Cybersecurity complexity and AI-driven threats outpace readiness

This study was commissioned by Fortinet. To create this profile, Forrester Consulting supplemented this research with custom survey questions asked of 585 APAC decision-makers and influencers of their organization’s cybersecurity solutions. The custom survey began and was completed in March 2026.

The study highlights cybersecurity risks driven by more advanced attackers and increasingly complex environments, and continued investment in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). The findings point to a clear shift toward simplifying security architectures, improving operational efficiency, and embedding AI into unified platforms.

According to Fortinet, complexity and AI-driven threats are overwhelming security operations. 75% of organizations cite AI-driven threats as a top concern, while 71% highlight fragmented tools and architectures and overwhelming alert volumes. Security operations are under pressure, with 51% of organizations reporting that alert volume makes it difficult to distinguish real threats, and 48% still rely on manual workflows.

The findings highlight a clear shift, as complexity moves beyond an operational challenge to become a core driver of cyber risk. Organizations are accelerating their move toward unified, platform-based security architectures. While only 25% operate a unified platform today, this is expected to rise to 51% over the next 12–24 months.

Peerapong Jongvibool, Senior Director, Fortinet Southeast Asia said: “As organizations continue to accelerate digital transformation and AI adoption, many are re-evaluating how they manage security across increasingly distributed environments. We are seeing a stronger focus on simplifying operations, improving visibility across domains, and enabling security teams to operate more efficiently at scale. This is driving growing interest in integrated, platform-based approaches that can help organizations strengthen resilience while reducing operational complexity".

Forrester’s findings suggest that platform-based security is becoming an increasingly important operational approach for organizations seeking to reduce complexity and improve efficiency.

Amelia Lau, Forrester Consulting Project Lead said: “Organizations across APAC are facing a dual challenge, rapidly evolving AI-driven threats and increasing internal complexity. While investment remains strong, many are still struggling to operationalize security effectively. Moving toward integrated, platform-based approaches will be critical to improving visibility, efficiency, and resilience".