Posture Management Emerges as Strategic Cybersecurity Priority Amid Cloud and Data Fragmentation

 

Posture management is rapidly evolving into a cornerstone of enterprise cybersecurity as organizations grapple with increasing digital complexity. With infrastructures now sprawling across cloud platforms, identity services, and data environments, the traditional model of siloed risk monitoring is no longer sustainable. As a result, cybersecurity leaders are embracing posture management not only to gauge exposure but also to orchestrate defenses in real time. 

This shift reflects a broader industry movement toward unifying visibility and control. “From a business perspective, large organizations have M&A — they have rollups; they have multiple divisions. They’re not centralized; they’re across globes,” said Erik Bradley, chief strategist and director of research at Enterprise Technology Research. “There’s no way that we’re ever going to see a consolidation on one platform.” 

Bradley shared these insights during a conversation with theCUBE’s Jon Oltsik and Dave Vellante at the RSAC 2025 Conference, hosted by SiliconANGLE Media. The discussion focused on how posture management is becoming integral to modern security operations by improving visibility, minimizing tool sprawl, and enabling strategic risk reduction across complex IT environments. Security teams are increasingly recognizing the limitations of point solutions. 

Instead, they’re exploring how posture management can serve as a foundational layer across enterprise-wide platforms. “We’re carving up terminology and confusing the market,” said Oltsik. “IT is moving so quickly and it’s so specialized that you need specialized posture management tools for cloud, identity, and data.” Leading cybersecurity vendors like CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks are embedding posture management into broader security suites, aligning it with automation, identity access controls, and even password management. 

These integrations aim to reduce operational overhead while enabling faster, more accurate threat detection. According to Bradley, these vendors view posture management as both a preventive control in peacetime and a readiness tool in active cyber warfare scenarios. However, challenges persist—particularly around data fragmentation. Although many vendors tout strong telemetry capabilities, few offer complete visibility across all domains. 

This leaves enterprises vulnerable to gaps in their defenses, especially as they try to consolidate vendors and reduce redundancy. “No CSO is going to go all-in with one provider,” Bradley emphasized. “They’re focused on consolidating redundant vendors and streamlining operations without sacrificing visibility or security.” 

As cybersecurity evolves, posture management is no longer a niche function—it’s becoming the backbone of a resilient, scalable defense strategy.