Hello, Cyber Builders 🖖
This week, I am kicking off a new series for February month: one of the biggest security shifts in our industry – security platforms. I recommend following me on LinkedIn to learn more about the Cyber Builders agenda (here).
Many know and repeat the context: Security teams are under immense pressure. The constant pace of cyberattacks, the ever-changing and growing compliance demands, and the struggle to manage an overwhelming number of security tools are exhausting. CISOs and security leaders aren’t just fighting threats; they’re fighting complexity, bureaucracy, alert fatigue, and the constant challenge of keeping everything running smoothly.
In this post, I’ll take Alex, a seasoned – fictional, but don’t try to guess who he is 🙂 – security leader. Every day, Alex juggles dozens of security alerts, attempts to align with new regulations updates, and struggles with a security stack that often creates more problems than it solves. Are the tools meant to help? They frequently add more dashboards, more alerts, and more frustration.
This post isn’t about vendor hype. It’s about practical relief. We’ll explore why integrated cybersecurity platforms are an interesting concept to deal with the situation, not just as a buzzword but as a way to help security teams regain control. We’ll follow Alex’s journey toward a more effective, sustainable security strategy.
Cyber threats are getting faster, smarter, and more aggressive. Attackers aren’t just targeting big corporations anymore—everyone is a target. From ransomware to supply chain attacks, CISOs must stay ahead of evolving threats.
I’ve met many Alexs in the past. They chose security because they were intrigued by the space, passionate about learning more topics, and willing to do something not boring. They were not prepared to be first responders.
The pressure is crushing. One breach can lead to financial losses, lawsuits, regulatory penalties, and a serious hit to reputation. The problem isn’t just stopping attacks—it’s trying to do it 24/7 with limited resources.
Security stacks have grown out of control. Organizations rely on dozens of overlapping tools, each with its own:
These tools create more complexity than they simplify security. Teams waste time managing integrations, jumping between interfaces, and dealing with poor UX, which makes it harder—not easier—to secure their environments. When tools don’t talk to each other, it’s a recipe for blind spots and inefficiencies.
Security teams are overworked. The constant pressure, long hours, and alert fatigue take a toll.
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High turnover—Talented security professionals are leaving for roles where they can have more control over their stress levels. They don’t want to avoid stress or challenge; they want to control it. This is highly connected to the rise of security freelancers working per contract with various employers.
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Hiring is painful, and finding skilled cybersecurity professionals is harder than ever. You know what I mean if you have ever tried to hire a security engineer. If not, we are missing millions of security professionals worldwide.
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Fewer people, more work – Every departure adds pressure to the remaining team, increasing the risk of mistakes.
Security isn’t just about stopping attacks—it’s also about staying compliant. And compliance? It’s a moving target.
Over the last decade, regulatory frameworks have exploded:
🇪🇺 Europe: GDPR, DSA, NIS1, NIS2, DORA, CRA and more.
🇺🇸 U.S.: SEC cybersecurity disclosure rules, CCPA, evolving federal requirements.
🌍 Global: ISO 27001, industry-specific standards, and a growing list of privacy laws.
Each new regulation means new processes, new audits, and new risks of penalties. Security teams must constantly adapt, but compliance becomes another significant burden when tools and workflows aren’t built for flexibility.
Alex is a seasoned CISO. He’s been in the industry long enough to know that cyber threats are relentless, compliance never stops evolving, and security teams are always expected to do more with less.
However, despite his experience as a security professional, Alex is struggling. His security stack is a patchwork of tools from multiple vendors, each with its dashboard, alerts, and configurations.
His team is stretched thin, and his executives ask for more reporting. Compliance audits are always around the corner.
Alex doesn’t feel in control despite the countless tools at his disposal. He hears experts promote concepts like security engineering: be more proactive, design systems with security requirements, and not move an IT system to production without vetting from the security team. They seem like good ideas, but not for him.
🔹 7:00 AM – Alex reviews his inbox. Overnight, hundreds of alerts flooded in. He knows most are false positives, but he still needs to assess them.
🔹 10:30 AM – A compliance officer requests urgent documentation for an upcoming audit. Alex scrambles to gather data from multiple systems, each with its own reporting format.
🔹 1:00 PM – A critical security vendor announces a price increase. Alex must reassess budgets and justify expenses to leadership—once again.
🔹 3:00 PM – An executive inquires, “Are we secure?” It’s an impossible question. Alex sighs, aware that security is never a simple yes or no.
🔹 6:00 PM – Another long day, and the alerts keep coming. He wonders if there’s a better way to manage security without feeling overwhelmed.
The cybersecurity industry doesn’t need more tools—it needs better integration. The answer isn’t adding another dashboard, alert system, or fragmented security product. Instead, it’s about rethinking security as a unified ecosystem.
Cybersecurity platforms aren’t just vendor marketing buzz—they respond to a real-world problem. Today’s security leaders don’t need more complexity; they need a cohesive system that reduces operational chaos.
A well-designed cybersecurity platform should:
✅ Unify disparate tools into a single, streamlined ecosystem.
✅ Reduce friction between security, compliance, and IT teams.
✅ Minimize manual effort so CISOs and security teams can focus on strategy, not just firefighting.
By integrating multiple security functions into a single pane of glass, platforms help leaders like Alex cut through the noise and regain control over their security landscape.
One of the most significant pain points in cybersecurity? Inconsistency.
Siloed tools lead to disjointed security policies, conflicting alerts, and unpredictable workflows. Every new solution introduces another layer of complexity, making security harder to manage—not easier.
Platforms solve this by offering:
🔹 A unified approach to security policies across endpoints, cloud, and network environments.
🔹 Standardized workflows that eliminate the unpredictability of fragmented systems.
🔹 Automated responses to common threats, reducing the need for manual intervention.
For security leaders like Alex, this means less time-fighting tool sprawl and more time focusing on actual security.
An integrated security platform not only enhances the productivity of CISOs but also focuses on the people behind the security operations.
💡 User-Friendly Design – A streamlined platform means team members don’t have to juggle multiple dashboards. This simplifies their tasks, ensuring anyone can navigate security challenges without a PhD.
⏳ Increased Job Satisfaction—By reducing administrative burdens, team members can dedicate more time to proactive threat hunting, which fosters a more fulfilling work environment.
🛠 Collaborative Tools – When security tools integrate seamlessly, team members can work together more effectively, leading to quicker threat detection and response. This collaboration enhances morale and job performance, transforming security operations into a strategic pursuit.
For Alex and the team, this shift means spending less time putting out fires and more time translating their skills into actionable strategies. A well-trained workforce makes security manageable, engaging, and driven.
No security solution is perfect, including cybersecurity platforms. While they promise simplification and efficiency, adopting a platform has its own set of challenges.
Rolling out a cybersecurity platform isn’t as simple as flipping a switch. Security leaders face real obstacles, including:
💰 High upfront costs – Consolidating tools into a single platform can require significant investment, especially for organizations already spending heavily on existing solutions.
🔗 Integration complexities – Many security teams rely on legacy systems that don’t always play well with modern platforms, leading to costly and time-consuming migrations.
🚪 Vendor lock-in – Choosing a platform often means committing to a specific vendor’s ecosystem, which can limit flexibility down the line.
🌍 The European Gap – Unlike in the U.S., Europe lacks cybersecurity platform players. Instead, companies rely on a patchwork of local vendors, each serving a specific country or region. What are the most significant security firms in Europe? They aren’t technology builders—they’re service providers that resell and repackage U.S. security solutions. This creates an extra layer of dependence on foreign tech, leaving CISOs with fewer homegrown options.
Should Europe build in its security platforms? What’s stopping us? I’d love to get your perspective on this.
The goal isn’t to add complexity—it’s to empower security teams like Alex’s. That’s why platform adoption needs to be intentional, strategic, and tailored to the organization’s needs.
✅ Careful planning – A platform should be evaluated for fit, ensuring it aligns with existing workflows rather than disrupting them.
✅ Customization – No two organizations have the exact security needs. Platforms should allow flexibility in implementation instead of enforcing rigid structures.
✅ Continuous feedback – Security teams, not vendors, are on the front lines. The most successful platforms evolve through real-world input, adapting to user needs over time.
Cybersecurity platforms should do one thing: make life easier for security leaders.
Don’t you think? Leave me a comment.
Laurent 💚
