Cybersecurity tool sprawl and the cost of complexity

Under constant pressure to defend against cyberthreats, organizations often adopt new security tools rapidly to address specific vulnerabilities or compliance requirements. However, this reactive approach can lead to “tool sprawl,” where the unchecked accumulation of disparate solutions results in an overly complex and fragmented security environment.

What is cybersecurity tool sprawl?

Cybersecurity tool sprawl occurs when organizations continuously add new tools without fully assessing their existing security infrastructure or considering how these additions fit into the broader architecture. Over time, this reactive approach leads to an overextended security framework, where overlapping functionalities, siloed data, and operational inefficiencies compromise overall security.

As the complexity of managing a myriad of security tools grows, so do the risks of inefficiency, increased costs, skill gaps, and security vulnerabilities. Understanding these challenges is critical to developing effective strategies for minimizing tool sprawl.

A more holistic approach, where each tool is necessary, fully integrated, and effectively utilized, is crucial for maintaining a robust security posture in today's dynamic threat landscape.

What does cybersecurity tool sprawl look like?

Today, cybersecurity tool sprawl is characterized by an overabundance of security tools, often numbering in the dozens or even hundreds within large organizations. At the 2019 RSA Conference, Matt Chiodi, former chief security officer of public cloud at Palo Alto Networks, noted that small organizations average 15-20 tools, medium-sized businesses 50-60, and large enterprises over 130 tools.

These tools span various categories, including endpoint protection, intrusion detection, threat intelligence, identity management, and more. Despite this extensive array, research and industry reports indicate that only a small fraction of these tools are actively used, with many going underutilized due to their complexity or redundancy.

According to Richard Watson from Ernst & Young, most organizations utilize only 10% to 20% of the technology they own, while continuing to pay higher license costs for technology that they have not leveraged for other business needs.

Watson, in his article, “Simplify to Survive: How Organizations Can Navigate Cyber-Risk,” suggests that a technology declutter is required:

“Simplification will make companies more adaptive and pragmatic. It will support a shift from a complexity-inducing approach […] to an adaptive approach that works backward from core risks and sets companies up to move swiftly when attacks strike. Simplification will result in operational efficiencies, reduced technology and infrastructure overhead, and ultimately the ability to respond to cyber threats more quickly.”

5 critical challenges that come with tool sprawl

Tool sprawl presents numerous challenges that can hinder an organization’s ability to maintain an effective security posture. Five of the top side effects of tool sprawl are:

1. Operational inefficiency

2. Increased costs

3. Skill gaps

4. Visibility and control issues

5. Integration challenges

Operational inefficiency arises when organizations deploy many security tools, often with overlapping functionalities, it creates a complex, difficult to manage environment. Security teams may struggle to effectively monitor and correlate data from multiple tools, leading to missed threats and slower response times. The lack of integration between these tools can also result in fragmented security processes, where critical information is siloed and not shared across platforms. (Read about efficient tech stacks by Keepit CTO Jakob Østergaard.)

Increased costs are another significant issue. Each tool requires licensing, maintenance, and support, which can quickly escalate expenses. Additionally, the need for specialized personnel to manage and operate these tools further drives up costs. In many cases, organizations find themselves paying for tools that are underutilized or even redundant, exacerbating the financial burden.

Skill gaps among security staff can also be a challenge. The more tools an organization uses, the more difficult it becomes for the security team to be proficient with each one. This can lead to suboptimal use of the tools, where their full capabilities are not leveraged, ultimately weakening the organization’s overall security posture. The difficulty of keeping up with updates and best practices for a wide array of tools can also contribute to skill gaps and operational errors.

Visibility and control issues often arise in environments plagued by tool sprawl. With so many tools in play, maintaining comprehensive visibility across the network becomes challenging. This fragmented visibility can result in blind spots, where security incidents may go unnoticed or unaddressed. Moreover, the lack of centralized control can make it difficult to enforce consistent security policies across the organization, as well as thorough testing of a larger-than-necessary attack surface. (Read our article on “simplicity as a shield” and immutability.)

Finally, integration challenges are a common problem. Many organizations use a mix of legacy systems and new technologies that do not easily integrate with each other. This lack of integration can prevent security tools from working together effectively, reducing their overall effectiveness and complicating incident response efforts. Without seamless integration, data from different tools might not be aggregated and analyzed properly, leading to delays in threat detection and response.

While cybersecurity tools are essential for protecting an organization’s digital assets, excessive tool sprawl ultimately leads to significant challenges — all of which can weaken an organization’s security posture rather than strengthen it. Reducing tool sprawl through strategic consolidation and better tool management can help mitigate these challenges.

How can security leaders minimize tool sprawl?

Minimizing cybersecurity tool sprawl is crucial for maintaining an effective and efficient security posture. Here are several strategies that security leaders can adopt to tackle this challenge:

• Data governance and prioritization: Start by clearly defining which data and assets are most critical to your organization. By understanding the specific areas that require protection, you can prioritize monitoring and tool selection efforts. This targeted approach ensures that resources are allocated efficiently and that security tools are directly aligned with the organization’s most valuable assets.

• Recovery testing and centralized oversight: Regular recovery testing of backed-up data can help centralize security efforts. Centralizing oversight and validation processes not only minimizes sprawl but also ensures that your security measures are comprehensive and cohesive, minimizing gaps in protection.

• Strategic SIEM implementation: Implementing a robust Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system can consolidate monitoring efforts. A well-integrated SIEM can aggregate data from various sources, reducing the necessity to monitor multiple platforms independently. This consolidation simplifies the security environment and helps to avoid the complexities that lead to tool sprawl.

• Selective tool acquisition: Before acquiring new security tools, it's essential to clearly define your monitoring objectives. Any new tool should be evaluated for its ability to integrate seamlessly with your existing SIEM infrastructure. This careful selection process prevents the unnecessary expansion of the toolset and ensures that each addition provides real value.

• Diversified intelligence sources: While integration is key, it's also important to maintain diverse sources of intelligence. This diversification allows for cross-verification of threat information, leading to more accurate and comprehensive threat detection. Ensuring that your tools incorporate varied intelligence sources can enhance the overall security posture without adding redundant tools.

• Resource and capacity assessment: Evaluate the capacity of your security team to manage the existing toolset effectively. This includes deciding whether to maintain an in-house Security Operations Center (SOC), outsource it, or adopt a hybrid approach. Aligning your toolset with the available resources ensures that your security team can effectively manage and utilize the tools at their disposal.

• Regular review and rationalization: Periodically reviewing your toolset is essential for identifying redundancies and underutilized tools. This process of rationalization focuses on optimizing the security stack, ensuring that every component adds value and enhances your security posture. Regular reviews prevent sprawl from creeping back in and keep your security environment streamlined.

By implementing these strategies, organizations can effectively manage and reduce cybersecurity tool sprawl, ensuring a more efficient, cost-effective, and secure environment. In today’s complex threat landscape, a streamlined and integrated security approach is not just beneficial but essential.

Conclusion

Perhaps contrary to the wishes of the endless array of readily “onboardable” SaaS applications promising a silver bullet for your problems, just adding more and more tools isn’t the solution to cybersecurity woes — streamlining and integrating your security stack is.

By focusing on quality over quantity and maintaining oversight of your solutions, you can reduce tool sprawl, enhancing both efficiency and security. A well-coordinated approach not only cuts costs but also fortifies cyber resilience efforts.