ISG Software Research Analyst Perspectives

Securing AI Moves to the Center of Enterprise Risk

Posted by Jeff Orr on 12 May 2026

A distinct security category is emerging around protecting artificial intelligence (AI) itself, driven by the shift from pilot projects to embedded operational use. As AI becomes part of everyday workflows, the risk surface expands beyond traditional controls. Enterprises now need visibility into how employees prompt and rely on AI systems, how autonomous agents execute tasks and where sensitive... Read More

Topics: Data Governance, Cybersecurity, Generative AI, IT & Technologies, AI and Machine Learning, Data Controls, Visibility, Behavior Monitoring, Policy Enforcement, Control Plane

AI Reshapes Security Architecture at RSAC 2026 Conference

Posted by Jeff Orr on 16 April 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) just became the operating system for enterprise security. That was the clearest signal coming out of the RSAC 2026 Conference, and it materially changes how CIOs and CISOs should evaluate security platforms, operating models and investment priorities over the next 12–24 months. RSAC 2026 Conference reflects a structural shift in how cybersecurity is designed and... Read More

Topics: Cybersecurity, IT & Technologies, XDR, PAM, SIEM, IAM, SOAR, Data Resilience, NHI, AI Security Control Plane, Identity Security, Cybersecurity for AI, DSPM, Agentic AI Security, AI-driven Security, SOC Transformation, Autonomous SOC, Security Data Platforms

FinOps Dashboards Don’t Fix Cloud Waste

Posted by Jeff Orr on 08 April 2026

Multicloud was supposed to deliver flexibility, leverage and lower costs. Instead, many enterprises are paying a complexity tax that exceeds the savings. Dashboards light up with granular cost data across hyperscalers, yet total spending continues to climb. Visibility is improving. Accountability is not. The multicloud thesis was straightforward: distribute workloads across providers and reduce... Read More

Topics: Office of Finance, digital finance, CloudOps, IT & Technologies, FinOps, Business & Technologies, Cloud Infrastructure, IT Management & Operations, Multicloud, Cloud Cost Management, Hyperscaler

Three Questions to Evaluate AI-Powered IT Software

Posted by Jeff Orr on 02 April 2026

Enterprise IT leaders are committing seven-figure budgets to "AI-powered" platforms across ITSM, security and cloud management categories. These contracts promise autonomous remediation, intelligent triage and predictive insights. The problem: most CIOs and CISOs can't articulate what the embedded AI actually does or whether it delivers measurable ROI beyond the software provider's deck. The... Read More

Topics: procurement, Generative AI, IT & Technologies, Platforms, Bias, AI & Machine Learning, Due Diligence, Autonomous Decision, Training Data, Time-to-Value

When AIOps and XDR Don't Talk, Your SOC Pays the Price

Posted by Jeff Orr on 25 March 2026

Your artificial intelligence operations (AIOps) platform detects a memory spike in production. Your extended detection and response (XDR) platform flags suspicious lateral movement in the same cluster. But they're not sharing context, so your security operations center (SOC) treats them as two separate incidents. You lose 45 minutes that matter. This isn't a hypothetical scenario. It's the... Read More

Topics: Cybersecurity, Observability, SOC, AIOps, IT & Technologies, XDR, SIEM, SOAR, IT Management & Operations

Sovereign Cloud as a Strategic Control Plane for CIOs

Posted by Jeff Orr on 10 March 2026

Data sovereignty is no longer a niche compliance concern. It is becoming a defining architectural constraint for enterprise cloud strategy. As regulatory scrutiny intensifies and geopolitical risk becomes harder to ignore, Sovereign Cloud has emerged as a practical mechanism for CIOs to retain control over sensitive data, maintain jurisdictional compliance and reduce exposure tied to cross-border... Read More

Topics: Sovereign Cloud, IT & Technologies, Cloud Infrastructure, Digital Sovereignty, Data Residency, Data Isolation

Why Software Risk Is Now Decided Before Code Is Written

Posted by Jeff Orr on 24 February 2026

Threat modeling software has emerged as a distinct security category focused on identifying and mitigating design-level risks early in the software development lifecycle (SDLC). Unlike vulnerability scanners or runtime security controls that surface issues after deployment, threat modeling tools operate upstream, enabling organizations to analyze system architectures before code is written or... Read More

Topics: Cybersecurity, DevSecOps, CI/CD, IT & Technologies, Threat Modeling, SDLC, Proactive, Vulnerability

AIOps Software Powers IT Efficiency

Posted by Jeff Orr on 04 December 2025

Enterprise IT leaders face a dual mandate: maintain resilient operations while accelerating digital outcomes. AIOps software, where artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) models and automation converge across observability, incident response and IT service management, has moved from experimental pilots to foundational capabilities in today’s operations. As CIOs, CISOs and IT leaders... Read More

Topics: ITSM, ITOps, AIOps, IT & Technologies, ITOM, IT Management & Operations

Oracle AI World 2025: Cloud, Software and Sovereignty

Posted by Jeff Orr on 12 November 2025

Enterprise CIOs are under pressure to operationalize artificial intelligence (AI) while preserving governance, cost control and regulatory compliance. Oracle’s latest Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) software announcements from Oracle AI World 2025 focus on unifying data and AI pipelines, simplifying multicloud consumption and strengthening software‑defined networking to deliver predictable... Read More

Topics: Oracle, IT & Technologies, AI and Machine Learning, Cloud Infrastructure, Compute, Edge, Network & IOT, OCI, AI World

A Practical Enterprise Playbook to Integrating NHI with IAM/PAM

Posted by Jeff Orr on 28 October 2025

Enterprises with established Identity Access Management and Privileged Access Management must extend governance to non-human identities to protect APIs, services, automation and agentic AI. Effective evaluation of NHI security software hinges on risk-driven prioritization, integration fidelity and measurable outcomes. CIOs, CISOs and IT leaders should align the identity strategy with enterprise... Read More

Topics: Cybersecurity, NIST, IT & Technologies, Agentic AI, PAM, IAM, Zero Trust, Identity, Non-Human Identity, NHI, Machine Identity

Dedicated NHI Security Software: The Enterprise Need

Posted by Jeff Orr on 22 October 2025

Enterprises are accelerating digital initiatives powered by APIs, services, IoT and agentic artificial intelligence (AI), expanding non-human identity (NHI) risk faster than legacy Identity Access Management (IAM) and Privileged Access Management (PAM) can govern. CIOs, CISOs and IT leaders need an identity strategy that treats NHIs as first-class identities, integrates with IAM/PAM and advances... Read More

Topics: Cybersecurity, NIST, IT & Technologies, Agentic AI, PAM, IAM, Zero Trust, Identity, Non-Human Identity, NHI, Machine Identity

IT Is at the Heart of the AI-Enabled Economy

Posted by Jeff Orr on 26 August 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept but a current reality, and enterprise leaders are recognizing its profound impact on the IT sector. The development and deployment of AI-driven applications across various industries hinge on a robust IT infrastructure and skilled expertise. The words of industry leaders reinforce this sentiment: Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy indicates that... Read More

Topics: GRC, Operations, Learning Management, Business Planning, Cybersecurity, Generative AI, IT & Technologies, AI and Machine Learning, IT Management, Skills Gap, Bias, Risk Management

Intelligent Automation: ServiceNow’s AI Agent Workflows at Knowledge ’25

Posted by Jeff Orr on 19 August 2025

As we stand precariously at the intersection of technology and business strategy, ServiceNow’s Knowledge ’25 conference unveiled “the art of the possible” for what service automation can mean in our efficiency-seeking world. ServiceNow has long been a champion of transforming the mundane into the extraordinary, and in the era of AI, it aims to harness the potential of intelligent automation. The... Read More

Topics: Operations, Generative AI, Intelligent Automation, IT & Technologies, AgenticAI, IT Management, ADM & DevOps, Platforms, Workflow, Control Tower

Cyber Software Procurement is a Team Sport

Posted by Jeff Orr on 06 August 2025

The need for effective cybersecurity strategies remains a priority as enterprises face ever-increasing complex cyber threats. Nonetheless, the conventional approach in which IT departments, especially Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), exclusively manage the procurement of cybersecurity software, is showing its limitations. A crucial shift is... Read More

Topics: Collaboration, Cybersecurity, Security Posture, Generative AI, IT & Technologies, Agentic AI, Data Backup and Recover, EDR

Accelerating ZTNA Goals with PAM

Posted by Jeff Orr on 31 July 2025

The shift toward a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) framework is a strategic move for enterprises aiming for an enhanced security posture. ZTNA operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify," ensuring that every user and device is authenticated and authorized before accessing resources. In this context, Privileged Access Management (PAM) emerges as a critical enabler for an effective... Read More

Topics: Cybersecurity, IT & Technologies, Identity and Access Management, PAM, IAM, ZTNA, Privileged Access, Zero Trust

Why Cybersecurity Maturity is Critical After RSAC 2025 Conference

Posted by Jeff Orr on 23 July 2025

The annual RSAC Conference took place in late April in San Francisco, where over 40,000 professionals from the cybersecurity industry converged at the Moscone Center to discuss the latest trends, products and services aimed at threat identification and organizational security. I last attended the RSAC Conference in 2020, just weeks before the world was instructed to stay home in response to the... Read More

Topics: Cybersecurity, GenAI, IT & Technologies, Agentic AI, EDR, XDR, PAM, SIEM, IAM, Quantum, Threat Intelligence, SOAR, Data Recovery, Data Resilience, ZTNA

Preparing for Q-Day: Safeguarding Enterprises Against Quantum Threats

Posted by Jeff Orr on 15 May 2025

As quantum computing advances at an unprecedented pace, the concept of Q-Day—a day when quantum computers can fundamentally undermine our current encryption methods—has entered discussions among cybersecurity professionals and business leaders alike. While there is no definitive date set for Q-Day, we are approaching a critical juncture where traditional cryptographic techniques may no longer... Read More

Topics: Digital Technology, Cybersecurity, Digital Security

Addressing Overwhelm in Enterprise Security Leadership

Posted by Jeff Orr on 29 April 2025

In an era defined by the relentless advance of cyber threats, enterprise security leaders grapple with an overwhelming landscape. Enterprises face complex challenges as sophisticated attacks and increasing responsibilities stretch security teams thin. Many describe daily experiences as perpetual "firefighting," trapped in cycles of reacting to incidents rather than developing proactive strategies... Read More

Topics: Digital Technology, Cybersecurity

AI Cybersecurity Lessons: Insights from the DeepSeek Incident

Posted by Jeff Orr on 22 April 2025

In a defining moment for the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, the recent breach involving Chinese company Liang Wenfeng (makers of DeepSeek AI) has shed light on the emerging cyber threats that challenge the industry. The reported incident revealed that DeepSeek AI had left its ClickHouse database accessible to the public, exposing over one million lines of log entry data. This data included... Read More

Topics: Digital Technology, Cybersecurity, Generative AI, DeepSeek, OpenAI

The State of Conversational Software Using Automation and AI

Posted by Jeff Orr on 06 March 2025

Conversational automation leverages artificial intelligence (AI)-powered agents, chatbots and virtual assistants to automate both customer interactions and internal processes. These systems understand natural language, sentiment and intent, generating relevant responses and executing actions based on user input. The software provider landscape is analyzed in the ISG Buyers Guide for... Read More

Topics: Self-service, natural language processing, Chatbots, Conversational Automation