Businesses know they need cybersecurity, but it seems like a new acronym and system is popping up every day. Professionals that aren't actively researching these technologies can struggle to keep up. As the cybersecurity landscape becomes more complicated, organizations are desperate to simplify it. Frustrated with the inefficiencies that come with using multiple vendors for cybersecurity, often stemming from a lack of integration of a heterogenous security stack, approximately 75% of organizations are looking to consolidate their cybersecurity technology in 2022 — a 29% increase from 2020.

Surprisingly, reducing spend isn't the number one goal for these organizations.

Of the businesses that are consolidating, 65% are doing so to improve their risk posture. Having more cybersecurity tools means a larger threat surface. And when cybersecurity products don't integrate easily, businesses end up with gaps in their protection.

Why Companies Need To Consolidate Cybersecurity Technology

Not only does consolidating cybersecurity tools provide a better ROI over the long run, but it also offers additional benefits.

Improves Analytics

XDR improves analytics because it offers visibility from a single pane of glass, increasing the amount of context that analysts get as they evaluate the network's security posture. Because they're getting more context, the security team can make better data-driven decisions and remediate issues faster. The improved analytics also simplifies maintenance and integrations, limiting gaps in an organization's security infrastructure that could allow threats to penetrate the network.

Reduces Resource Waste and Fills Gaps

Organizations that choose XDR see a better ROI, especially during times of high inflation or recessions because they reduce the number of wasted resources. For one, businesses are reducing the number of software subscriptions they have overall, both cutting costs and making their technology easier to manage. Additionally, they'll see less overlap between the tools they do have, meaning they'll be wasting less money.

XDR also improves the efficiency of an organization's security team to lower operating costs. With fewer false positives, analysts will have to spend less time chasing down alerts that aren't indicative of threats, reducing their overall workload and the chance of alert fatigue. Additionally, Cynet 360 AutoXDR includes a managed detection and response (MDR) service for no extra charge, helping businesses fill in security gaps without hiring extra analysts — something that is both expensive and extremely difficult at a time when there are around 770,000 unfilled cybersecurity job openings in the United States alone.

Enables Automation

XDR makes automation easier because several applications are combined into one, further reducing the security team's manual workload. They'll have to do less manual analysis and tracking, and automated platform updates mean they won't have to manually patch the system. Additionally, XDR offers automated remediation, initiating sandboxes or rollbacks before human analysts have to get involved. This automation also means that XDR can react to threats faster than humans can, lowering the likelihood of a successful breach.

According to a recent survey by Gartner, 57% of organizations resolved security threats faster after implementing an XDR strategy.

Obstacles to Cybersecurity Consolidation

Despite the benefits, many businesses are wary of consolidating their cybersecurity technology due to the obstacles they face.

Paralysis by Analysis

There are so many choices for cybersecurity software in the market that it can be difficult to decide which tools are best for the business. And even within the smaller XDR market, not every vendor approach XDR the same way. Native XDR platforms, like Cynet 360 AutoXDR, consolidate several tools into one platform. Open XDR, on the other hand, simply provides a connection point for other security systems to bring data into a centralized console.

Some organizations may also be concerned about putting all their cybersecurity in the hands of one vendor. What if that vendor gets breached themselves or goes out of business? While this is an understandable worry, businesses can assuage this fear by choosing a vendor with a solid history in the market and by examining reviews from other users to see how the vendor handles problems.

Businesses also need to determine if the benefits of XDR outweigh the costs of changing platforms and processes. While XDR can provide a better ROI over the long run, it may be difficult for an organization to see past the initial expense and really buy into the operational benefits that XDR can offer. The organization must examine its current processes and tools to get a better understanding of how XDR can improve current processes and keep the business safe from threats.

Small or Understaffed Cybersecurity Teams

Many cybersecurity teams are currently quite small or understaffed. Because of this, they may not even be aware that consolidation is possible through XDR. And since they're buried in their day-to-day work, they may feel that they don't have time to implement something new while keeping up with their existing workload. Additionally, learning a new system could contribute to analyst burnout, so organizations concerned with retention may be hesitant to implement something new, even if it could reduce burnout over time.

Fear of Automation

Some organizations also have a fear of automation. They don't want a platform to act without knowing exactly what it's going to do. Luckily, Cynet 360 AutoXDR allows businesses to configure the system so that it runs the automated process without actually executing any commands. This feature allows the security team to see what the system is planning to do and make sure it's what they want before they allow it to happen.

Businesses might also worry that it will replace the need for human analysts or employees. However, while automation can handle parts of these analysts' manual workload, they still need human oversight and can't handle all of the tasks that human employees can.

Finally, a company may be hesitant to incorporate automation into its cybersecurity processes because of the idea that it might be too expensive to add. However, many XDR platforms, including Cynet 360 AutoXDR, provide automation as a standard offering, meaning it won't cost the business any extra.

How Can Businesses Consolidate Their Cybersecurity Stack?

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to consolidation, so it can be tough for businesses to know how to handle it.

Start with an Evaluation

To start, businesses should look at everything they currently have in their tech stack. What are they missing in functionality? What features would they like to have? They should then determine whether their organization would benefit most from an all-in-one platform or multiple best-of-breed tools to determine whether a native or open XDR makes the most sense for them. Then, they'll have an easier time evaluating vendors and the best options for the next steps.

After doing your research, businesses have two options:

Jump in Head First

The first option is to partner with an XDR provider to immediately begin consolidating your cybersecurity technology. The benefits of this method are that the company will get a better ROI and see a faster time to value, and it'll be easier to prevent successful breaches. However, it could lead to security gaps in the short term if the business doesn't properly evaluate its current level of functionality. Businesses that have the budget as one of their main concerns will likely want to proceed with this option.

Double-Up and Test

Alternatively, organizations can purchase an XDR solution and run it alongside their current platform for a month or two in order to identify any gaps and determine if there are any tools they need to keep. This is great for allowing security teams to get comfortable with XDR capabilities before dropping platforms and ensures that they won't have any security gaps in the short term. However, it can be more expensive initially, but once the business crosses the learning curve, it'll see an incredible ROI. If budget isn't the primary concern for a business, they may want to proceed with this method.

Cynet 360 AutoXDR Consolidates Your Security Tech and Backs it Up with MDR

Cynet 360 AutoXDR is a great choice for businesses looking for native XDR to consolidate their current technology stack. It helps you make better decisions because your security team is getting all the information in one place. Additionally, it gives your business the broadest proven set of security tools all in one platform.

Cynet 360 AutoXDR is perfect for teams with limited or no security personnel thanks to automation and managed offerings. It fills skills gaps with an expert team of security analysts and researchers through the MDR service. Your business will also save more money, time, and energy than it would if you kept all of its security platforms separate.

To learn how Cynet 360 AutoXDR can improve your cybersecurity posture through consolidation, book a personal demo today!