Firms Expand Security to Counter More Advanced Attacks

Companies worldwide adopt multi-layer threat detection, comprehensive policies to prevent and shut down intrusions, ISG Provider Lens™ report says

Facing ever more sophisticated cybersecurity threats, a growing number of enterprises are adopting advanced security systems that go beyond traditional perimeter defenses, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2024 ISG Provider Lens™ global Cybersecurity — Solutions and Services global report finds demand is growing for cutting-edge security capabilities, especially extended detection and response (XDR) and security service edge (SSE). Enterprises are adopting solutions like these as they deepen their reliance on cloud-based applications, remote work and distributed, interconnected IT systems.

“Companies modernizing their IT environments often face both new security threats and bigger security management challenges,” said Doug Saylors, partner and co-leader of ISG Cybersecurity. “They are turning to solution providers for more comprehensive security frameworks.”

XDR and SSE provide more scalable, higher performance security across expanding and evolving IT landscapes, the report says. XDR platforms collect and correlate data from multiple security layers, including endpoints, servers and cloud workloads, for a holistic view of an organization’s security posture. Using analytics and automation, they can detect, investigate and respond to threats anywhere in the enterprise. SSE solutions centralize security policies and enforce them across all endpoints and applications, helping companies meet governance and compliance requirements.

Companies are turning to XDR as an array of new features expand its capabilities, ISG says. Integrated AI and ML algorithms allow XDR systems to better predict attacks and automate responses, reducing work for security teams. The platforms are converging with other solutions, such as security information and event management (SIEM), to form a unified security architecture. Integration of external threat intelligence feeds gives enterprises more context for decision-making.

Companies struggling to secure myriad cloud applications are adopting SSE for visibility and control, the report says. As traditional perimeter-based security fails to protect remote cloud users, SSE ensures secure access to applications from any location or device and uses AI to personalize security policies based on user behavior. It can even reveal unapproved cloud applications that business units or departments have deployed and secure access to them.

For a growing number of organizations, SSE solutions help to establish zero-trust security based on continuous verification, ISG says. For others, they are the foundation of secure access service edge (SASE) architectures, which integrate network and cloud security into a single cloud-delivered service.

“Enterprises are becoming more pre-emptive about security, because cyberattacks can quickly damage corporate reputations,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “New, comprehensive security solutions make this possible.”

The report also explores other global trends around cybersecurity solutions, including the rising importance of identity and access management (IAM) and the growing demand for vendors to offer open standards and pre-built integrations with existing security tools.

For more insights into enterprise challenges relevant to cybersecurity solutions, including the shortcomings of VPNs and of reactive threat detection systems, plus ISG’s advice for addressing them, see the ISG Provider Lens™ Focal Points briefing here.

The 2024 ISG Provider Lens™ global Cybersecurity — Solutions and Services global report evaluates the capabilities of 35 providers across two quadrants: Extended Detection and Response and Security Service Edge.

The report names Palo Alto Networks as a Leader in both quadrants. It names Broadcom, Cato Networks, Cisco, CrowdStrike, Forcepoint, Fortinet, IBM, Microsoft, Netskope, SentinelOne, Trend Micro, Versa Networks and Zscaler as Leaders in one quadrant each.

Aase, the head of ISG Provider Lens Research, noted CrowdStrike was named a Leader in one of the report’s quadrants before the recent incident involving a failed CrowdStrike software update impacted global computer systems. He said ISG stands by its research and rating of CrowdStrike.

“CrowdStrike is one of the largest providers of cybersecurity solutions in the world. It’s important to note the recent computer outages were not caused by a cyberattack, but a failed software update that impacted Microsoft 365 systems,” said Aase. “These outages, while highly disruptive, underscore the complexity and interconnectedness of modern ecosystems and the need for ongoing cyber vigilance.”

In addition to the Leaders mentioned above, Skyhigh Security and Trellix are named as Rising Stars — companies with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in one quadrant each.

In the area of customer experience, Zensar Technologies is named the global ISG CX Star Performer for 2024 among cybersecurity providers. Zensar Technologies earned the highest customer satisfaction scores in ISG's Voice of the Customer survey, part of the ISG Star of Excellence™ program, the premier quality recognition for the technology and business services industry.

A customized version of the report is available from IBM.

The 2024 ISG Provider Lens™ global Cybersecurity — Solutions and Services report is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG Provider Lens™ Research

The ISG Provider Lens™ Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 900 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including AI and automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,600 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.

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