A new study commissioned by Fortinet and conducted by Forrester Consulting has found that cybersecurity complexity and AI-driven threats are outpacing the ability of organisations across Asia Pacific to respond effectively — with Singapore reflecting the regional trend.

The study, which surveyed 585 APAC cybersecurity decision-makers in March 2026, found that 59% of organisations cite AI-driven threats as a top concern, while 64% point to fragmented tools and overwhelming alert volumes as their primary operational challenge. Only 16% of respondents said they had reached advanced cybersecurity maturity.

Alert overload and manual workflows slow response

Security operations teams are under significant pressure. According to the findings, 52% of organisations report that alert volume makes it difficult to separate real threats from background noise, while 48% still rely on manual workflows to manage incidents. The combination creates a structural gap: threats are growing in sophistication faster than the tools and processes designed to catch them.

Cybersecurity maturity remains constrained across the region, with 68% of organisations assessed at an intermediate level. The findings suggest that many organisations are investing in security capabilities without yet having the integrated architecture needed to operationalise them effectively.

Platform consolidation gains momentum

The study points to growing momentum behind platform-based security architectures as organisations seek to reduce tool sprawl. Currently, 36% of respondents operate a unified security platform, but that figure is expected to rise to 47% over the next 12 to 24 months. The shift is being driven by the need to reduce tool fragmentation (58%), improve integration (52%), and manage growing hybrid environment complexity (49%).

Despite the operational challenges, AI investment intentions remain strong. Some 87% of organisations plan to increase AI security budgets, with more than half expecting double-digit growth. Over 60% expect AI to improve detection accuracy and accelerate incident response — though the study notes that realising those gains depends on first building integrated data environments and unified security foundations.

Fortinet positions its integrated platform approach as a response to this consolidation demand, as enterprises look to reduce vendor fragmentation while maintaining coverage across an expanding threat surface.