AlgoSec has released its annual State of Network Security Report, providing an in-depth analysis of the current network security landscape, free from vendor bias.
The report reveals a shift towards consolidation as organizations aim to manage risk visibility and boost their resilience postures amidst evolving network infrastructures and hybrid architectures. Gathering insights from over 500 security, network, and cloud professionals across 28 nations, Algosec's comprehensive research evaluates key market players such as AWS, Cisco, Microsoft Azure, GCP, and others.
AI-Powered Threats and Defense
Artificial intelligence has emerged as both a new threat vector and an advanced line of defense in cybersecurity.
The report notes that 65% of organizations have adapted their strategies to counter AI-powered threats, with 23.6% making substantial structural changes and 40.9% implementing moderate adjustments. This marks the mainstreaming of AI in both offensive and defensive security strategies.
Consolidation of Cloud Firewall Strategies
The trend towards cloud-based firewalls continues with an emphasis on consolidation
The trend towards cloud-based firewalls continues with an emphasis on consolidation.
Nearly 24% of organizations plan to transition primarily to cloud firewalls over the next two years, suggesting that cloud-native controls have become a standard expectation rather than an optional consideration.
Security as a Priority in Cloud Platform Selection
In selecting cloud platforms, 54.7% of organizations now prioritize security capabilities due to the rise in AI-driven workloads, stringent compliance requirements, and the need for effective cross-platform orchestration. This marks a pivotal shift in how businesses evaluate cloud service providers.
SD-WAN Gains Emphasis
With expanding hybrid environments and distributed workforces, secure, high-performance connectivity is crucial, reinforcing SD-WAN’s importance. Fortinet leads with 31% adoption, while Cisco holds a close second at 30.7%.
SASE Adoption Moves to Standardization
The adoption of SASE solutions has shifted from exploration to a more standardized approach
The adoption of SASE solutions has shifted from exploration to a more standardized approach, with only 27.5% of organizations now lacking a SASE solution, down from 40% in 2024.
This steady decrease indicates SASE is becoming a strategic choice rather than an experimental one.
Transition to Multi-Cloud Optimization
Eran Shiff, Chief Product Officer at AlgoSec, commented, “Compared to last year, we are now seeing a transition from experimentation to optimization. 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 reveals a collective recalibration, with organizations moving away from tool proliferation toward unified management, shared visibility and measurable automation.”
Global cybersecurity pioneer AlgoSec has released its annual State of Network Security Report, providing a comprehensive vendor-agnostic analysis of today’s network security landscape.
The report identifies a decisive shift in how organizations are responding to network evolution and hybrid architecture sprawl, with the focus shifting back towards consolidation; defined by unification, automation and control as businesses look to manage visibility of risk and resilience posture. Based on comparative year-on-year findings, AlgoSec’s research includes over 500 responses from security, network and cloud professionals across 28 countries and evaluates market pioneer including AWS, Cisco, Microsoft Azure, GCP, Check Point, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet and more.
Major structural changes
Key findings from the report include:
- AI-powered threats and defences go mainstream – Artificial intelligence has become both the newest threat vector and the next frontier of defense. For the first time, AlgoSec’s research asked how organizations are adjusting to the rise of AI-powered attacks. The majority (65%) have already adapted their strategies, with 23.6% making major structural changes and 40.9% implementing moderate adjustments.
- Cloud firewall strategies prioritise consolidation - The move toward cloud-based firewalls continues, but with a change in tone. Nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents plan to move primarily to cloud firewalls over the next two years, confirming that cloud-native controls are no longer a consideration, but a baseline expectation.
- Security becomes the deciding factor in cloud platform selection – The rise of AI-driven workloads, compliance requirements and cross-platform orchestration has made security the critical benchmark for platform selection, with 54.7% of organizations stating that security capabilities carry the most weight when selecting a cloud platform.
- SD-WAN further cements its role – As organizations expand their hybrid environments and distributed workforces, the demand for secure, high-performance connectivity has solidified SD-WAN’s role. Fortinet (31%) has become the most widely used SD-WAN solution while Cisco (30.7%) remains a close second.
- SASE moves from exploration to standardization – For the third-year running, the share of organizations without a SASE solution has declined, down to 27.5% from 40% in 2024. This consistent decrease signals that SASE adoption is no longer exploratory, but a planned progression for most enterprises.
Multi-cloud environments
“Compared to last year, we are now seeing a transition from experimentation to optimization,” said Eran Shiff, Chief Product Officer at AlgoSec.
“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 reveals a collective recalibration, with organizations moving away from tool proliferation toward unified management, shared visibility and measurable automation.”
