Compare firewall compliance automation tools by fit, including NSPM platforms, native firewall managers, cloud controls, and audit tools Best firewall compliance automation tools for enterprise security teams ---- ------- Schedule a Demo Select a size ----- Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

Learn how Microsoft Azure and AlgoSec solutions help companies improve visibility and identify risk in large complex hybrid networking environments Webinars Joint webinar with Microsoft Azure - Understanding Hybrid Network Security Learn how Microsoft Azure and AlgoSec solutions help companies improve visibility and identify risk in large complex hybrid networking environments In this joint webinar with Microsoft, we discuss the challenges in these hybrid networks and how Microsoft Azure and AlgoSec are helping companies leverage cloud technologies to add more capacity and business applications without increasing their exposure to security risk. During the webinar you will hear Yuval Pery, the Product Manager for Azure Network Security at Microsoft, review and discuss the security features and options available with Microsoft Azure. We also have Yoav Yam-Karnibad, the Product Manager for Cloud Network Security at AlgoSec, show the integrations that exist today between AlgoSec and Microsoft Azure that help improve visibility and identify and prioritize risk in today’s hybrid environments. September 14, 2023 Yoav Yam-Karnibad Product Manager, Cloud Network Security at AlgoSec Yuval Pery Product Manager, Azure Network Security at Microsoft Relevant resources Firewall Rule Recertification with Application Connectivity Keep Reading AlgoSec Cloud for Microsoft Azure Keep Reading Firewall management services
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Explore Algosec's customer success stories to see how organizations worldwide improve security, compliance, and efficiency with our solutions. Global Transport Company Moves Firewall Changes Faster Organization Global Transport Industry Transportation Headquarters International Download case study Share Customer
success stories "Automation is definitely the way to go. We can now stay on top of the process even while we migrate our firewalls" Background A global transport and logistics company operates in nearly 100 countries and employs 50,000 people. From its 1000 offices, the company manages supply-chain solutions for thousands of customers all over the world each and every day. Found in virtually every industry, customers range from large international companies that require transportation services by sea and air to medium size business that ship mainly over the road. In addition, the company offers warehousing solutions on every continent to help customers with their logistics. Challenges Operating four major data centers on four continents, the security team’s daily tasks had become overwhelming. For the last several years, the company invested heavily in its rapidly growing IT and network security staff, but at its current size and level of activity, finding enough experienced staffers was practically impossible and too expensive to sustain. The only way forward was a network security automation solution that would: Automate many of the daily change requests across the 50+ firewalls, saving time so that IT and security staffers could work on other critical tasks Eliminate errors in firewall rules Demonstrate the ability to work with Cisco FirePower NGFW in the future The company also presented a special challenge in the form of its already-existing deployment of Cisco Bridge Virtual Interface (BVI) devices. The BVIs essentially act as Layer 2 firewalls. Since they, too, store firewall rules, they have to be included in the automation process. Solution The company brought in three leading Network Security Policy Management (NSPM) solutions to compete in a three-month proof-of-concept contest. The combination of AlgoSec Horizon Security Analyzer (AFA) and AlgoSec Global Transport (AFF) stood above the rest. AlgoSec Horizon Security Analyzer ensures security and compliance by providing visibility and analysis into complex network security policies. AlgoSec Global Transport improves security and saves security staffs’ time by automating the entire security policy change process, eliminating manual errors, and reducing risk. Results The two AlgoSec products, Horizon Security Analyzer and Global Transport went into production in mid-2018 where they have been working ever since, with the following results: Usability was outstanding—the products integrate well and are easy to learn and operate Single-pane-of-glass visibility across the network was suddenly available and useful to the network security staff The automation demonstrated the ability to slash the time required to push firewall changes and to eliminate errors The company found AlgoSec’s Tier 3 support to be impressive. Working directly with Tier 3 personnel and the ever-eager AlgoSec developers, the company’s Senior Technology Architect and other senior security analysts were able to work closely with AlgoSec to solve the BVI conundrum and implement the entire AlgoSec solution. Schedule time with one of our experts

Learn how to keep firewall and network security policies audit-ready with ongoing rule review, change governance, evidence, and compliance monitoring Continuous compliance for firewall and network security policies ---- ------- Schedule a Demo Select a size ----- Get the latest insights from the experts Choose a better way to manage your network

Compliance made easy Pass your audits stress free AlgoSec Webinar Webinars Compliance made easy. Pass your audits stress-free. Don’t fail an audit ever again. Yes, it’s possible. It doesn’t matter what regulation you are talking about, whether your own internal compliance standard or a common global framework such as PCI DSS, SOX, HIPPA, SWIFT, or even HKMA. We’ll show you how. In this webinar, AlgoSec security expert Tal Dayan will reveal: The secrets to passing audits How to improve your compliance score How to always remain compliant January 27, 2021 Tal Dayan AlgoSec security expert Relevant resources Network Security Audit? Passing Your Next One with Flying Colors Keep Reading Network Security Audit? Passing Your Next One with Flying Colors Keep Reading Regulations and compliance for the data center - A Day in the Life 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

Explore Algosec's customer success stories to see how organizations worldwide improve security, compliance, and efficiency with our solutions. Leading payment solutions company credits AlgoSec for increasing security and compliance Organization Payment Solutions Industry Financial Services Headquarters Download case study Share Customer
success stories "Leading fintech company rapidly improves security and compliance with AlgoSec jumpstart program" Background The company is one of the largest payment solutions providers, with offices processing more than 28 billion transactions worldwide. The company services 800,000 merchant outlets that generate $120 billion in processing volume. Its businesses include credit card processing, merchant acquisition and issuance of bank credit cards. The company grew to its enormous size through innovation and acquisition. It has introduced modern technology into the payments industry and has acquired many innovative companies over the last three decades. Challenges Today, the company operates 10 data centers with varying security architectures and firewall equipment from different vendors. The security staff is currently in the process of a cross-company firewall consolidation that will take several years to complete. The company is automating its change management of firewall rules to cut down on the time and effort spent on researching and implementing rules to keep up with its fast growth. It deploys rule changes during tight, scheduled “push windows” and conducts compliance reviews twice per year. The firewall change process is highly complex with many steps: Request Design Peer Review Management Approval Implementation Validation Success for the security team is all about time. They seek to automate the process by reducing time spent on: Research and writing rules Peer reviews Staging Security peering after staging Firewall push window requirements Quarterly firewall ruleset reviews as part of compliance objectives Solution The security team acquired AlgoSec Horizon Security Analyzer (AFA) and deployed it at two of its data centers in Arizona and Colorado. In both locations, the company is in the process of firewall migration to consolidate on one vendor. However, they need to add firewall clusters one at a time after each migration instead of all at once. The company took advantage of AlgoSec’s Jumpstart Program that delivers the benefits of AlgoSec Horizon Security Analyzer in conjunction with other AlgoSec solutions quickly. With Jumpstart, the company is quickly able to: Automate the discovery and mapping of enterprise applications Automate the change management processes Adopt the new processes across the company Realize rapid ROI The company’s lead security infrastructure consultant proclaimed, “AlgoSec customized their Jumpstart Program just for us. Their people are engaged, personable, skilled and highly efficient. They became part of our team dedicated to our success.” In addition to getting Horizon Security Analyzer up and running quickly and delivering its benefits, the Jumpstart team’s AFA deployment immediately identified network security gaps and helped the company close them, making them more secure and compliant. Results AlgoSec Horizon Security Analyzer is achieving all the goals of the security team. Time for policy writing reduced from 90 hours to 15 hours – 83% less Cut the total process time by half, enabling the security team to keep up with the barrage of change requests. Reduced the admin overhead from 30 to 4 – 87% less “Automation is definitely the way to go,” declared their security consultant. “We can now stay on top of the process even while we migrate our firewalls. We are looking for more from AlgoSec.” The company is now in the process of implementing AlgoSec Horizon FireFlow (AFF) to enhance the existing change management system with intelligent network and security automation. AlgoSec Horizon FireFlow enforces compliance and automatically documents the entire change-management lifecycle. Some of the features include: Processing of firewall changes with zero-touch automation Elimination of mistakes and rework, and improvement of accountability for change requests Proactive assessment of the impact of network changes to ensure security and continuous compliance Automation of the rule–recertification processes Schedule time with one of our experts

Algosec for Azure automates security policy management, enhances visibility, and ensures compliance across your Azure cloud environment. Microsoft Azure & AlgoSec Visibility, Risk Management and Change Automation for Azure Environments AlgoSec manages security policies across cloud, hybrid and on-prem environments, delivering proactive risk and compliance analysis, end-to-end change management and automation – all in the business application context. AlgoSec supports enterprises in their journey to the cloud by automatically mapping existing application connectivity prior to the migration, determining and facilitating required connectivity changes during the move, and ensuring continuous compliance and automated change management in the newly established hybrid cloud environment. AlgoSec completes the picture, providing clear visibility and effective management of Microsoft Azure’s native security constructs – Network Security Groups (NSGs) and Azure Firewalls – as well as 3rd party virtual firewalls deployed in the Azure cloud. AlgoSec for Microsoft Azure firewall is available now. Sign up here Automated Security Policy Management for Azure Network Security Groups With AlgoSec, you gain visibility into your entire Azure cloud estate, including network topology and connectivity, the effective security enforcement by Azure Network Security Groups, and aggregated risk and compliance analysis across Azure and 3rd party security devices. AlgoSec also provides an end-to-end change management and automation solution, covering security policies in the cloud, as well as on-premises SDN and traditional networks. Central Management for Azure Firewall Azure Firewall is a new managed, cloud-based network security service that protects your Azure Virtual Network resources. With AlgoSec, you can manage multiple instances of the Azure Firewall using a shared policy model, to facilitate and automate security policy management in multi-region cloud environments. In addition, the AlgoSec solution provides end-to-end visibility and management capabilities across the Azure Firewalls, Azure NSGs and 3rd party firewalls, in the cloud and on-prem. Key benefits Unified security Unified security policy management across cloud, SDN and on-premise networks Cloud visibility Visibility into the Azure cloud network, topology and connectivity Securing cloud estate Securing your cloud estate from misconfigurations with risk alerts as well as overall risk visibility Automation Automated Azure NSG and 3rd party firewall changes, eliminating misconfigurations and rework Proactive assessment Proactive assessment the impact of network changes to ensure continuous compliance Simplified and automate Simplified and automate internal and regulatory audits, and reduce time and costs by as much as 80% Cloud and Hybrid Environments Download infographic Schedule time with one of our experts

Security Policy Management with Professor Wool Best Practices for Amazon Web Services Security Best Practices for Amazon Web Services (AWS) Security is a whiteboard-style series of lessons that examine the challenges of and provide technical tips for managing security across hybrid data centers utilizing the AWS IaaS platform. Lesson 1 In this lesson Professor Wool provides an overview of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Security Groups and highlights some of the differences between Security Groups and traditional firewalls. The lesson continues by explaining some of the unique features of AWS and the challenges and benefits of being able to apply multiple Security Groups to a single instance. The Fundamentals of AWS Security Groups Watch Lesson 2 Outbound traffic rules in AWS Security Groups are, by default, very wide and insecure. In addition, during the set-up process for AWS Security Groups the user is not intuitively guided through a set up process for outbound rules – the user must do this manually. In this lesson, Professor Wool, highlights the limitations and consequences of leaving the default rules in place, and provides recommendations on how to define outbound rules in AWS Security Groups in order to securely control and filter outbound traffic and protect against data leaks. Protect Outbound Traffic in an AWS Hybrid Environment Watch Lesson 3 Once you start using AWS for production applications, auditing and compliance considerations come into play, especially if these applications are processing data that is subject to regulations such as PCI, HIPAA, SOX etc. In this lesson, Professor Wool reviews AWS’s own auditing tools, CloudWatch and CloudTrail, which are useful for cloud-based applications. However if you are running a hybrid data center, you will likely need to augment these tools with solutions that can provide reporting, visibility and change monitoring across the entire environment. Professor Wool provides some recommendations for key features and functionally you’ll need to ensure compliance, and tips on what the auditors are looking for. Change Management, Auditing and Compliance in an AWS Hybrid Environment Watch Lesson 4 In this lesson Professor Wool examines the differences between Amazon's Security Groups and Network Access Control Lists (NACLs), and provides some tips and tricks on how to use them together for the most effective and flexible traffic filtering for your enterprise. Using AWS Network ACLs for Enhanced Traffic Filtering Watch Lesson 5 AWS security is very flexible and granular, however it has some limitations in terms of the number of rules you can have in a NACL and security group. In this lesson Professor Wool explains how to combine security groups and NACLs filtering capabilities in order to bypass these capacity limitations and achieve the granular filtering needed to secure enterprise organizations. Combining Security Groups and Network ACLs to Bypass AWS Capacity Limitations Watch Lesson 6 In this whiteboard video lesson Professor Wool provides best practices for performing security audits across your AWS estate. The Right Way to Audit AWS Policies Watch Lesson 7 How to Intelligently Select the Security Groups to Modify When Managing Changes in your AWS Watch Lesson 8 Learn more about AlgoSec at http://www.algosec.com and read Professor Wool's blog posts at http://blog.algosec.com How to Manage Dynamic Objects in Cloud Environments Watch Have a Question for Professor Wool? Ask him now 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

Explore upcoming Algosec events to learn about the latest in network security, policy management, and compliance from industry experts Events Exhibition Frankfurt May 22, 2024 - May 23, 2024 Cloud and Cyber Expo – Frankfurt Messe Frankfurt Booth L070 Hall 8 Read More AlgoSec Events London June 05, 2024 Algocity London Good Hotel Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock London, E16 1FA 5th of June, 6PM. Read More Exhibition National Harbor, MD June 03, 2024 - June 05, 2024 Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit – US Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, MD Read More Exhibition London June 04, 2024 - June 06, 2024 Infosec London Booth B69 Read More Exhibition Las Vegas June 02, 2024 - June 06, 2024 Cisco Live US 2024 Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV Booth 5960 in World of Solutions Read More Exhibition Philadelphia June 10-12, 2024 AWS re:Inforce Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, PA AlgoSec Booth: 501 Read More Exhibit, Speaking Session Las Vegas August 27-29, 2024 Cisco GSX FY25 Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, NV Booth number: 23 Read More Exhibition Bengaluru August 30th, 2024 Dine With DevOps Sheraton Grand Whitefield Hotel, Bengaluru Read More AlgoSec Event Riyadh September 3rd, 2024 AlgoCity Riyadh Voco, Riyadh Read More AlgoSec Event Dubai September 5th, 2024 AlgoCity Dubai Ritz Carlton, JBR, Dubai Read More Exhibition Atlanta, GA, US September 5, 2024 Mission Security 2024 The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North, Atlanta, GA, US Read More Exhibition Riyadh September 10th, 2024 MENA ISC with Amiviz 2024 Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences, Riyadh Booth number – P01 Booth: Pod 4 Read More Exhibition Toronto September 11, 2024 AWS Summit Toronto 2024 Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada Booth number: 325 Read More Exhibition Montreal, QC, Canada September 11-12, 2024 GoSec 24 Palais des Congrès de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada Read More Exhibition Kansas City, MO, US September 18, 2024 2024 OptivCon Kansas City Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO, US Read More Exhibition Monaco 9th – 12th October, 2024 Les Assises Monaco Booth number: B08 Read More Exhibition Singapore October 15th -17th GovWare Singapore Sands Expo and Convention Centre Booth number – F20 | Booth E Read More Exhibition Dubai October 14th -18th Gitex Dubai World Trade Center Booth number – Hall 24 | A45 | Booth 7 Read More Exhibition Nurenberg Messe 22nd – 24th October , 2024 IT-SA 2024 Nurenberg Messe Booth number 7A-614 Read More Exhibition Melbourne, MCEC November 11th -14th Nov CISCO Live Melbourne Booth number – Stand S1 Read More Exhibition Malham | Saudi Arabia November 26th -28th Nov Black HAT MEA Booth number – Hall 1 | G 10 | Booth 7 Read More AlgoSec Event Washington, DC June 10th, 2025 Gartner Happy Hour Event Washington, DC Read More Exhibition San Diego, CA 8-12 June, 2025 Cisco Live San Diego, CA San Diego, CA Booth #2041 Read More Exhibition Ontario, CA June 13th, 2025 CXO Cyber Training Day & Dinner Ontario, CA Read More Exhibition Indiana, US July 31st, 2025 (IN) Nug Indianapolis Indiana, US Read More Exhibit Atlanta August 20th, 2025 Mission: Security’ 25 Westin Atlanta Perimeter North, Atlanta, GA Read More Exhibit, Speaking Session Las Vegas 26-28 of August, 2025 Cisco GSX FY26 Mandalay Bay Hotel Read More Exhibit Minneapolis September 10th, 2025 OptivCon Minneapolis US Bank Stadium Read More Exhibit, Speaking Session Mexico City, Mexico September 30 – October 1, 2025 Infosecurity Mexico Centro Banamex, Mexico City, Mexico Read More AlgoSec Event Nurenburg October 7th, 2025 ITSA EXPO Nurenburg Read More Exhibition Monaco 8-11 October, 2025 Les Assises Monaco Read More Exhibition Dubai 13-17 October, 2025 GITEX Dubai Read More Exhibition Orlando, FL 27-29 October, 2025 InfoSec World Orlando, FL Read More Exhibit Philadelphia October 29th, 2025 GPSEC Philadelphia Convene, Philadelphia, PA Read More Exhibit Phoenix October 30, 2025 OptivCon Phoenix Phoenix, AR Read More Exhibit Wastlake October 29-31, 2025 ISS+ Cleveland Wastlake, Ohio Read More Exhibition Melbourne 10-13 November, 2025 Cisco Live Melbourne Read More Exhibition Riyadh 24-26 November, 2025 Black Hat Riyadh Read More Exhibit Philadelphia December 5th, 2025 B Sides Philly 2025 Live Casino Hotel, 900 Packer Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19148 Read More Exhibit Las Vegas, NV March 9-13th, 2026 Fortinet Acceleter Mandalay Bay Convention Center Read More Exhibit San Francisco, CA March 23-26th, 2026 RSA Conference 2026 Moscone Center Read More Exhibit Las Vegas, NV May 31-June 4th, 2026 Cisco Live 2026 Mandalay Bay Convention Center Read More Exhibit Vancouver, Canada 2. FutureCon Vancouver The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver Canada Read More Exhibit Virginia, USA June 9-10, 2026 RVASec 500 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, USA, 23219 Read More Summit Washington, DC June 30-July 1, 2026 2026 AWS Summit Walter E. Washington Convention Center Read More Region Event type Date No upcoming events. Visit us soon for new events 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

AlgoSec empowers enterprise organizations and service providers to manage security at the speed of business Secure application connectivity.
Anywhere. Our Mission To be the global leader in securing application connectivity, anywhere. Our platform enables the world’s most complex organizations to gain visibility, reduce risk and process changes at zero-touch across the hybrid network. Securing application connectivity across the entire hybrid environment AlgoSec’s patented application-centric view of the hybrid network enables business owners, application owners, and information security professionals to talk the same language, so organizations can deliver business applications faster while achieving a heightened security posture. Security Accelerate application delivery and security policy changes with intelligent application connectivity and change automation Compliance Reduce risk exposure and prevent compliance violations with application compliance awareness and fast risk mitigation Visibility Easily discover, identify, map and analyze business applications and security policies across the entire hybrid network Proudly serving the world’s largest and most complex enterprise organizations Over 2,300 of the world’s leading organizations trust AlgoSec to help secure their most critical workloads across public cloud, private cloud, containers, and on-premises networks, while taking advantage of almost two decades of leadership in Network Security Policy Management. Driven by values and commitment to customer success At AlgoSec, we are passionate about the satisfaction of each and every customer. In 2005, we decided to put our money where our mouth is and introduced the industry’s only money-back guarantee. Our passion for customer satisfaction drives our mission and guides our corporate culture and core values. Financially Independent and Strategically Focused We are the only company in our space that is controlled by its founders. This financial independence allows us to focus on building long-term partnerships with existing customers rather than on external investors’ short-term objectives. AlgoSec at a Glance Founded in 2004 2,300+ Enterprise customers in 80 countries Serving 20 of the
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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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Explore Algosec's customer success stories to see how organizations worldwide improve security, compliance, and efficiency with our solutions. AlgoSec Case Study: Natilik and Rothschild Organization Natilik and Rothschild Industry Financial services Headquarters Download case study Share Customer
success stories AlgoSec Case Study: Natilik and Rothschild Interview details Interviewee: Robert Elgidge, Security Solutions Director at Natilik Company: Natilik, UK-based global managed service provider Client: Rothschild, a multinational financial services institution Background Natilik, a global managed service provider, collaborated with AlgoSec to address the complex security challenges faced by Rothschild, a financial services leader with over 60 offices in 40 countries and $2.5 billion in annual revenue. Rothschild’s operations include investment banking, asset management, and private banking, as well as advisory roles for governments. Given their critical global role, securing and streamlining their IT infrastructure was a top priority. As part of their modernization strategy, Natilik also leveraged AWS to support Rothschild’s expanding cloud footprint and used the AlgoSec Horizon platform to provide unified visibility and security management across both AWS and on-prem environments. This hybrid approach allowed Natilik to centralize security policy analysis, application connectivity mapping, and risk prioritization across firewalls, cloud controls, and distributed sites. Watch the interview: Natilik’s expertise spans five key solution areas: Collaboration and modern work : enabling seamless communication and productivity across teams. Customer engagement : enhancing customer experiences through tailored digital solutions. Modern networks : building secure, scalable, and high-performing network infrastructures. Multi-cloud and data centers : supporting hybrid and multi-cloud environments for agility and scalability. Cybersecurity : providing end-to-end protection, which underpins all other solution areas. Cybersecurity forms the backbone of their offerings, ensuring clients like Rothschild can navigate an evolving threat landscape while maintaining compliance and operational excellence. Primary use case Rothschild’s primary challenges stemmed from fragmented security policies and inefficient manual processes. According to Robert Elgidge: “Rothschild’s large global firewall estate led to poor visibility and cumbersome management. AlgoSec was introduced to simplify these complexities, but initially, the company struggled with change management, approvals, and deploying firewall rules. Although AlgoSec offered the technology and intelligence needed, a significant amount of manual work was required to align stakeholders and integrate workflows.” With the introduction of AWS into their hybrid architecture, Natilik used AlgoSec Horizon to bridge visibility gaps between cloud and on-prem environments. Horizon’s application-centric discovery and cross-environment policy analysis helped Natilik consolidate cloud security groups, optimize hybrid access rules, and ensure consistent enforcement across AWS and traditional firewalls. AlgoSec’s deployment ultimately allowed Rothschild to consolidate security policies and automate manual processes, reducing errors and freeing resources for higher-value projects. Most valuable features Robert highlighted several standout features of AlgoSec: “AlgoSec’s rule intelligence feature was crucial. It identified which firewall rules were essential and which could be removed, dramatically simplifying the structure. This optimization not only improved performance but also saved significant costs. Initially, Rothschild considered investing in new firewall infrastructure, but AlgoSec’s ability to streamline and prioritize existing rules negated that need. The resulting performance boost was substantial, avoiding unnecessary expenses and improving operational efficiency.” By focusing on rule prioritization and optimization, AlgoSec enhanced Rothschild’s security posture and operational outcomes. With the addition of AlgoSec’s cloud-native capabilities (via its Horizon/ACE architecture), this rule intelligence and optimization extends not only to physical and on-prem firewalls, but also to cloud-native firewalls and security-group configurations ensuring effective policy hygiene across hybrid and multi-cloud estates. Areas for improvement Despite AlgoSec’s benefits, Robert noted areas for potential improvement: “Internal challenges with workflows and approvals persisted. While AlgoSec provided the technical capabilities, a more tailored approach to building or improving management processes would have been helpful. The main difficulties lay in the bureaucratic side of things, such as aligning request and approval roles.” These challenges highlighted the importance of aligning organizational processes with advanced security technologies. Usage duration “My experience with AlgoSec began in 2022, during its deployment at Rothschild. Shortly after, I transitioned to another organization that also used AlgoSec, which gave me further insight into its capabilities across different environments.” Solution stability Robert praised AlgoSec’s reliability: “There were no stability issues. Once AlgoSec was fully integrated, it became the central authority for rule management. We removed manual admin rights from the technical team, ensuring all changes went through AlgoSec. This approach eliminated human error and reinforced the solution’s effectiveness.” This stability now also covers hybrid and cloud-native policy environments, so Rothschild benefits from the same governance and control whether rules apply to physical appliances or cloud firewalls. Customer service and support “The technical support team was highly skilled and responsive. However, in regions like Brazil, where collaboration often involves discussions and in-person meetings, a purely technical approach didn’t always fully address our needs. A more consultative support model could enhance the customer experience in these scenarios.” Initial setup “Deploying AlgoSec was challenging due to the complexity of Rothschild’s network. However, the technical support team acted quickly to address any issues, ensuring the implementation proceeded smoothly. Once the environment was stabilized, maintenance and ongoing use were straightforward.” Return on investment AlgoSec delivered a strong return on investment for Rothschild: “The money saved on after-hours work alone justified the tool within the first year. By optimizing firewall rules and automating workflows, we achieved significant operational savings. This freed up resources for other critical business initiatives, directly contributing to profitability.” With the addition of cloud-native policy management, Rothschild now sees potential additional savings by avoiding redundant firewall investments and streamlining cloud infrastructure as part of their hybrid estate. Pricing, setup costs, and licensing “Compared to other solutions like Tufin and FireMon, AlgoSec was competitively priced and stayed within budget. There were no significant additional costs apart from standard licensing fees. While we did hire new personnel to support change management, that was more related to internal processes than the technology itself.” Final insights Robert shared his advice for organizations considering AlgoSec: “AlgoSec is best suited for larger enterprises with complex environments, especially those with multiple firewall vendors and over 500 rules. For smaller setups, the added complexity of a dedicated solution might not be necessary. However, for businesses dealing with significant network complexity, AlgoSec simplifies management and delivers substantial value. With its cloud-native capabilities, hybrid-ready architecture, and unified policy management across on-prem and cloud, it’s more relevant than ever for organisations operating across diverse infrastructures.I’d rate it 10 out of 10 for companies with the right use case.” Schedule time with one of our experts