanced threat visibility and enabling rapid, automated response. With AI embedded into security infrastructure, organizations not only defend better but also improve the success and scalability of their AI initiatives across departments. Compared to non-adopters, platformized organizations report significantly fewer AI project failures due to security concerns.

Finally, the report recommends decisive action: organizations should audit and rationalize their existing toolsets, realign IT and security teams under common governance, and develop hybrid-cloud architectures that embed security at the core. With platformization, cybersecurity becomes more than just protection—it becomes a foundation for resilience, agility, and sustainable growth in an AI-driven future.

Read the full article