In today’s threat landscape, speed and visibility are critical for organisations to counter increasingly sophisticated adversaries. Modern attacks now span endpoints, identities, and cloud environments, requiring a unified approach to safeguard digital ecosystems. Organisations that cannot adapt to this complexity risk falling behind attackers who operate with speed, precision, and stealth.

According to the 2024 Global Threat Report, the average eCrime breakout time has dropped by 26% to just 62 minutes, with some adversaries executing attacks in as little as two minutes. Using malware-free techniques and compromised credentials, attackers ‘log in’ rather than break in, swiftly moving across domains while leaving a minimal trace. These tactics allow them to blend into legitimate operations and leave organisations with limited time to respond.

The Rise of Cross-Domain AttacksCross-domain attacks, which exploit vulnerabilities across endpoints, identities and cloud environments, present one of the most pressing challenges to organisations today. Adversaries thrive on fragmented security postures, where disconnected tools and teams create blind spots in detection and response capabilities.

These attacks often go unnoticed because they mimic normal operations. By leveraging compromised credentials and legitimate tools, attackers evade detection and generate fewer alerts. Traditional security approaches, reliant on siloed solutions, lack the holistic visibility needed to detect these subtle movements. As a result, adversaries infiltrate systems and exfiltrate data before they are detected.

Unified security platforms are essential to address these gaps. By integrating data, threat intelligence, and workflows across domains, these platforms enable real-time insights, faster detection, and proactive responses. This level of unification is no longer a luxury — it is a strategic necessity.

Traditional Security Solutions Fall Short

Disconnected, siloed security solutions hinder the ability to detect and respond to cross-domain attacks. Separate consoles, reports, and workflows slow response times, giving adversaries more opportunities to establish persistence, escalate privileges, and exfiltrate sensitive data.

Adding more security point solutions in an attempt to keep pace with threats creates additional complexity, stretching security teams thin and increasing operational costs. Maintaining fragmented environments also raises the need for specialised expertise and drives up cyber insurance premiums, further straining resources.

Modern security platforms address these challenges by unifying visibility and operations. By consolidating tools and breaking down silos, organisations gain a comprehensive view of their attack surface, enabling them to respond with speed and precision.

The Benefits of Unified Security

A unified approach to security allows organisations to:

Gain real-time insights: Consolidated visibility across endpoint, identity, and cloud environments reveals even the most elusive threats. Real-time alerts ensure faster identification and mitigation of lateral movements and evasive tactics.

Stay ahead of adversaries: Unified data and workflows reduce delays caused by fragmented tools, enabling security teams to act decisively. Automated and orchestrated responses ensure immediate remediation, outpacing attackers.

Reduce total costs: By eliminating the need for multiple point solutions, unified platforms simplify operations, lower reliance on specialised expertise, and reduce overall costs, including cyber insurance premiums.

What Makes an Effective Unified Security Platform?

To combat cross-domain threats effectively, unified security platforms must:

• Offer comprehensive, unified threat management solution that delivers full attack path visibility through a single console and agent, utilising an adversary-driven threat hunting approach to reveal cross-domain threats with tactical precision and high-quality, context-rich detections; while minimising false positives.
• Deliver real-time, context-aware security capabilities that automate threat detection, enable rapid response, and empower organisations to proactively defend against evolving cyber risks.
• Accelerate investigation and response times through a user experience that provides security analysts with the ability to see the full scope of incidents, to make inspection faster and collaboration easier.
• Feature a single unified sensor to reduce deployment and maintenance efforts, streamline workflows for operational efficiency, and maximise security investment with flexible licensing tailored to organisational needs.
• Provide 24/7 managed threat hunting to lower personnel costs and meet stringent security requirements, ensuring a robust security posture for favourable insurance coverage.

Speed and Visibility Are Non-Negotiable

In a world where cyberattacks are measured in minutes, traditional security approaches are no longer sufficient. Adversaries move quickly, exploiting disconnected systems and outdated workflows. To stay ahead, organisations need unified security platforms that provide the necessary speed, visibility, and operational efficiency to detect and stop sophisticated attacks.

By consolidating tools, breaking down silos, and offering real-time insights, these platforms empower organisations to protect their entire digital ecosystem. Unified security is not just about addressing today’s threats — it’s about building resilience for the challenges of tomorrow.

The author is Fabio Fratucello, International CTO, CrowdStrike

Disclaimer: The views expressed are solely of the author and ETCISO does not necessarily subscribe to it. ETCISO shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organization directly or indirectly.