The Broken Mindset: Tool Sprawl Is a Liability
The old mindset of buying a new tool for every new threat is broken — it’s a trap. This strategy unintentionally creates blind spots, crushing inefficiencies and alert fatigue. Fragmented systems don’t just slow down response times, they paralyze them. They force IT teams into tedious manual work and drain already stressed budgets. This collection of siloed tools isn’t security; it’s a liability, creating the very weak spots attackers are looking for.
Platformization: A Smarter Path Forward
Platformization is the answer. A true platform unifies security functions, integrating threat detection, response, analytics and automation into one artificial intelligence-powered foundation. This about efficiency as much as it’s about strategic advantage.
Teams can finally streamline operations, gain total visibility, consolidate costs and slash the cognitive load on security staff, freeing them to focus on protecting citizen data and mission-critical services. The ROI is immediate: A unified platform eliminates redundant licensing, training and administrative overhead. This allows agencies to redirect precious resources to proactive defense, not just firefighting.
What’s more, integrated AI and automation act as a force multiplier, speeding up detection and response so understaffed teams can keep pace. Automation is key to success in 2025, as there are not (and will not be) enough people available to meet the demanding tasks of the remainder of the decade.
READ MORE: Automation plays a role in data center optimization.
How To Get There: Decisive Leadership Is Essential
Getting to a consolidated model requires decisive leadership. Agency leaders must start with a ruthless review of their current stack, identifying every overlap, gap and opportunity to consolidate.
- Prioritize real platforms: Look for true interoperability and native automation, not just a “single pane of glass” layered over disconnected legacy systems.
- Engage trusted partners: Security is a team sport. Tap into public and private partners for shared threat intelligence and proven best practices.
- Invest in change management: Train your teams on new processes and set hard key performance indicators for risk reduction and operational efficiency.
- Demand future-proof solutions: The platform must support cloud, hybrid and on-prem environments and evolve as threats do.
By embracing platformization and strategic partnerships, state and local governments can finally do more with less. A sound cyber foundation doesn’t just react to threats, it anticipates them. It grows stronger, smarter and more effective over time, and that is the definition of true resilience.
