Defense in Depth
Are New Gartner-Created Categories/Acronyms Helping or Hurting the Cybersecurity Industry?
Apr 10, 2025
Alex Hutton, CISO at Atlantic Union Bank, shares his expertise as a security executive and startup founder. He discusses the confusion created by Gartner's cybersecurity acronyms and how they complicate choices for professionals. Highlights include the challenges startups face when differentiating themselves and the importance of clear communication in vendor relationships. The conversation also delves into leveraging frameworks like Wardley Maps to navigate technology trends, underscoring the need for trust between vendors and clients in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape.
26:47
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Quick takeaways
- The proliferation of acronyms in cybersecurity, such as CSPM and DSPM, often creates more confusion than clarity for buyers.
- Trust and clear communication between vendors and cybersecurity practitioners are essential for fostering effective partnerships and addressing unique security challenges.
Deep dives
The Complexity of Cybersecurity Acronyms
The cybersecurity industry is overloaded with acronyms that often complicate rather than clarify the landscape for buyers. As discussed, the proliferation of terms like CSPM and DSPM creates confusion, making it increasingly challenging for security leaders to understand what they are genuinely purchasing. Discussions indicate that while acronyms can provide a framework for categorizing products, they have often devolved into marketing tools that obscure the actual functionalities of the solutions. This divergence from clarity means that many vendors exploit these terms to gain competitive advantages, leaving buyers to navigate a convoluted market full of ambiguous offerings.
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