If the last few years have taught cybersecurity professionals anything, it's that an over-reliance on any single security vendor for specific tasks or a tangled web of security niche tools risks the loss of control over a cybersecurity program. As vendor consolidation accelerates across the security industry, from Palo Alto Networks snapping up CyberArk or Broadcom's wave of rocky acquisitions, organizations are left asking: What happens to security programs when core tools get subsumed, sunset, or mutated beyond recognition?
Most, eventually all, CISOs will be forced to endure the loss of a cherished vendor and promising roadmap due to an acquisition. Stories from the trenches tell the tales of large organizations forced to pivot to alternative solutions on compressed timelines, often losing years of finely tuned integrations and internal knowledge. Conversely, those with vendor-agnostic strategies, documentation, and well-negotiated contracts are better positioned to navigate the storm with less disruption.
Tiago Rosado, CISO at construction project management and data platform software provider Asite, said companies should anticipate ongoing consolidation in the security vendor market and be proactive in managing the risks this creates. It's true, and in today's market, working with smaller cybersecurity vendors is more like speed-dating rounds intermixed with high-stakes mergers.
Adam Ennamli, chief risk, compliance, and security officer at General Bank of Canada, agreed, "It's about making sure that you know that it's coming as a CISO. You need to have your continuous threat exposure management applied to your vendors," he said. "You need to treat every vendor transition as a security event. You have to look at the interdependencies, and look at the business impact of the potential loss of a vendor, and understand the systems that will be, or may be, impacted," he added.
So, what does practical resilience look like against the onslaught of unwanted vendor consolidation?
Embrace architectural agnosticism. Security tools are temporary; their data and processes endure. Resilient programs start with a vendor-agnostic mindset. That means prioritizing open standards, API-centric tools, and modular architectures where possible. Prioritize tools that support STIX (Structured Threat Information Expression)/(Trusted Automated eXchange of Intelligence Information) TAXII for sharing threat intelligence among tools and allies, and CEF(Common Event Format)/LEEF (Log Event Extended Format) for log management, and generic syslog or JSON event formats. This enables tools to integrate more easily as a security stack evolves or vendors get acquired.
Strategies like using open standards, APIs, and multiple vendors can help build resilience, explained Rosado.
Invest in security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) platforms. SOAR platforms that decouple workflows from specific product integrations. For instance, if an endpoint detection product can be swapped without rewriting playbooks, an enterprise is more agile than most.
Build a custom data lake. Centralize security telemetry in a vendor-neutral repository, so analytics, detection, and hunting can continue even if source tools change. If an acquisition breaks SIEM ingestion, all historical threat context isn't lost.
Harden contracts. If legal and procurement teams simply sign "standard" SaaS terms, the enterprise is at the mercy of post-acquisition surprises—license price hikes, dropped support, or eroded functionality. Organizations should avoid long-term contracts with vendors in fast-changing areas and maintain flexibility to switch providers, explained Rosado. "We don't sign contracts for longer than a year," Rosado said.
Also, seasoned security leaders recommended that enterprises negotiate material change clauses. These allow for contract cancellation without penalty if the vendor changes ownership, product, or support terms substantively.
Additionally, document and protect legacy entitlements, especially for perpetual licenses, granular usage rights, or discounted renewals. These become crucial negotiation leverage after an M&A.
Finally, be sure to map all dependencies and create backup plans. And know in advance what contracts, training, and integrations will be affected if a vendor is acquired or set for end-of-life—pre-select qualified alternatives so transitions are swift, not reactive.
Diversify and Segment Critical Functions. Avoid putting all of your eggs—identity, endpoint, or cloud security—into one vendor basket. Where feasible, segment responsibilities so that the loss or destabilization of one provider can't cripple security operations. Adopt a "portfolio" approach for key control functions, with two (or more) vendors covering endpoint, network, or identity programs, which are shielded from supplier-specific risk.
Structure architecture to permit phased cutovers (not painful big-bang migrations), so tools can be trialed or switched without major outages. Document and regularly test migration paths for essential controls. If a SOAR, SIEM, or EDR vendor announces an acquisition, teams must know how to migrate configurations, enrichments, and log pipelines to avoid a first panic.
Focus on Transferable Skills and Processes, Not Just Technology. Security teams must future-proof themselves, not just their stacks. Cross-train staff on multiple platforms and document every playbook. Don't allow critical knowledge to reside solely with engineers wedded to one product. "Have a team of super learners that go through everything and can train the trainer when it's time to switch. They are always ready to conduct knowledge transfer," Ennamli advised.
Develop and document product-agnostic processes for detection, response, and forensics. If a tool goes away, operations shouldn't grind to a halt.
Make that knowledge transfer and tabletop exercises—where you simulate a forced vendor exit or abrupt license non-renewal—part of your quarterly resilience assessments. Every year, select a critical tool and facilitate a tabletop exercise on theoretical migration. What would it take to move? What's data portability? Who owns the integration points?
Regularly Audit and Test Your Vendor Risk. The best leaders don't wait for headlines about a merger or layoff—they monitor vendor health and industry M&A patterns as part of their risk management.
Finally, CISOs and security leaders must educate boards and business leaders that vendor churn is a predictable risk, not a black swan event. Set expectations for potential disruptions, upfront migration costs, and why "locking in" with a single vendor for everything may trade convenience for future pain.
When pitching budgets, frame investments in open integration and backup tooling as "insurance premiums" against industry churn.
While a sudden slowdown in support or updates can signal trouble ahead, don't wait for trouble to surface. Regularly track vendor financials, market rumors, and product update velocity. And maintain a regularly updated "approved alternatives" list for each primary security function. "We do risk assessments of all security vendors, and we reassess their risk profile annually," said Asite's Rosado. "All companies should review all of their suppliers on an annual basis. Competition is fierce, and every company's risk profile changes quickly," he added.
