Security leaders are under pressure. Budgets are tight, teams are stretched thin, and board visibility keeps increasing. Enter the security platform: a promise of simplicity, integration, and efficiency. But not all platforms are created equal. Our latest report, Understand The Benefits And Drawbacks Of Cybersecurity’s Platform Push, cuts through the noise to help CISOs and security pros separate real platforms from glorified product bundles.

Here’s what you need to know — and do — before you buy.

  1. Know What A Platform Really Is

A true security platform isn’t just a bunch of tools sold under one brand. It’s a unified experience with one interface, one data model, and seamless integration across controls. If it doesn’t reduce complexity, improve visibility, and boost productivity, it’s not a platform — it’s a portfolio in disguise. Security platforms:

  • Combine multiple security controls from a single vendor in one unified user interface with a single underlying data model for all relevant data from each control.
  • Enable outcomes, including ease of deployment, use, and integration, resulting in productivity gains for users. Third-party integrations via marketplaces and extensions should enhance security platforms beyond the vendors’ own products.
  • Present financial advantages through the discounting and bundling of multiple security controls in one purchase.

  1. Demand Real Integration

Security leaders indicated that ease of integration was the top reason they adopted platforms in Forrester’s Q4 Tech Pulse Survey, 2024. Why? Because too many tools that don’t talk to each other create alert fatigue and blind spots. A real platform shifts the integration burden to the vendor — not your team.

  1. Push For Automation And Analyst Experience

Manual workflows are the enemy of scale. Platforms should simplify automation and empower analysts with context-rich insights. If your team still has to stitch data together across tools, you’re not getting the value you paid for.

  1. Don’t Fall For The “Fewer Vendors = Simpler Security” Myth

Consolidating vendors doesn’t mean fewer tools — or less complexity. Your team still needs expertise across endpoint, cloud, identity, and more. Make sure your chosen platform supports onboarding, training, and a consistent user experience across modules.

  1. Plan For The Worst-Case Scenario

What if your chosen platform vendor stalls on innovation, gets acquired, or stops investing in key capabilities? Have an exit strategy. Align your roadmap with the vendor’s and scrutinize its M&A history and product investment patterns.

Bottom Line

Security platforms can deliver real value — but only if you choose wisely. Don’t let buzzwords and bundling distract you from what matters: integration, usability, and outcomes. As one CISO put it, “Live together for a year before putting a ring on it.” In other words: Test, validate, and verify before you commit.

What’s your security platform strategy? Forrester clients can read the full report and book a guidance session or inquiry with us to discuss further.