In an exclusive with Express Computer, Fabio Fratucello, Field CTO Worldwide at CrowdStrike, highlights the evolving cybersecurity landscape, where attackers increasingly operate like businesses—a phenomenon CrowdStrike calls the “enterprising adversary.” Fratucello stresses the importance of unified security platforms that provide end-to-end visibility, seamless integration, and real-time threat correlation across domains. These platforms, powered by AI and agentic technologies, act as force multipliers, accelerating detection and response while automating complex tasks.
The Changing Threat Landscape
Attackers are leveraging advanced technologies and operating at unprecedented speed. The fastest recorded lateral movement—from initial compromise to a secondary host—was just 51 seconds. “Speed is more crucial than ever for defenders,” says Fratucello, noting that globalized adversaries require organizations to anticipate attacks from anywhere, including nation-states and eCrime groups.
The Case for Unified Security Platforms
Traditional point-products leave defenders fragmented and overwhelmed. Unified platforms harmonize signals across endpoint, identity, and cloud domains, providing cohesive visibility that allows organizations to close gaps and stop breaches faster. This cross-domain visibility is essential, especially as attackers exploit identities through phishing, vishing, smishing, and credential misuse, often blending malicious actions into normal operations.
AI and the Next Frontier
The next evolution of unified platforms integrates AI and machine learning to shrink detection-to-response times. Generative and agentic AI help security teams automate workflows, generate insights, and even execute response actions, allowing human analysts to focus on higher-level decision-making. “AI isn’t optional anymore—it’s critical for staying ahead of adversaries,” Fratucello emphasizes. CrowdStrike’s Charlotte AI capabilities illustrate how agentic AI can operate autonomously while remaining under human-defined guardrails.
Choosing the Right Platform
When evaluating unified security solutions, organizations must prioritize cloud-native architecture, true single-agent deployment, and seamless data harmonization. “A true unified platform is not a patchwork of acquisitions—it’s a cohesive system that consolidates and simplifies operations,” Fratucello notes. Simplification and cohesion are critical when defenders may have less than a minute to respond to attacks.
Regional Insights and Global Lessons
Regional differences influence platform adoption, but adversaries’ tactics—like identity abuse and cloud exploitation—are increasingly global. Generative AI has enabled attackers to craft flawless, urgent phishing messages, reinforcing the need for comprehensive visibility and correlation across endpoints, identities, and cloud environments.
Blueprint for Transformation
Fratucello underscores that consolidation is key: single-agent, single-platform, single-console architectures allow data and insights to flow seamlessly between modules. When coupled with advanced AI, this enables machine-speed detection and response, providing a scalable blueprint for global cybersecurity
