Learn how to secure your hybrid cloud environment with best practices and strategies in this article Safeguard your sensitive data from potential threats Hybrid cloud security management: Best practices + solution Select a size Which network Can AlgoSec be used for continuous compliance monitoring? Yes, AlgoSec supports continuous compliance monitoring. As organizations adapt their security policies to meet emerging threats and address new vulnerabilities, they must constantly verify these changes against the compliance frameworks they subscribe to. AlgoSec can generate risk assessment reports and conduct internal audits on-demand, allowing compliance officers to monitor compliance performance in real-time. Security professionals can also use AlgoSec to preview and simulate proposed changes to the organization’s security policies. This gives compliance officers a valuable degree of lead-time before planned changes impact regulatory guidelines and allows for continuous real-time monitoring. What Is hybrid cloud security? What are the 2 other categories of cloud security? Security benefits of a hybrid cloud solution What are the risks in hybrid cloud security? Components of hybrid cloud security Hybrid cloud security infrastructure Hybrid cloud security best practices AlgoSec and hybrid cloud security Get the latest insights from the experts Learn how AlgoSec can help you pass PCI-DSS Audits and ensure continuous Solution Overview Use these six best practices to simplify compliance and risk Case study See how this customer improved compliance readiness and risk Case study Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Zero trust vs micro segmentation Select a size Which network Can AlgoSec be used for continuous compliance monitoring? Yes, AlgoSec supports continuous compliance monitoring. As organizations adapt their security policies to meet emerging threats and address new vulnerabilities, they must constantly verify these changes against the compliance frameworks they subscribe to. AlgoSec can generate risk assessment reports and conduct internal audits on-demand, allowing compliance officers to monitor compliance performance in real-time. Security professionals can also use AlgoSec to preview and simulate proposed changes to the organization’s security policies. This gives compliance officers a valuable degree of lead-time before planned changes impact regulatory guidelines and allows for continuous real-time monitoring. Microsegmentation Zero Trust: How Microsegmentation Drives Zero Trust Success Microsegmentation zero trust is the practice of enforcing zero trust principles through fine‑grained, application‑aware segmentation at the workload and service level. Companies today are turning to microsegmentation, a granular form of network segmentation, to contain attacks quickly, prove least‑privilege access, and simplify compliance across hybrid environments. Despite still having to spend an average of $4.4 million per breach, according to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025 , this is 9% lower than 2024. That drop ties directly to faster identification and containment—outcomes microsegmentation accelerates by limiting lateral movement and shrinking the blast radius from the first indicator of compromise. In yet another study, Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report , more than 12,000 confirmed breaches demonstrated how multi-stage intrusions use lateral movement, which microsegmentation technology directly addresses. Meanwhile, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requires network segmentation for system scope reduction, which leads to decreased audit work and better system isolation. Taken together, these findings underscore a simple point: Organizations need application‑aware controls—specifically microsegmentation—to stop attackers from moving between systems and to operationalize zero trust. This article discusses the zero trust vs. micro‑segmentation debate, explains how zero trust and microsegmentation in fact work together, and provides a path to design, enforce, and operate this approach. What Is Microsegmentation? Microsegmentation divides networks into small, secure domains that match workload requirements and user/service identities with explicit allow‑rules to stop lateral movement. Network security today benefits from application-based boundaries, i.e., policies applied where applications actually communicate—not just subnets and VLANS. In practice, that means protecting individual workloads and the communication between them across data centers, public clouds, containers, and endpoints—rather than vaguely “protecting components” or “locations.” What Is the Difference Between Traditional (Macro) and Micro-Segmentation This comparison comes down to a difference in approach: Macro-segmentation uses broad VLANs and subnets or DMZs to divide network tiers; while this provides limited east-west control, it is simpler to design. Micro-segmentation uses SDN and host agents, as well as cloud security groups; application-specific policies are enforced at the workload/service boundary, which is why they are the engine of microsegmentation zero trust. What Role Do Firewalls and Network Segmentation Layers Play in Microsegmentation? Your existing perimeter and internal firewalls provide north‑south control, compliance zones, and enforcement points that microsegmentation can orchestrate. In other words, microsegmentation complements firewalls and network segmentation layers—it does not replace them. Extending the point above: Microsegmentation orchestrates those firewall and segmentation layers to deploy least‑privilege across hybrid systems—specifically: Cloud security groups NACLs SDN fabrics Kubernetes policies Host-based controls Since these layers are complementary, they collectively shrink the blast radius. What Is Zero Trust? Zero trust is a security concept, not a product or service. The system uses identity-based dynamic authorization, which takes into account device health status and environmental context—instead of traditional static location-based access methods. Verification is continuous because environments and risk conditions evolve. Zero trust verifies every access decision—no implicit trust—and enforces least privilege Zero Trust vs. Micro‑Segmentation: Complementary Forces While zero trust operates as an operational framework, microsegmentation functions as an implementation methodology. While zero trust explains what needs protection and which aspects require protection, microsegmentation provides the how. The table below breaks down the two concepts across key parameters. Aspect Zero Trust (Strategy) Microsegmentation (Mechanism) Focus Identity, posture, continuous verification Allowed app/workload flows Scope Enterprise‑wide architecture App tiers, services, identities Enforcement Policies derived from context and risk SDN, host agents, security groups, firewalls Outcome Minimized implicit trust; provable least‑privilege Contained blast radius; fewer lateral‑movement paths What Is Microsegmentation Zero Trust? The combination of zero trust and microsegmentation forms microsegmentation zero trust—a strategy connected to enforcement. The three primary goals of this approach are: Risk reduction Lateral movement prevention Least privilege verification Microsegmentation zero trust applies zero trust principles—continuous verification and least privilege—by defining and enforcing explicit, application‑aware allow‑rules between identities, services, and workloads. Why Does Microsegmentation Zero Trust Matter? It matters because it measurably reduces lateral movement paths and speeds incident containment. Authorized paths are explicitly permitted communication flows (service A to service B on port X from an approved identity) that have been validated as necessary for the application to function. Pre‑defining and testing these authorized paths speeds deployment because changes ship with pre-validated, least‑privilege policies—reducing last‑minute firewall rework, minimizing approvals, and preventing rollback from unexpected blocks. Implementing Microsegmentation to Achieve Zero Trust Microsegmentation is a continuous process, consisting of multiple stages to successfully achieve zero trust. Asset & Dependency Discovery Start by analyzing the network traffic behavior of applications and workloads in traditional on-premises setups, public clouds, and container environments. This application-first view serves as the base for zero trust segmentation, which stops security gaps from occurring. Policy Creation Create allow‑lists for individual app components and identity groups based on observed application traffic flows (sources/destinations, ports, processes) and documented business requirements, then validate with “what‑if” simulations before production. Enforcement Implement the approved policy through current controls—cloud security groups, firewalls, SDN fabrics, host controls, and Kubernetes—to achieve uniform protection across hybrid and multi-cloud systems. Continuous Monitoring & Adaptive Policy Continuously monitor for drift, prune unused rules, and adjust policies using detection data—without re‑introducing broad implicit trust or “allow any” access. Challenges & Pitfalls to Avoid Security organizations that operate effectively still encounter various obstacles when implementing microsegmentation: Lack of visibility in application maps: When third-party or SaaS endpoints and ephemeral services (containers, serverless functions) are not properly documented, visibility suffers. The fix? Run continuous dependency discovery operations while keeping tags and labels up to date. Focusing solely on network-based controls: Ignoring workload and identity context can weaken your security measures. The fix? Use service accounts, workload identities, namespaces, and labels as the basis for policy connections whenever possible. Relying on a single technology: Depending only on firewalls or security groups can create gaps in your security posture. The fix? Implement security orchestration using a combination of firewalls, SDN security groups, and Kubernetes network policies. Manual exception handling: Human intervention creates delays, slowing down release cycles. The fix? Orchestrate a combination of controls—next‑gen firewalls, SDN fabrics, cloud security groups, and Kubernetes network policy—so each layer covers the others. AlgoSec's Microsegmentation‑Driven Zero Trust Platform In today's fast-paced digital landscape, the combination of speed and safety is not just important—it's imperative. Zero Trust security delivered by AlgoSec’s unified platform enables companies to successfully implement microsegmentation across data centers, clouds, and Kubernetes. The platform begins with an application-first method, allowing users to clearly see their workloads and intricate patterns. AlgoSec provides immediate connectivity between different environments—on-premises systems, public clouds, and containers—to detect lateral movement paths and compliance issues fast. Beyond basic observability, AlgoSec maps security policy to business applications and services so that teams can simulate proposed changes, quantify risk in business terms, and validate least‑privilege before anything reaches production.. This proactive method validates the least privilege principle, protecting against security breaches and outages. AlgoSec integrates with next-generation firewalls, SDN fabrics and cloud security groups, and Kubernetes to enforce the same intent everywhere, orchestrating changes so rules remain consistent across hybrid and multi‑cloud environments. To see microsegmentation zero trust in action with AlgoSec, schedule a demo today. Get the latest insights from the experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Gain in-depth application visibility with AlgoSec Horizon AppViz for Horizon Security Analyzer. Optimize security policies and uncover application risks across your network. AlgoSec Horizon AppViz – Application visibility for AlgoSec Horizon Security Analyzer ---- ------- Schedule a Demo Select a size ----- Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, containers have become a cornerstone for deploying and managing applications... Cloud Network Security Enhancing container security: A comprehensive overview and solution Nitin Rajput 2 min read Nitin Rajput Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. cloudsecurity, cnapp, networksecurity Tags Share this article 1/23/24 Published In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, containers have become a cornerstone for deploying and managing applications efficiently. However, with the increasing reliance on containers, understanding their intricacies and addressing security concerns has become paramount. In this blog, we will delve into the fundamental concept of containers and explore the crucial security challenges they pose. Additionally, we will introduce a cutting-edge solution from our technology partner, Prevasio, that empowers organizations to fortify their containerized environments. Understanding containers At its core, a container is a standardized software package that seamlessly bundles and isolates applications for deployment. By encapsulating an application’s code and dependencies, containers ensure consistent performance across diverse computing environments. Notably, containers share access to an operating system (OS) kernel without the need for traditional virtual machines (VMs), making them an ideal choice for running microservices or large-scale applications. Security concerns in containers Container security encompasses a spectrum of risks, ranging from misconfigured privileges to malware infiltration in container images. Key concerns include using vulnerable container images, lack of visibility into container overlay networks, and the potential spread of malware between containers and operating systems. Recognizing these challenges is the first step towards building a robust security strategy for containerized environments. Introducing Prevasio’s innovative solution In collaboration with our technology partner Prevasio, we’ve identified an advanced approach to mitigating container security risks. Prevasio’s Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) is an unparalleled, agentless solution designed to enhance visibility into security and compliance gaps. This empowers cloud operations and security teams to prioritize risks and adhere to internet security benchmarks effectively. Dynamic threat protection for containers Prevasio’s focus on threat protection for containers involves a comprehensive static and dynamic analysis. In the static analysis phase, Prevasio meticulously scans packages for malware and known vulnerabilities, ensuring that container images are free from Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) or viruses during the deployment process. On the dynamic analysis front, Prevasio employs a multifaceted approach, including: Behavioral analysis : Identifying malware that evades static scanners by analyzing dynamic payloads. Network traffic inspection : Intercepting and inspecting all container-generated network traffic, including HTTPS, to detect any anomalous patterns. Activity correlation : Establishing a visual hierarchy, presented as a force-directed graph, to identify problematic containers swiftly. This includes monitoring new file executions and executed scripts within shells, enabling the identification of potential remote access points. In conclusion, container security is a critical aspect of modern application deployment. By understanding the nuances of containers and partnering with innovative solutions like Prevasio’s CNAPP, organizations can fortify their cloud-native applications, mitigate risks, and ensure compliance in an ever-evolving digital landscape. #cloudsecurity #CNAPP #networksecurity Schedule a demo Related Articles Q1 at AlgoSec: What innovations and milestones defined our start to 2026? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Modernize your network with Cisco Nexus and ACI solutions for enhanced performance, scalability, and security in your data center and cloud environments. Modernize your network with Cisco Nexus & ACI ---- ------- Schedule a Demo Select a size ----- Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

Explore Algosec's customer success stories to see how organizations worldwide improve security, compliance, and efficiency with our solutions. Global Energy Group Streamlines Change Requests Process Organization Energy Group Industry Utilities & Energy Headquarters International Download case study Share Customer
success stories "Now we can do a firewall change in around one hour. Before, it took five days or more with 20 engineers. Today, we do the same job, but much quicker, with 4 people - resulting in happier customers,” says the Security Service Delivery Manager. “One of the best things you win in the end, is the cost. With 500 changes on a firewall a month, that’s significant.” IT Integrator Gets Faster Implementation of Firewall Changes – Leading to Greater Efficiency and Lower Costs BACKGROUND The company is the IT integrator for a large energy group, which offers low-carbon energy and services. The group’s purpose is to act to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral world, through reduced energy consumption and more environmentally friendly solutions, reconciling economic performance with a positive impact on people and the planet. The IT integrator of the group designs, implements and operates IT solutions for all its business units and provides applications and infrastructure services. It includes four “families” of services: Digital and IT Consulting, Digital Workplace, Cloud Infrastructures, and Network and Cybersecurity, and Agile business solutions. CHALLENGES This large group (with 170,000 employees) had a complex network with multiple elements in the firewall. With 240 firewall change requests and 500 changes a month, they needed an easier and faster way to manage these changes, ensuring their business applications functioned properly while maintaining their security posture. The main challenges were: Large network with lots of rules. Slow execution of change requests. Change requests were very labor intensive. SOLUTION With 500 monthly firewall changes, the customer was searching for a solution that provided: Faster implementation of firewall changes. Clear workflow and easier change management processes. Comprehensive firewall support. Visibility into their business applications and traffic flows. The client chose AlgoSec for its workflow solution, requiring a tool that would help the customer seamlessly submit the request and enable the engineer to implement the optimal changes to the firewall. They implemented the AlgoSec Security Policy Management Solution, made up of AlgoSec Horizon Security Analyzer, AlgoSec Horizon FireFlow, and AlgoSec Horizon AppViz and AppChange (formerly AlgoSec BusinessFlow). AlgoSec Horizon Security Analyzer ensures security and compliance by providing visibility and analysis into complex network security policies. AlgoSec Horizon FireFlow improves security and saves security staffs’ time by automating the entire security policy change process, eliminating manual errors, and reducing risk. AlgoSec Horizon AppViz provides critical security information regarding the firewalls and firewall rules supporting each connectivity flow by letting users discover, identify, and map business applications. AlgoSec AppChange empowers customers to make changes at the business application level, including application migrations, server deployment, and decommissioning projects. RESULTS “We do the job quicker, with less people. With 500 changes on a firewall a month, that’s significant. I recommend AlgoSec as it gives a quick solution for the request and analysis,” said the Security Service Delivery Manager. By using the AlgoSec Security Management Solution, the customer gained: Greater insight and oversight into their firewalls and other network devices. Identification of risky rules and other holes in their network security policy. Easier cleanup process due to greater visibility. 80% reduction in manpower. Faster implementation of policy changes – from five days to one hour. Schedule time with one of our experts

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Review the top 4 alternatives to Tufin Ratings, features, price, pros cons, and top use cases Top 4 Tufin alternatives & competitors (ranked & rated) Select a size Which network Can AlgoSec be used for continuous compliance monitoring? Yes, AlgoSec supports continuous compliance monitoring. As organizations adapt their security policies to meet emerging threats and address new vulnerabilities, they must constantly verify these changes against the compliance frameworks they subscribe to. AlgoSec can generate risk assessment reports and conduct internal audits on-demand, allowing compliance officers to monitor compliance performance in real-time. Security professionals can also use AlgoSec to preview and simulate proposed changes to the organization’s security policies. This gives compliance officers a valuable degree of lead-time before planned changes impact regulatory guidelines and allows for continuous real-time monitoring. Looking for an alternative to Tufin? Is Tufin your best security policy automation option? Top Tufin Competitors at a Glance 4 Top Tufin alternatives & competitors for 2023 1. AlgoSec 2. FireMon 3. Cisco defence orchestrator 4. RedSeal The bottom line on Tufin competitors Get the latest insights from the experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

As 2022 comes to a close, Professor Avishai Wool, AlgoSec Co-Founder and CTO, provides his top 5 issues organizations will need to be... IaC 2023 Cybersecurity Predictions and Best Practices Prof. Avishai Wool 2 min read Prof. Avishai Wool Short bio about author here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Vitae donec tincidunt elementum quam laoreet duis sit enim. Duis mattis velit sit leo diam. Tags Share this article 12/6/22 Published As 2022 comes to a close, Professor Avishai Wool, AlgoSec Co-Founder and CTO, provides his top 5 issues organizations will need to be aware in 2023 that will also dominate the cyber community conversation. 1) Application centric approach to network security will supersede basic NSPM I think the market has matured to the point where the NSPM approach has reached a tipping point and I see the shift to an application perspective becoming the de facto approach in network security policy management as there are better and more robust technologies in the market that can help organizations get there faster. I see this shift becoming even more viable in 2023 based on recent market trends in which organizations are opting for downsizing and trying to do more with the smaller staff at the expense of losing tribal knowledge. As a result, I see organizations shifting more towards adopting a holistic approach to network security that are more application centric in which they can retain critical knowledge, such as application traffic intent and application policy rules, so that the new generations can step in and pick up where the previous predecessors left off. 2) Containerization will enhance layered security I expect container security to be increasingly popular in the future, as companies understand that their existing network security mechanisms are not enough for the communication networks of today. Containers are seen as a cost-effective light-weight solution for deployment – and deploying them introduces another inner layer where security policies can be applied: behind the perimeter filters, the internal zoning, and the micro-segmentation, organizations can now also consider nano-segmentation at the container level. Vulnerability testing is another dimension of the container platform especially within cloud applications and SaaS products. The common Kubernetes platform offers both opportunities and challenges for vulnerability scanners. Beyond 2023 , businesses will need to enhance both their visibility and management capabilities of security within their containerized applications 3) Security driven IaaS ecosystems to improve network security I expect the popularity of Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) to continue to soar, making it difficult for security teams to keep up with the associated risks and vulnerabilities. Pre-set security settings may not meet the needs of the organization and customizing these settings can prove to be difficult. The customizability of IaaS offers great potential for productivity, but it also makes it complicated to secure. The bottom line is that companies can no longer depend on their network perimeter to guard sensitive data. In response, I anticipate organizations that begin utilizing an “Always-on Security” approach such as Infrastructure as Code (IaC) which would permit them to construct personalized policies to control the development environments during each phase of the software development life cycle (SDLC) and recognize potential risks, security flaws, and compliance issues on a what-if basis, before deploying flawed settings into production. 4) Cloud-native security tools will reign supreme I expect that cloud-based security systems will become more commonplace: these security solutions offer a wide range of abilities, such as secure access, identity and access management, data loss prevention, application security, automation of security, detection and prevention of intrusions, security information and event management, and encryption. With companies transitioning more workloads to the cloud, they will want to make use of many of these features. These tools make it possible for remote teams to manage a greater public cloud presence: comfortably configuring services and automating processes, to identify and preemptively tackle any kind of threats. To bridge the gap in cloud data security, I anticipate the emergence of data safeguarding systems that are designed specifically for cloud usage and are able to link up with public cloud systems in an advanced, agentless manner. This has been classified in the market as Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) . These platforms must be able to detect where the data is stored and what sorts of data are stored in the cloud, so that corporations can prioritize on what is most important – defending their most sensitive data and cloud-based applications without interfering with their normal operations. 5) Expect ransomware not to go away and get even more sophisticated Organizations in 2022 saw no let-up from ransomware threats, some of whom were attacked multiple times and I do not see any reason why this trend will change in 2023. Cyber criminals are getting more resourceful and savvier in their attempts to stay ahead of law enforcement, and I anticipate these attacks will only become more frequent as their perpetrators are proving more capable of infiltrating many organizations’ cyber defenses. In response, organizations will have to seek more technology solutions to protect data at the source. But that would not suffice. I think organizations will need to look beyond technological solutions and apply better preparedness strategies. Whether it be Zero Trust or something less overarching but more practical for an organization’s business needs, such as Micro-segmentation , it would ensure that threat-actors would not be able to access the data residing inside the security perimeter. Schedule a demo Related Articles Q1 at AlgoSec: What innovations and milestones defined our start to 2026? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read 2025 in review: What innovations and milestones defined AlgoSec’s transformative year in 2025? AlgoSec Reviews Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Navigating Compliance in the Cloud AlgoSec Cloud Mar 19, 2023 · 2 min read Speak to one of our experts Speak to one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Schedule a call

Webinars 5 proven ways to secure your hybrid network environment during team convergence Cloud and datacenter security teams are now one, but the tools, workflows, and policies haven’t caught up. Join ESG Principal Analyst John Grady alongside AlgoSec’s Field CTO Kyle Wickert and Product Manager Gal Yosef for a practical conversation on how leading organizations are tackling the operational challenges of security convergence. What you’ll learn: Why convergence between cloud and datacenter teams is accelerating How to reduce tool overload and policy inconsistencies What steps are teams taking to unify visibility, policy, and risk without slowing down delivery July 16, 2025 John Grady Principal Analyst | ESG Gal Yosef Product Manager | AlgoSec Kyle Wickert WW Strategic Architect Relevant resources 6 best practices to stay secure in the hybrid cloud Read Document Securing & managing hybrid network security See Documentation 6 must-dos to secure the hybrid cloud Read Document Choose a better way to manage your network Choose a better way to manage your network Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... Short answer* By submitting this form, I accept AlgoSec's privacy policy Continue

Marking the start of a consolidation era defined by unification, automation, and centralized control State of Network Security 2026 Select a size Which network Can AlgoSec be used for continuous compliance monitoring? Yes, AlgoSec supports continuous compliance monitoring. As organizations adapt their security policies to meet emerging threats and address new vulnerabilities, they must constantly verify these changes against the compliance frameworks they subscribe to. AlgoSec can generate risk assessment reports and conduct internal audits on-demand, allowing compliance officers to monitor compliance performance in real-time. Security professionals can also use AlgoSec to preview and simulate proposed changes to the organization’s security policies. This gives compliance officers a valuable degree of lead-time before planned changes impact regulatory guidelines and allows for continuous real-time monitoring. Executive summary After years of expansion and tool proliferation, 2026 will mark the beginning of a consolidation period defined by unification, automation, and control. As hybrid architectures, AI-driven workloads, and shared operational responsibilities continue to blur the boundaries between security, cloud, and network teams, the focus has shifted from adding tools to simplifying them. Security management solutions are now being evaluated through a much more strategic lens. When respondents were asked to identify the primary driver behind their selection, the dominant theme was control: the ability to unify policies, streamline operations, and reduce the overhead that comes from managing multiple, disconnected systems. Since last year’s report, interest in consolidation and simplification has only intensified. Multi-cloud remains the dominant operating model, but instead of seeking scale and breadth, businesses are prioritizing visibility and control. 55% of companies now select cloud platforms primarily based on security, a trend reinforced by Deloitte’s 2024 findings that security plays a “major role” in cloud investment decisions. Increasingly, every cloud decision is a security decision. AI is reshaping this environment even further. The priority has shifted from pilot to practice, with teams applying AI to practical, low-risk functions such as hybrid network visibility, compliance enforcement, and rule optimization. Across all trends uncovered in this research paper, the unifying thread is consolidation. This reflects an industry moving from fragmentation to cohesion, simplifying technology stacks, standardizing workflows, and building shared accountability across disciplines that once operated separately. Based on insights from 504 security, network, and cloud professionals across 28 countries, this year’s report offers one of the clearest snapshots yet of this transformation. As the network security landscape enters this new period of consolidation and clarity, one message stands out: resilience now depends less on how many tools an organization deploys, and more on how effectively those tools connect technically, operationally, and organizationally. Trend 1: The great firewall rebalance Organizations no longer buy tools solely to check boxes for compliance or to deliver incremental improvements. Instead, they are motivated by the need to regain centralized control in the face of sprawling hybrid architectures and increasingly fragmented policy enforcement. When respondents were asked to identify the primary driver behind their selection, the dominant theme was control: the ability to unify policies, streamline operations, and reduce the overhead that comes from managing multiple, disconnected systems. Performance and cost continue to matter, but they are no longer defining factors with performance and scalability emerging as the top driver at 29.4%. Our findings indicate that organizations are prioritizing platforms that can deliver consistent visibility across hybrid environments, integrate seamlessly with cloud-native services, and support automation at scale. This shift reinforces a broader trend seen throughout the survey – that security teams are consolidating around fewer, more capable management layers that can provide visibility in an increasingly complex network environment. This strategic shift is tied closely to the broader evolution of the firewall itself. As hybrid and multi-cloud architectures continue to expand, the role of the firewall is undergoing its most significant shift in more than a decade. Firewalls remain a critical enforcement point for securing digital assets, but the way enterprises deploy, manage, and evaluate them is changing rapidly. Rather than treating firewalls as isolated perimeter controls, organizations are increasingly viewing them as part of a distributed, policy-driven security environment that must operate consistently across data centers, public clouds, and emerging application environments. This evolution is being driven by the growing complexity of distributed infrastructures and the rising need for unified visibility. With workloads and data now spanning multiple clouds and service layers, security teams are rethinking how firewall capabilities fit into broader governance and automation frameworks. Scalability, interoperability, and centralized orchestration have become as important as raw inspection performance. What’s left is a strategic rebalance, where organizations are demanding more flexibility at the edge, more consistency in the middle, and more visibility at the management layer. Firewall strategies split across three paths This year’s findings report that 30% of respondents plan to expand into multi-vendor environments to maintain flexibility and avoid lock-in, while 24% are actively consolidating. A further 22% intend to maintain their current mix, signaling a period of stabilization after years of expansion. The data suggests that rather than pursuing one path exclusively, enterprises are balancing control and choice, consolidating at the management layer while retaining multi-vendor diversity at the edge. Palo Alto and Fortinet lead a tightening vendor field Vendor preferences in 2026 highlight consolidation in practice. Palo Alto Networks has reclaimed the top position it lost in 2025, with Fortinet rising from fourth to second, showing the appeal of tightly integrated security and networking under one platform. Palo Alto has gone on the record this year stating that consolidating security data into a single platform will avoid redundant ingestion costs and, with the help of AI analytics, make insights available across the entire security stack1 Azure Firewall drops to third as organizations rebalance native integration with cross-cloud interoperability. AWS Firewall and Check Point maintain steady adoption, while GCP enters the ranking – perhaps evidence that, even as the market consolidates, ecosystem “fit” can create room for additional players. Notably, Cisco dropped out of the cloud-firewall list entirely, reflecting a maturing market where nearly all organizations now deploy some form of pure cloud-based firewalling. Top five firewall vendors ranked by enterprise deployment and market shifts Key takeaway Firewall strategy is moving into a more deliberate and balanced phase. Rather than expanding indiscriminately or consolidating outright, organizations are adopting nuanced approaches that blend flexibility with control. Multi-vendor diversity remains valuable at the edge, but consolidation at the management layer is becoming essential for achieving consistent policy enforcement and operational clarity. As hybrid environments grow more complex, the enterprises that succeed will be those that rationalize their footprint without sacrificing the adaptability required in a multi-cloud world. Trend 2: Cloud firewall strategies prioritize consolidation As organizations mature their hybrid and multi-cloud environments, 2026 marks an inflection point in firewall strategy. After several years of vendor diversification, the pendulum is swinging back toward consolidation. Businesses are prioritizing unified visibility, simplified operations, and consistency in policy enforcement across complex, distributed networks. In other words, the focus has shifted from expanding coverage to regaining control – reducing sprawl, streamlining management, and integrating security more deeply into cloud architectures. Cloud firewall adoption solidifies as a strategic standard The move toward cloud-based firewalls continues, but with a change in tone. Rather than experimenting with cloud-native protection, most organizations now view it as essential to enterprise security. 24% of respondents plan to move primarily to cloud firewalls over the next two years, confirming that cloud-native controls are no longer an emerging consideration but a baseline expectation. As hybrid infrastructures become the norm, firewall strategies are being designed to operate seamlessly across both on-premise and cloud environments, enforcing consistent policy without introducing operational complexity. Hybrid control replaces hybrid compromise On the face of it, the emphasis on consolidation might signal a retreat from hybrid operations, but it actually represents a new approach to managing them. The question has simply evolved from, “which firewall secures the cloud,” to “which cloud secures the enterprise?” Firewalls are evolving from perimeter defenses into unified control planes for policy orchestration, compliance, and risk management across all environments. As AI workloads and distributed applications proliferate, organizations are standardizing policy and automating enforcement to prevent drift and maintain continuous compliance. Over the next 2 years, how do you expect your firewall strategy to evolve? Key takeaway The firewall market is consolidating around fewer, more integrated vendors. Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet now anchor the field, with cloud-native solutions firmly mainstream and GCP emerging as a secondary player. The dominant priority for 2026 is control: simplifying management, tightening policy enforcement, and building the unified visibility layer that modern hybrid enterprises depend on for resilience. Trend 3: Security becomes the deciding factor in cloud platform selection The cloud has now confidently become the enterprise control layer, where security, data, and consolidation converge. As organizations mature their multi-cloud strategies, the criteria for choosing providers are shifting. Performance and price remain relevant, but they are no longer decisive. In 2026, the dominant priority will be security, confirming that every cloud decision will indeed be a security decision. The rise of AI-driven workloads, compliance requirements, and cross-platform orchestration has made security the critical benchmark for platform selection. Security leads cloud decision-making According to Gartner, worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services reached $723.4 billion in 2025 (up from $595.7 billion in 2024)². More than half (55%) cited security as their top consideration, far exceeding any other factor. Ecosystem and integrations ranked second at 44%, while AI and data services (42%) followed closely behind. Collectively, this paints a picture of a market driven by protection, compatibility, and intelligence rather than cost. The finding also underscores a broader mindset shift – enterprises are no longer treating cloud as infrastructure, but as the foundation for secure operations. Integration and ecosystem strength outweigh price and performance The emphasis on ecosystem integration reflects how organizations are consolidating around platforms that offer tighter interoperability across security, networking, and data layers. Rather than adopting best-of-breed tools in isolation, businesses are favoring providers that enable unified visibility and shared policy control. This trend echoes the broader consolidation theme observed across firewall and automation data: complexity has reached its limit, and integration has become the differentiator. When selecting a cloud platform, which factor carries the most weight? AI and data services redefine platform value The inclusion of AI and data services among the top selection criteria signals a growing recognition that intelligence is now inseparable from security. Organizations increasingly choose cloud platforms that can support AI-enhanced monitoring, anomaly detection, and compliance analytics within the same environment. The result is a more strategic alignment between where data resides and how it is protected, a shift from infrastructure management to intelligent security orchestration. Consolidation shapes platform strategy These findings also reflect a broader pattern of consolidation across cloud ecosystems. While multi-cloud remains the operational norm, the drivers behind it have changed. Rather than spreading workloads for cost or redundancy, organizations are choosing fewer platforms and using them more deeply, consolidating workloads, policies, and visibility tools to reduce friction. The balance of flexibility and control remains key, but the overall gravitational pull is toward simplification. Consistent policy enforcement overtakes visibility as the top cloud security challenge The findings from the survey show a notable shift in the challenges organizations face when securing cloud applications. For the first time, maintaining consistent policies across on-premise and cloud environments (58.6%) has overtaken lack of visibility into cloud applications (54.3%) as the number-one obstacle. This change reflects the realities of growing tool sprawl and increasingly mixed deployment models. As businesses consolidate platforms and pursue unified control, the problem isn’t identifying what applications exist, but enforcing the right policies for those applications across multiple clouds, networks, and security layers. This also reinforces the broader consolidation narrative, where consistency is key to cloud security. Rank the cloud service providers most used in your organization Key takeaway It would be reasonable to say that cloud strategy and security strategy are now one and the same. With more than half of organizations ranking security as the defining factor in provider selection, this year has cemented the cloud’s role as the enterprise security backbone. The future of multi-cloud will not be decided by speed or scale alone, but by how effectively each platform can deliver integrated protection, data intelligence, and operational clarity across the entire digital estate. Trend 4: SD-WAN further cements its role The enterprise network edge continues to evolve, with SD-WAN now established as a mainstream capability rather than a specialist solution. As organizations expand their hybrid environments and distributed workforces, the demand for secure, high-performance connectivity has solidified SD-WAN’s role as the connective tissue between data centers, clouds, and users. This year’s findings show that the market is maturing: adoption is nearly universal, leadership has reshuffled, and the differentiator is no longer deployment speed but the depth of security integration. SD-WAN adoption reaches maturity For the first time, SD-WAN can be considered standard practice across most enterprise environments. The share of organizations reporting no solution applied has dropped sharply to 21.1%, confirming that SD-WAN has moved beyond early adoption. Businesses increasingly view it as foundational to hybrid and multi-cloud architectures, providing the visibility and policy control that traditional WAN models lacked. The focus now is on consolidating SD-WAN with broader security frameworks to create unified, adaptive network fabrics. Which SD-WAN ( Software-Defined WAN) solutions is your organization using? (select all that apply) Fortinet takes the lead in an increasingly competitive market This year’s results mark a significant milestone: Fortinet (31%) has become the most widely used SD-WAN solution for the first time, reflecting its strength in integrating advanced security and networking under one platform. Cisco (30.7%) remains a close second, leveraging both its Viptela and Meraki offerings to address enterprise and distributed site use cases. VMware (20.7%) and Palo Alto Networks (19.2%) maintain consistent adoption, while Aruba (16.1%) and Versa (13%) continue to serve mid-enterprise and service-provider environments. The data suggests a crowded but stabilizing market, with leadership now determined by convergence rather than coverage. Integration overtakes performance as the new priority While performance and scalability remain important, the defining value of SD-WAN this year will be integration, particularly its ability to operate seamlessly within consolidated security ecosystems. According to Gartner, by the end of 2026, 60% of new SD-WAN purchases will be part of a single-vendor SASE offering, up from 15 % in 2022.³ Organizations are no longer viewing SD-WAN as a stand-alone connectivity layer but as a key component of unified network and security orchestration. This trend is reinforced by the parallel growth of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), where many SD-WAN platforms now serve as the underlying transport for cloud-delivered security functions. Simplified management drives next-phase adoption As the market matures, ease of management has emerged as a primary differentiator. Enterprises want simplified, policy-based control that extends across both SD-WAN and security operations. Vendors capable of offering single-pane management, covering traffic routing, segmentation, and threat prevention, are gaining a decisive edge. This shift underscores the industry’s pivot from product expansion to platform unification, where value lies in operational simplicity and end-to-end visibility. Key takeaway SD-WAN has transitioned from optional to essential. Adoption is near-universal, and leadership now depends on the depth of integration with security and orchestration platforms. Fortinet has overtaken Cisco to lead the market, signaling that convergence, not performance, is the new metric for success. As enterprises strive to unify their networking and security stacks, SD-WAN’s role as the foundation of hybrid connectivity has never been clearer. Trend 5: SASE moves from exploration to standardization Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) continues its steady progression from a niche innovation to a mainstream framework for unified security and networking. Once viewed primarily as an aspirational goal, SASE is now being operationalized across industries as organizations seek to consolidate connectivity, control, and cloud-delivered protection within a single architecture. This year’s findings show a market that has matured beyond experimentation. Adoption is broadening, vendor leadership is stabilizing, and integration with SD-WAN has become the norm. Non-adoption falls for the third consecutive year For the third year running, the share of organizations without a SASE solution has declined, down to 27.5% from 40% in 2025. This consistent decrease signals that SASE adoption is no longer exploratory but a planned progression for most enterprises. The increasing prominence of SASE is also reflected by Gartner, who estimate that between 2025 and 2028 the market will have a CAGR of 26% and exceed $30 billion by the end of the decade. As hybrid and remote workforces become permanent fixtures, businesses are embedding SASE as the control layer that secures access, governs data movement, and enforces consistent policy across all environments. The technology’s role has shifted from experimental pilot to strategic pillar. Which SASE platform is your organization using? Zscaler and Prisma Access maintain leadership amid growing competition Zscaler (37.8%) remains the market leader in SASE adoption, closely followed by Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma Access (34.4%). Both platforms have consolidated their positions through strong ecosystem partnerships and mature policy integration, particularly across large enterprise deployments. Netskope (21.9%) continues its rapid ascent as the fastest-growing challenger, driven by its focus on data protection and multi-cloud visibility. Smaller providers, including Cato (9.3%), Barracuda (4.7%), and other vendors (5.4%), maintain regional or industry-specific footholds where turnkey simplicity and localized deployment remain priorities. SD-WAN and SASE converge under single-vendor models According to the Dell’Oro Group, single vendor SASE will grow twice as fast as multi-vendor SASE in the next few years5. Organizations increasingly favor single-vendor frameworks that deliver both connectivity and security from the same platform, reducing latency and operational overhead. This reflects the same drive toward consolidation seen across the broader network security landscape to fewer moving parts, shared visibility, and unified control. Last year’s Gartner projection that more than half of SD-WAN purchases will be tied to integrated SASE offerings6 by 2026 appears well on track. In fact, the Dell’Oro Group anticipates single-vendor SASE will make up 90% of the market by the end of the decade. Implementation complexity gives way to operational consistency The challenges that once slowed SASE adoption, such as multi-component integration, legacy dependencies, and management fragmentation, are giving way to more standardized deployment models. Enterprises are learning to phase implementation, layering security and access capabilities without disrupting core connectivity. As policy orchestration becomes more automated and AI-assisted, SASE is evolving from a complex project to an achievable operational baseline for hybrid enterprises. Key takeaway SASE has crossed the threshold from early adoption to normalization. Zscaler and Prisma Access continue to lead, but Netskope’s rapid rise shows that innovation still drives competition. The decline in non-adoption rates confirms that SASE is now the de-facto model for secure, distributed access, valued for its operational simplicity and the consistency it delivers across the modern enterprise network. Trend 6: True zero trust remains elusive Zero Trust remains one of the most discussed principles in cybersecurity, yet one of the slowest to fully materialize in practice. The philosophy of “never trust, always verify” continues to guide strategic planning, but this year’s data reveals that operational progress has stalled. Awareness and intent are high, but implementation maturity has plateaued. Most organizations have laid the groundwork, such as segmentation, identity management, and access control, but few have advanced beyond these initial stages to comprehensive, policy-driven Zero Trust frameworks. Adoption steady, but forward motion limited Overall Zero Trust adoption remains consistent at around 55-60%, nearly identical to last year. However, the share of organizations still in the learning phase has increased from 20% to 31%, indicating that while more enterprises are engaging with the concept, fewer are moving to execution. This highlights a widening gap between intent and implementation, where Zero Trust is now universally recognized as the right approach, but practical deployment continues to challenge even mature security teams. What is your current Zero Trust implementation status? Execution gaps widen as awareness grows The data also shows that increased awareness has not translated into faster rollout. Many enterprises are still navigating legacy infrastructure, fragmented identity systems, and policy enforcement across hybrid networks. Even organizations that have implemented partial Zero Trust measures, such as micro-segmentation or network division, often lack unified governance models. The result is a growing class of “permanently pilot” deployments that are “active,” but not yet integrated or automated. This finding is echoed by Gartner, which revealed that in 2026, only 10 % of large enterprises will have a “mature and measurable” Zero Trust programme in place, up from less than 1 % today7. Fragmented approaches slow standardization The variety of adoption paths available further complicates progress. Some organizations are investing in Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) as an entry point, while others prioritize endpoint verification or identity-based access control. This flexibility allows for adaptation but prevents standardization, making it difficult to measure maturity consistently across industries. The absence of a universal framework also leads to uneven tool adoption and inconsistent results, reinforcing the need for clearer guidance and shared benchmarks. Education becomes the critical barrier The rising proportion of organizations still in the learning phase reflects a shortage of accessible best practices and practical guidance. Many teams understand the goal of Zero Trust but struggle to translate it into architectural blueprints or measurable outcomes. Training, governance alignment, and vendor-neutral frameworks are now essential to bridge this gap, ensuring that education accelerates adoption rather than replacing it. Key takeaway Zero Trust remains the strategic north star for enterprise security, but the journey toward full implementation has stalled. Awareness is at an all-time high, yet maturity has barely shifted. This year’s findings highlight an execution gap driven by complexity, fragmented infrastructure, and limited practical guidance. Organizations that focus on education, cross-team alignment, and measurable governance will be best positioned to move Zero Trust from aspiration to operational reality. Trend 7: AI-powered threats and defenses go mainstream Artificial intelligence has become both the newest threat vector and the next frontier of defense. According to McKinsey, phishing attacks have surged by 1200% since generative AI went mainstream in 2022, but at the same time, more than 90% of defensive AI capabilities are being outsourced to third parties – showing that businesses are keen to leverage the technology to defend themselves. That trend will continue in 2026, when the conversation around defensive AI will move beyond theory and into practice. Organizations are no longer asking if AI will change their security posture. Instead they want to know how fast they can adapt. Our findings show that while most enterprises are already taking steps to address AI-powered attacks, only a minority have made the deeper structural and procedural changes needed to counter them effectively. The result is a mixed picture - strong awareness, accelerating experimentation, but uneven readiness. How they are adapting to AI-powered attacks? Most organizations are adapting, but depth of change varies The majority (65%) have already adapted their strategies, with 23.6% making major structural changes and 40.9% implementing moderate adjustments. Surprisingly, only 15.6% reported no action at all. This points to an industry that has accepted the inevitability of AI as both an enabler and an adversary. However, while surface-level adaptations are widespread, the transformation of governance, tooling, and training remains in its early stages. AI investment shifts toward visibility and control This year’s responses mark a sharp contrast to last year. Where last year’s priorities centered on real-time notifications and incident response, this year focus has shifted to AI-powered visibility and risk prioritization (39.1%). Organizations are using AI to map hybrid networks, detect policy drift, and surface anomalies faster. AI-driven compliance and policy enforcement (23.7%) has emerged as the next priority, reflecting growing confidence in machine-led governance for structured, repeatable tasks. In essence, enterprises are applying AI where precision matters more than prediction. Operational hygiene overtakes experimentation While generative AI captured early attention, most organizations are deploying AI to improve operational hygiene rather than innovation. Application-centric security modeling (18.4%) and identification of unused or overly permissive rules (15.8%) rank lower but illustrate a pragmatic trend: using AI to clean up, not reinvent. These controlled, low-risk use cases deliver measurable value while avoiding the unpredictability associated with broader AI automation. The preference for predictability over experimentation signals a cautious but maturing stage of adoption. AI readiness exposes gaps in governance and skills Despite rising adoption, governance and human oversight remain persistent challenges. Many teams lack formal frameworks to validate AI-driven decisions or ensure accountability when automated systems act autonomously. The gap between AI’s technical potential and organizational readiness mirrors the early years of cloud adoption, where enthusiasm outpaced structured implementation. Without parallel investments in training, oversight, and transparent governance, AI-powered defenses risk replicating the same visibility issues they are meant to solve. Which AI cases will have the greatest impact over the next 2 years? Key takeaway AI has become a defining force in network security, driving both threat evolution and defensive transformation. Two-thirds of organizations have already adjusted their strategies, but maturity levels remain uneven. The focus has shifted decisively from detection to visibility, and from experimentation to control. As enterprises refine their governance frameworks and strengthen human oversight, AI will transition from a reactive tool to an operational cornerstone, turning awareness into measurable resilience. Trend 8: Automation maturity continues What began as a gradual shift toward orchestration and policy simplification in previous years has now become a defining operational capability. Our research confirms that automation has matured into a measurable discipline that directly influences efficiency, compliance, and resilience across hybrid networks. Yet while the benefits are increasingly clear, full-scale orchestration across environments remains a work in progress. Automation becomes a measurable benchmark The results show a clear divide: 24% of organizations now operate at a high level of automation, while 30% report moderate automation. Twenty-six percent remain at a low level, and 20% still rely primarily on manual processes. This sprawl validates last year’s prediction that automation would become foundational to network security. It also underscores the persistence of a maturity gap between those leveraging automation strategically and those applying it reactively to reduce workloads. From process acceleration to policy assurance Beyond accelerating workflows, organizations are now using automation to enforce security policy consistently across hybrid environments. This includes automated risk analysis, change verification, and compliance tracking - all areas once dominated by manual oversight. By shifting from speed to assurance, automation has become central to maintaining reliability and reducing configuration drift, particularly in multi-vendor or multi-cloud architectures where consistency is hardest to achieve. How would you describe your organization’s current level of automation in network security management? Operational and cultural barriers persist Despite progress, barriers remain. Many organizations struggle to extend automation across silos, particularly between cloud, network, and application security teams. Legacy approval processes, lack of centralized governance, and limited cross-tool integration continue to restrict scalability. This has resulted in “partial” automation, where specific workflows are automated, but end-to-end orchestration across systems and teams remains difficult to pin down. This mirrors the early adoption curve we saw in cloud migration – progress being built through incremental cultural and procedural change rather than technology alone. A proving ground for AI-enhanced orchestration The intersection between automation and AI is emerging as the next frontier. AI-assisted orchestration tools are beginning to optimize rule management, recommend policy changes, and predict the downstream impact of configuration updates. However, confidence in fully autonomous decision-making remains low. For now, organizations are embracing a human-in-the-loop model, where automation handles execution while humans retain control of validation and governance. This balance is shaping a pragmatic, risk-conscious approach to automation at scale. Key takeaway Automation has evolved from a strategic ambition into an operational benchmark. Nearly half of all organizations now operate with moderate to high levels of automation, validating its role as a core pillar of network security. Yet maturity remains uneven, with cultural inertia and fragmented governance slowing progress. The next leap will come from convergence and uniting automated workflows, AI-assisted orchestration, and unified policy management to deliver the end-to-end agility and assurance enterprises have long aimed for. Trend 9: Consolidation - teams and platforms move toward unified control As hybrid environments expand and the boundaries between cloud, network, and security responsibilities continue to blur, businesses are rethinking not only what they manage but how they manage it. Our findings reveal an industry shifting toward shared accountability, unified visibility, and integrated control. Consolidation is happening at two levels: teams and platforms, and both are accelerating. Team structures shift toward shared ownership The operational model for security is undergoing a quiet but significant transformation. Organizations are moving away from isolated, domain-specific teams and toward structures that promote shared priorities and cross-functional coordination. The findings show that only 19% are currently working in siloed departments, while 36% of respondents report that their cloud, network, and security teams have consolidated around shared tools. A further 25% of respondents have aligned around shared initiatives and 20% have gone further, operating as fully consolidated teams. This represents a substantial step toward unified governance. Instead of managing separate workflows or conflicting priorities, teams are aligning around common frameworks for risk, compliance, and service delivery. As AI and automation become more embedded in operations, this collaborative approach is emerging as the new standard for effective decision-making and consistent policy enforcement. Shared tools become the foundation for cross-team alignment The rise of shared tooling reflects a deliberate move toward standardization. When cloud, network, and security teams use different systems, visibility fractures and operational gaps appear. But when they converge around shared management layers and shared data sources, collaboration becomes frictionless. This year’s results show that shared tools are now the primary mechanism for team alignment, which is the strongest sign yet that consolidation is being built from the ground up through day-to-day operational workflows rather than top-down restructuring. How would you best describe the current alignment of cloud & network security teams? Platform consolidation accelerates as organizations seek While team structures are converging, platform consolidation is accelerating even faster. According to our findings, 75% of organizations have consolidated at least some portion of their security tools or policies under a single platform of management layer. While team structures are converging, platform consolidation is accelerating even faster. According to the 2026 findings, 75% of organizations have consolidated at least some portion of their security tools or policies under a single platform or management layer. Around 30% report partial consolidation, 19% say the majority of their infrastructure now sits under one platform, and 10% have achieved full consolidation. Only a quarter still operate with fragmented tooling. What percentage of your cloud and network security tools are currently consolidated under a single platform or policy engine? This reflects a broader desire for unified visibility and simplified operations. As hybrid and multi-cloud deployments grow in scale, point solutions are becoming operationally burdensome. Organizations increasingly want fewer dashboards, fewer approval workflows, and fewer interfaces to manage, instead preferring integrated platforms that are capable of enforcing policy consistently across environments. Key takeaway Consolidation is redefining how enterprises operate, both structurally and technologically. Teams are aligning around shared tools, shared responsibilities, and, increasingly, shared governance models. At the same time, platforms are consolidating to provide unified visibility and consistent policy enforcement across hybrid environments. Conclusion The state of network security this year is defined by clarity emerging from complexity. After several years of rapid expansion across multi-cloud environments, AI-powered operations, and hybrid architectures, organizations are entering a new phase of consolidation and control. Our survey findings reveal a collective recalibration, with organizations moving away from tool proliferation toward unified management, shared visibility, and measurable automation. Firewalls, SD-WAN, and SASE have all evolved into foundational pillars of a more cohesive network security stack, while Zero Trust and AI continue to mature, bridging the gap between strategy and execution. Compared to last year, we are now seeing a transition from experimentation to optimization. Where last year’s findings reflected a market still expanding in every direction, this year captures a shift toward simplification. The drive for flexibility has given way to the pursuit of consistency, where performance metrics are being replaced by governance and assurance benchmarks. Consolidation of vendors, tools, and even teams, now defines the path forward. Adding layers of protection is not enough – those layers need to operate cohesively. Looking ahead, the next generation of network security will hinge on visibility, automation, and collaboration, not as separate initiatives, but as integrated capabilities that span every layer of the digital ecosystem. For an industry that has long been dominated by complexity and a “more is better” approach, the next year might be quite surprising. As organizations continue to align their cloud, network, and security teams, the most resilient will be those that embrace simplicity rather than complexity, transforming control into confidence. Methodology This report is based on comprehensive research conducted by AlgoSec, gathering insights from security, network, and cloud professionals across a broad range of industries and regions. The data was collected through a global survey carried out in the second half of 2025, designed to capture real-world perspectives on the challenges, priorities, and evolving trends shaping network security in 2026. Survey scope and participants The study reflects responses from 504 professionals representing 28 countries. Participants span a diverse set of roles, including security architects, engineers, and analysts (25%); IT and network managers (21%); CISOs and heads of security (13%); consultants and specialists (9%); CTOs, CIOs, and senior IT leaders (6%); business, program, and product managers (7%); DevOps, cloud, and software professionals (8%); and other or undefined roles (11%). This broad representation ensures a balanced view across enterprise, mid-market, and specialist organizations operating within hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Research objectives The primary goal of this study was to identify key trends and shifts in network security practice, from strategic priorities to operational realities. The research explores: How organizations are consolidating security management across hybrid and multi-cloud architectures The evolving role of automation, orchestration, and AI-driven security in modern frameworks Adoption trends across firewalls, SD-WAN, SASE, and Zero Trust architectures The impact of consolidation on tool selection, team alignment, and visibility How enterprises are adapting to AI-powered threats and increasing operational complexity Data collection and analysis Participants were asked to provide both quantitative and qualitative feedback on their current deployments, planned investments, and primary challenges in managing network security infrastructure. The survey established new baselines in several areas, including AI-powered attack readiness, automation maturity, and consolidation of tools and teams, while tracking multi-year trends from previous editions of the research. Responses were analyzed to identify correlations, emerging patterns, and year-over-year changes in market behavior. By leveraging direct insights from practitioners and decision-makers, this study provides an objective, vendor-neutral snapshot of the global network security landscape. Its findings are intended to help organizations benchmark their progress, assess market maturity, and make informed decisions as they navigate the next stage of digital transformation. About AlgoSec AlgoSec, a global cybersecurity leader, empowers organizations to securely accelerate application delivery up to 10 times faster by automating application connectivity and security policy across the hybrid network environment. With two decades of expertise securing hybrid networks, over 2200 of the world’s most complex organizations trust AlgoSec to help secure their most critical workloads. AlgoSec Horizon platform utilizes advanced AI capabilities, enabling users to automatically discover and identify their business applications across multi-clouds, and remediate risks more effectively. It serves as a single source for visibility into security and compliance issues across the hybrid network environment, to ensure ongoing adherence to internet security standards, industry, and internal regulations. Additionally, organizations can leverage intelligent change automation to streamline security change processes, thus improving security and agility. Learn how AlgoSec enables application owners, information security experts, SecOps and cloud security teams to deploy business applications faster while maintaining security at www.algosec.com . For more information, visit www.algosec.com Get the latest insights from the experts Schedule time with one of our experts Work email* First name* Last name* Company* country* Select country... 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