James Plouffe

Principal Analyst

Forrester Bio

Author Insights

Blog

CrowdStrike’s Planned Acquisition Of Seraphic Highlights The Need To Address Endpoint Risks

Paddy Harrington January 16, 2026
CrowdStrike’s move to acquire Seraphic spotlights a growing blind spot in cybersecurity: The browser has quietly become one of the riskiest — and least protected — endpoints in the enterprise. This blog reveals why legacy EDR, XDR, and network tools can’t see what’s really happening inside the browser and how Seraphic’s unique JSE‑based approach could change the game for data protection and threat detection.
Blog

My Tips For Crushing Your Analyst Briefings And Wowing The Analyst

Joseph Blankenship January 13, 2026
Former Forrester analyst Josh Zelonis blogged about how to deliver successful vendor briefings years ago. I’m updating his blog with my own thoughts as a “recovering marketer,” Forrester analyst, and research director. This blog is a collection of my top tips for briefing analysts, with contributions from other security and risk analysts.
Blog

Anthropic Catches Attackers Using Agents In The Act

James Plouffe November 17, 2025
On November 13, AI vendor Anthropic published details about the disruption of what it characterized as an AI-led cyber espionage operation. Learn what is in Anthropic's report and get tips on how to protect against future AI-enabled attacks.
Blog

Developer-Led Growth Meets Enterprise-Grade Security And Distributed Infrastructure At Cloudflare Connect 2025

Devin Dickerson October 20, 2025
Cloudflare Connect 2025 had a distinctly optimistic vibe as the vendor positions itself as the connective tissue for modern digital operations in the enterprise and showcases its AI security abilities. Learn more in this event review.
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How F5 And SonicWall Revealed The Fragility Of The Software Supply Chain

Carlos Rivera October 17, 2025
The recent breaches at F5 and SonicWall illustrate how attackers are targeting the very infrastructure that enterprises rely on to secure and deliver digital services.
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Too Big To Fail, Cyber Edition

Jess Burn September 29, 2025
Why did the UK government extend a £1.5 billion guaranteed loan to Jaguar Land Rover after a debilitating ransomware attack? And what can your security team learn from it? Find out in this post.
Blog

When Buzzwords Collide: From A(I) To Z(ero Trust)

James Plouffe September 5, 2025
In the past 15 years, Zero Trust has become the dominant cybersecurity model. Now along comes AI. Find out what role generative AI and AI agents will play in driving Zero Trust adoption and maturity in this preview of our upcoming Security & Risk Summit.
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Is Zero Trust Canceled? Revisiting DEF CON Research

James Plouffe September 3, 2025
Did AmberWolf’s talk at DEF CON 33 uncover any true fundamental flaws in Zero Trust? Although we think the research uncovered some significant issues, calling it a “total bust” is definitely overblown. Find out why.
Blog

Black Hat 2025: Troop Forrester Goes To Hacker Summer Camp

James Plouffe August 13, 2025
2025 marks the 28th year of Black Hat, and although it remains on the edgier side of corporate-focused cybersecurity conferences, it sometimes feels like the event is considering completely ditching its hoodie in favor of a collared shirt.
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From The Basement To The Corner Office: Zero Trust Gets A “Promotion” In The DoD

James Plouffe August 1, 2025
Learn the implications of the new Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office and Chief Zero Trust Officer in the US Department of Defense.
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AWS re:Inforce 2025 — Heavy On User Experience Enhancements, Light On The GenAI Hype

Allie Mellen June 25, 2025
This year's AWS re:Inforce event included a big announcement and revealed other security-related enhancements. Read our top takeaways.
Blog

Meet The New Analyst Covering Zero Trust And Microsegmentation

James Plouffe June 5, 2025
The 25-plus years of my career so far can be divided into two acts. Act I was enterprise IT, beginning with desktop support and progressing to network and security architecture at organizations ranging from small business to the Global 10. Act II opened with a move into technical alliance and ecosystem roles at security vendors […]
Blog

Zscaler Snatches Up Red Canary: The Good, The Bad, And The Concerning

Jeff Pollard May 28, 2025
Find out what Zscaler's acquisition of Red Canary could mean for the cybersecurity market as a whole as well as for security leaders and their teams.