In this episode, Josh and Tom discuss the consolidation of the cybersecurity industry with special guests John Milionis (Fortinet) and David Stevenson (Empyrean Cybersecurity Lead).
Key Topics Covered:
🔹 Cybersecurity Market Consolidation
- The industry is shifting from best-of-breed solutions to platform-based security stacks to reduce complexity, cut costs, and improve integration.
- Recent major acquisitions include Arctic Wolf acquiring Cylance and Sophos acquiring an XDR specialist, reflecting a trend toward broader, unified security offerings.
- Enterprises and SMBs alike are consolidating security vendors to streamline management and licensing.
🔹 AI in Cybersecurity
- AI-driven threats are rising, with attackers using AI for social engineering, deepfakes, and automated exploits.
- Fortinet’s AI strategy includes 40AI and 40G AI, leveraging global firewall telemetry to improve automated threat detection and virtual patching.
- Customers must balance AI-powered security tools with risk management strategies to stay ahead.
🔹 Governance & Compliance Driving Cybersecurity Investments
- Government regulations and compliance standards (ISO 27001, ASD Essential 8, SOCI Act) are pushing businesses to invest in data protection and security frameworks.
- Data classification, governance, and AI-powered DLP solutions are becoming essential to control sensitive data across cloud and third-party applications.
🔹 OT & IT Convergence in Cybersecurity
- Operational Technology (OT) security is becoming a major focus as critical infrastructure, healthcare, and industrial networks integrate with IT systems.
- Fortinet’s ruggedised solutions help secure IoT, transportation, and medical devices, preventing cyber threats in highly sensitive environments.
🔹 The Growing Talent Shortage in Cybersecurity
- The industry lacks skilled cybersecurity professionals, making training and vendor certification a challenge for both enterprises and MSSPs.
- Businesses are consolidating tools to reduce reliance on highly specialised personnel and ensure more efficient security management.
With cyber threats evolving rapidly, organisations must carefully evaluate security vendors, prioritise governance, and embrace AI for both defence and offence.
