A new global study from IBM and Palo Alto Networks reveals that organizations are struggling with cybersecurity complexity while highlighting the business benefits of a consolidated platform approach. The research shows that Indian executives in particular are feeling the pressure of managing fragmented security ecosystems.
Security Complexity Creating Significant Challenges
The study, titled “Capturing the cybersecurity dividend: How security platforms generate business value,” found that surveyed organizations are juggling an average of 67 different security solutions from 26 vendors. This fragmentation is taking a toll:
- 77% of Indian executives (compared to 52% globally) identify complexity as their biggest cybersecurity impediment
- 60% of Indian executives feel the current workload on their security operators is excessive
- Executives estimate security fragmentation costs their organizations an average of 5% of annual revenue
- 4 out of 5 organizations without a platform approach say their security operations cannot effectively handle the quantity of threats they face
“Organizations continue to be challenged with updating their security posture to address new threats, while simultaneously being pressed to reduce complexity and decrease spend,” said Mark Hughes, Global Managing Partner for Cybersecurity Services at IBM.
Platform Approach Delivers Measurable Benefits
Organizations that have embraced security platformization are seeing significant advantages:
- 7 out of 10 companies with high platformization report their cybersecurity investments have helped business outcomes including operational efficiencies and revenue generation
- These organizations experience nearly 4 times better return on investment from their security spending
- Platform adopters report full visibility into potential vulnerabilities and threats (80%)
- Response times improve dramatically, with mean time to identify and contain security incidents shorter by an average of 152 and 113 days, respectively
Michelle Saw, VP GTM and Ecosystems, JAPAC at Palo Alto Networks, emphasized: “By addressing complexity through the strategic consolidation and integration of security solutions onto a unified platform, organizations can significantly enhance efficiency, reduce risk, lower costs, and unlock new business opportunities. Ultimately, platformization transforms security from a ‘necessary cost’ into a ‘value driver.'”
Enabling AI and Business Innovation
The research also highlights platformization’s role in enabling AI adoption, with 90% of surveyed executives expecting to scale, optimize, or innovate with AI within the next two years. A platform approach allows organizations to better ingest and analyze data to deliver actionable insights.
To help organizations succeed with platformization, IBM and Palo Alto Networks recommend evaluating current security partners, running incident response drills to identify where unified platforms can deliver the greatest impact, and utilizing cyber range facilities to prepare technical and business teams to address modern threats.
The study was conducted by the IBM Institute of Business Value in collaboration with Oxford Economics, surveying 1,000 executives (including 53 in India) across 21 industries and 18 countries between July and September 2024.
Additional Resources:
- To learn more about IBM’s partnership with Palo Alto Networks, visit: https://www.ibm.com/consulting/palo-alto
- To learn more about Palo Alto Networks perspectives on platformization and the IBM IBV study, visit: http://paloaltonetworks.com/resources/research/ibm-study-platforms-deliver-value. To hear more, check out the company’s Ignite on Tour events: https://register.paloaltonetworks.com/igniteontour.
Study Methodology
This IBM Institute of Business Value (IBV) research, conducted in collaboration with Oxford Economics and published in partnership with Palo Alto Networks, surveyed 1,000 executives including 53 executives in India across 21 industries and 18 countries from July through September 2024. The IBM IBV team then analyzed insights and data from respondents to facilitate the creation of a “platformization index,” which measures the extent to which an organization has moved toward security platformization, then used that index to ascertain the relationship between security platformization and security and business outcomes.
The IBM IBV, IBM’s thought leadership think tank, combines global research and performance data with expertise from industry thinkers and leading academics to deliver insights that make business leaders smarter. For more world-class thought leadership, visit: www.ibm.com/ibv.
