Alert Fatigue Is a Business Model — Not a Bug

Many of these industry giants have perfected the art of selling security but have largely abandoned true innovation. From outdated technology disguised as "new solutions" to tools that flood security teams with endless alerts, large cybersecurity providers are more focused on maintaining steady revenue streams than on delivering real results.

They exploit CISOs' need for robust, reliable protection by pushing products that meet only the bare minimum requirements, all while adding expensive "features" that do little to improve overall security. Rather than delivering solutions that truly safeguard against cyber threats, these companies rely on fear-based marketing, compliance-driven sales tactics, and redundant tools to keep customers dependent.

When it comes to cyber threats, "compliance" is a term that dominates conversations. Large organizations often spend millions to meet standards like GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA, assuming that these certifications will protect them against security risks. However, the reality is that compliance doesn't equal security—it's merely a baseline requirement, a starting point rather than a comprehensive defense.

By marketing compliance-focused solutions, big cybersecurity companies create an illusion that merely checking regulatory boxes equates to effective cybersecurity training and threat protection. In reality, this approach distracts from true security priorities, encouraging companies to invest in tools that might satisfy auditors but do little to protect against evolving cyber threats.

The focus shouldn't be on achieving a compliance label, but on proactive defenses that can adapt as threats become more sophisticated. Compliance standards don't account for the specific tactics cybercriminals use, nor do they evolve fast enough to address the dynamic nature of modern attacks.

Big cybersecurity companies love to boast about their extensive alerting capabilities, promoting them as a sign of heightened security. For them, the sheer volume of alerts translates to visibility and activity, which they equate with better protection. However, anyone working in a Security Operations Center (SOC) knows that more alerts don't automatically mean more security.

When every minor activity is flagged as a potential threat, analysts face what's called "alert fatigue." Drowning in alerts makes it incredibly challenging to distinguish genuine cyber threats from harmless activity. This constant barrage wears down even the best-trained analysts, increasing the chance that real, high-priority threats will slip through unnoticed.

Large cybersecurity companies are aware of these challenges but often choose not to address them with smarter alert filtering or prioritization. They see value in selling an "all-inclusive" package that looks impressive on paper, rather than developing tools that intelligently sift out the noise.

In the realm of phishing protection and cybersecurity training, big companies are notorious for recycling outdated technology and presenting it as "new." Rather than genuinely innovating to meet today's complex cyber threats, they slap a fresh label—often adding "AI" to make it sound cutting-edge—on the same old tools.

But here's the problem: just because you add "AI" to an old toolset and make it happen faster doesn't mean you've actually innovated anything new. If what you were doing before was ineffective, it's still ineffective—just faster.

Pricing strategies reflect this lack of innovation, too. Large companies use a "fear-based" approach, pushing costly add-ons that exploit CISOs' concerns over non-compliance or potential breaches. These so-called "must-have" features rarely add meaningful value but are packaged as essential, creating a cycle where CISOs feel compelled to spend on tools they may not even need.

A troubling trend among large cybersecurity companies is their obsession with data hoarding, often with little effort to turn that data into actionable intelligence. These companies commonly bundle data storage as part of their security packages, selling it as a valuable feature. But data, without meaningful analysis, is just data. It doesn't protect against cyber threats or improve security.

While they sit on massive troves of information that could reveal critical threat patterns, large firms rarely convert this information into practical insights that CISOs can actually use. Instead, they charge a premium for data storage, creating an illusion of security without delivering tangible value.

Smaller, agile cybersecurity firms take a different approach. They excel in transforming data into intelligence that informs real defense strategies, providing organizations with insights that actively help in threat detection and prevention.

Cybersecurity awareness shouldn't end with a box checked in compliance. User education is crucial to building a strong defense against phishing attacks and other cyber threats. However, the reality is that many large cybersecurity companies provide outdated and overly generic training materials.

These standardized approaches don't account for the unique threats faced by different industries or the specific needs of each organization's workforce. Without effective, context-aware training, employees remain unprepared for real-world threats, and CISOs are left frustrated with tools that don't make their organizations any safer.

The truth is, large cybersecurity firms don't want to empower employees too much—they'd rather keep them dependent on high-priced tools than make them genuinely capable defenders of their own security.

For many organizations, the answer to these challenges lies with smaller, more specialized firms that prioritize real security over profit margins. These companies understand that effective cybersecurity isn't about flooding clients with products they don't need or data they can't analyze.

Instead, they focus on providing tailored phishing protection, adaptive cybersecurity training, and smarter tools that genuinely empower organizations to protect themselves. Small firms take a people-focused approach, prioritizing user education and streamlined alert systems that reduce the burden on SOC teams.

Rather than relying on outdated compliance packages, they innovate, developing solutions that adapt to today's ever-evolving threat landscape. This people-first mindset helps to bridge the gap left by big cybersecurity companies that are more focused on maintaining their profit margins than on addressing the real challenges CISOs face.

As a CISO, your mission is to secure your organization—not just to check compliance boxes or pay for endless alerts. To achieve this, you need a cybersecurity partner who's invested in your actual security outcomes, not merely their bottom line.

The ideal partner should deliver actionable insights, provide genuine cybersecurity training, and offer intuitive phishing simulation tools that directly align with your organization's unique needs. That's why we built PHISH360°—to bridge this gap and empower organizations with tools that focus on real-world threat defense and user readiness.

With solutions like PHISH360°, we've moved beyond traditional, static tools to offer security that's both proactive and adaptable to evolving threats. Effective phishing protection and cybersecurity training require more than flashy dashboards or high alert volumes. They demand tools that reduce noise, emphasize relevance, and empower users to recognize and respond to threats in real time.

It's time to rethink what real security looks like. After all, real security is about protection, not profit.