APAC firms flag AI-driven threats, fragmented tools as top cybersecurity risks — Fortinet survey

More than half of organizations in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, including the Philippines, cited artificial intelligence (AI)-driven threats and fragmented security tools as the top structural factors contributing to cybersecurity risks, according to the latest survey commissioned by Fortinet, a cybersecurity firm.

The Forrester survey, released on Tuesday and conducted in March, found that cyber risks are driven by both external threats and internal complexity.

More than half, or 57%, of organizations identified AI-driven threats as their top cybersecurity concern, while 54% attributed risks to fragmented security tools.

Rashish Pandey, vice-president of marketing and communications for APAC and ANZ (Australia and New Zealand) at Fortinet, said that some organizations, including those in the Philippines, use between 20 and 40 different cybersecurity tools, making operations more complex to manage.

Meanwhile, 52% of respondents cited alert overload as a concern, 50% pointed to regulatory pressure, and 49% identified skills shortages as a major challenge.

Due to these cybersecurity risks, the survey found that security operations center (SOC) teams are struggling to keep up.

About 50% of organizations said the volume of alerts makes it difficult to distinguish legitimate threats, while 48% still rely on manual workflows.

The survey also found that most organizations in the Asia-Pacific region, or 68%, remain at the intermediate stage of cybersecurity maturity, while only 16% have reached advanced levels.

As operational challenges such as fragmented security tools increasingly become cybersecurity risks, the report said local organizations are gaining momentum toward shifting to unified, platform-based security architectures to reduce complexity.

“If you look across the Philippines, the top priorities for Filipino cybersecurity leaders are shifting toward simplification and visibility,” Mr. Pandey said.

Other priorities cited in the survey include accelerating AI adoption in security operations, addressing skills gaps, and improving workforce training.

The report said adoption of unified security platforms is expected to nearly triple over the next 12 to 24 months, from the current 20% of firms to 59%.

Among the key drivers behind the shift are the need to reduce tool sprawl, solve integration challenges, and lower operational costs.

However, challenges such as migration costs and disruptions, limited automation, and the lack of unified data remain persistent barriers to achieving the transition.

The Forrester survey commissioned by Fortinet covered 585 decision-makers and influencers involved in cybersecurity solutions across organizations in the APAC region, spanning industries such as manufacturing, telecommunications, banking, and financial services, among others.

In the Philippines, Mr. Pandey said more than 50 customer firms participated in the survey. — Edg Adrian A. Eva