How to consolidate your cybersecurity tools.

The volume and sophistication of cyberattacks has increased at an unprecedented rate over the last few years. The rise of generative AI tools and larger attack surfaces have forced the C-suite to make adopting and managing new cybersecurity tools and strategies a top priority. 

However, as organizations scale and expand their security infrastructure, the addition of more and more point solutions can ultimately be more detrimental than beneficial. With the average company in 2025 now juggling an eyewatering 83 different security solutions from 29 vendors,¹  fragmented tools are leading to cybersecurity stacks that are complex, expensive, and inefficient. 

It’s no surprise that as early as 2022, 75% of organizations were pursuing security vendor consolidation—a number that was triple the amount two years prior² —in a bid to streamline their cybersecurity strategy. Beyond cutting costs, consolidation can simplify operations, freeing security teams to focus on improving security posture and key strategic initiatives.

The coming cybersecurity vendor consolidation will be huge, transformative—and powered by a new approach called platformization.

What is platformization?

Platformization is the integration of a collection of often patchworked security tools, technologies, and services into a unified, centralized platform. 

By consolidating disparate security functions into a unified framework, platformization not only optimizes operations but also enables organizations to adopt a defense-in-depth strategy. This multi-layered approach can strengthen email, endpoint, network, and cloud environments, creating a robust defense that shields every aspect of the business.  

Platformization can also deliver measurable, long-term investment and return by reducing the total cost of ownership, improving decision-making with centralized visibility, and accelerating response times to emerging threats. Beyond fortifying an organization’s defense, this unified approach directly drives enhanced business agility, scalability, and growth. Businesses can optimize resources, boost operations, and align security with broader organizational objectives by seamlessly integrating security across all layers. 

This strategic shift empowers the C-suite to make data-driven decisions with confidence, ultimately enhancing operational efficiency, fostering innovation, and enabling faster time-to-market for new initiatives.   

How to begin your platformization journey

The road to implementing a unified security platform can pose challenges and pitfalls. Every company has unique challenges—but here are five universal, practical steps that all can take to transition from a fragmented system to a unified one: 

1. Assess your current security landscape

Evaluate your people, tools, and processes through a comprehensive audit. Identify gaps, redundancies, and inefficiencies across your cybersecurity, network, and cloud infrastructure. This baseline reveals integration opportunities and areas for consolidation.

2. Choose the right platform model

Select a platform that fits your risk profile and operational needs:

• Single vendor suite: Simplified management but less flexibility.
• Mix-and-match approach: Customizable but more complex.
• Outsourced partner: Hands-off management with external expertise but requires trust.

3. Streamline and implement

Consolidate and remove redundant tools while enhancing your platform with advanced features and automation. This simplifies your security stack, improves visibility, and drives cost efficiency.

4. Commit to continuous improvement

Regularly update your platform to keep pace with evolving threats. Adapt your incident response strategy and ensure scalability—especially if working with an external partner—to future-proof your cybersecurity.

5. Partner with cybersecurity experts

Collaborate with a managed security service provider (MSSP) for expert guidance. An experienced partner can manage platform integration, help ensure compliance, and provide ongoing support to strengthen your cybersecurity posture.

¹“IBM and Palo Alto Networks Find Platformization is Key to Reduce Cybersecurity Complexity,” IBM, January 28, 2025.

²“Gartner Survey Shows 75% of Organizations Are Pursuing Security Vendor Consolidation in 2022,” Gartner, September 13, 2022.