Cisco is heavily investing in security with a platform-based vision and new leadership, key acquisitions, and strategic alignment with the cybersecurity market. Despite its dominant position in network security products, Cisco was late in introducing its SASE offering, Secure Access, due to a lack of a unified solution. To address this, Cisco hired Tom Gillis as the new chief security officer, who prioritized a long-term security plan over immediate revenue gains, leading to the creation of the Cisco Security Cloud platform.
The platform centralized all of Cisco’s security products to allow for quicker security offerings development. Cisco has expanded its product portfolio significantly to address the complexities and challenges of modern security landscapes. The platform is AI-driven to enable security at machine scale, making it more effective and scalable.
Cisco has made important security acquisitions like Hypershield for network segmentation, Splunk for XDR platform integration, and Oort to analyze identity and access management data. These acquisitions provide Cisco with enhanced capabilities in threat prevention, detection, and response. As the cybersecurity market shifts towards AI-based security platforms, Cisco is leveraging these acquisitions to differentiate itself.
Cisco’s steps towards strengthening and broadening its security offerings include the acquisition of Armorblox in 2023 for AI and machine learning capabilities, email security telemetry, and cloud security posture management through Lightspin Technologies’ acquisition. These acquisitions have helped Cisco build a cloud-native application platform called Panoptica to analyze and address cloud-based security risks effectively.
To achieve better protection for its global user base, Cisco needs to migrate its AnyConnect VPN users to ZTNA using the Cisco Secure client and transition Umbrella users to Secure Access. The company must also integrate its offerings to provide comprehensive security outcomes for its customers. Training Cisco’s sales team to focus more on security software over appliances is crucial for the company’s continued success.
As Cisco aims to target security professionals with its Security Cloud, it needs to strengthen its go-to-market strategy to compete with other leading security companies. Innovation remains at the forefront of Cisco’s strategy as it continues to expand its market reach through acquisitions that align with its vision and objectives. Cisco’s goal is to remain a leader in cybersecurity and provide resilient IT infrastructures to address evolving threats effectively.
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https://www.networkworld.com/article/2514928/cisco-adds-heft-to-cybersecurity-push-with-acquisitions-new-talent.html/amp/