So, you’re eyeing the 2025 Fortress Awards? Good call. But before you start drafting that nomination, let’s talk about what separated the winners from the rest of the pack last year. Because if you’re serious about standing out, you need to understand the trends that shaped the cybersecurity landscape in 2024.
The Age of Zero Trust: No More Blind Faith
Remember when security used to be about building a strong perimeter and hoping no one slipped through? Yeah, those days are long gone. Now, the philosophy is simple: trust no one, not even your own systems, unless they can prove they belong. And the winners this year? They got that memo loud and clear. Companies leading the way in cybersecurity aren't just locking doors—they're making sure no one even gets near them without the right credentials.
Take 1Password Passkeys, for example. They ditched passwords altogether and made authentication as simple as a fingerprint or a face scan. It’s security that doesn’t feel like security, which is exactly why it works.
The Cloud Is Great… Until It’s Not
Moving everything to the cloud sounded great—until people realized how exposed their data could be. With businesses storing more information in SaaS applications and multi-cloud environments, security needs to be tighter than ever. The companies that stood out in 2024 weren’t just securing their own data; they were ensuring every app, every platform, and every integration was locked down tight.
Adaptive Shield SSPM Platform nailed this by focusing on SaaS security posture management. Because let’s be honest—nobody has time to manually check every single security setting in every SaaS app. Their solution catches misconfigurations before they turn into full-blown security crises. Smart move.
Compliance: A Headache That Won’t Go Away
Let’s talk about something that makes everyone groan—compliance. Regulations aren’t getting any looser, and businesses are realizing that staying compliant is just as important as keeping hackers out. The Fortress Award winners in this category didn’t just meet the bare minimum requirements; they made compliance feel… dare we say, manageable?
That’s why Drata stood out. They took the pain out of compliance tracking by automating the entire process. No more scrambling to prepare for audits or manually updating security controls. Just continuous monitoring and instant reports. If compliance software could win a popularity contest, this would be the one.
Threat Detection: Cybercriminals Don’t Take Coffee Breaks
Threats are evolving at a pace that’s frankly exhausting. By the time you hear about a new cyberattack, there’s already a more advanced version being tested in some hacker’s basement. That’s why threat detection has become all about speed—if you can’t spot the problem in real time, you’re already too late.
CrowdStrike Falcon didn’t just detect threats—it predicted them. Using AI-powered analytics, it identified suspicious activity before it turned into a full-blown attack. Imagine stopping a cybercriminal before they even press "enter"—that’s the level of proactive security that took home the win this year.
AI and Automation: Cybersecurity’s Not-So-Secret Weapon
Speaking of AI, let’s be real: humans alone can’t keep up with cyber threats anymore. The best solutions today don’t replace security teams—they give them superpowers. And that’s exactly what the Fortress Award winners did in this category.
Take Darktrace, for example. Their AI didn’t just detect attacks—it responded automatically, shutting down threats before security teams even had to lift a finger. Less manual work, fewer sleepless nights, and way less risk of human error. What’s not to love?
Thinking About 2025? Here’s What You Need to Do
If you’re considering throwing your name into the ring for next year’s Fortress Awards, take a lesson from this year’s winners. Innovation is great, but impact is what gets recognized. Are you solving real cybersecurity challenges? Are you making security easier, faster, or smarter? If the answer is yes, start drafting that nomination now.