Security teams are reaching a breaking point with tool sprawl, and attackers aren’t slowing down. For many organizations, platform consolidation isn’t just about saving money: it’s about survival in an era where AI-powered threats demand faster, smarter responses.

The challenge is not just about managing technology, but about choosing a clear blueprint and sticking to it. For organizations that span everything from casinos to cloud environments, the ability to deliver consistent controls without slowing growth has become the new battleground, according to Stephen Harrison (pictured, left), chief information security officer of MGM Resorts International.

MGM Resort International’s Stephen Harrison talks with theCUBE about why consolidating security and identity has become critical.

“I think in cyber, we have all these flavors or blueprints. and they all really work as long as you stick to one and follow it,” he said. “It’s not overly complicated on its face, but it’s delivering those controls and mapping them in a way that you’re not inhibiting growth in business operations.”

Harrison spoke with theCUBE’s Dave Vellante and Rebecca Knight at Fal.Con, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how consolidating security and identity has become critical under tightening regulatory demands, with platform consolidation emerging as the strategic backbone for navigating compliance at scale. (* Disclosure below.)

Why platform consolidation matters now

Enterprises with diverse operations often face a chaotic mix of tools and policies, which is why many security vendors position platform consolidation as the path to stronger resilience. Without a central hub, even minute changes in business initiatives can create policy drift that leaves critical systems exposed, according to Harrison.

“As you deploy tools or you bring on products, the big win [would be] with a centralized core; everyone should have some sort of centralized core,” he said. “There’s obviously solutions and all these partners around here that can deliver different use cases and drive value. But I think a centralized core is important because that lets you address policy drift as you buy new companies, sell new companies, have new business initiatives, bring on new marketing firms [and] different campaigns.”

Centralization also allows security teams to maintain visibility across diverse environments, such as stadiums, hotels and gaming platforms. That kind of consistency helps enforce architectural standards across the enterprise, according to Harrison.

“And so policy drift is a real thing,” he said. “There’s obviously companies out there that are focused on it. When you think about the centralized security stack for CrowdStrike, that’s one of the big advantages of it: Being able to address policy drift at its core inside the platform.”

Identity, analytics and NG SIEM at the frontline

If consolidation brings order, identity protection and next-generation security information and event management deliver defenses against today’s fastest-growing risks. With AI agents now able to exploit misconfigurations and poisoned pipelines, identity has become the critical line of defense, according to Harrison.

“With agentic AI, the identity issue becomes compounded,” he said. “Something like having a way to manage all of these identities in a centralized way, just like you would with your [identity provider] … whatever it is, you need a tool for enforcement of those policies.”

Regulatory complexity also heightens the stakes in an arena where cybersecurity remains a top business risk that’s keeping executives up at night. Casino operators navigate gaming jurisdictions, each with distinct requirements and oversight. That variability amplifies the risk of policy drift as teams adapt to local needs and campaigns. Platform consolidation helps counter sprawl by grounding decisions in unified governance and shared principles, according to Harrison.

“Centralized visibility enforces architectural adherence and standards,” he said. “When you’re protecting an asset and identity, a system, there’s no loss in translation from one entity to another, and what success looks like.”

NG SIEM ties the strategy together, according to Harrison. By combining automation, analytics and AI-driven insights, it helps teams cut through alert fatigue and focus on what matters most.

“Think about it like the hammer versus the nail gun,” Harrison said. “Do you want someone on your roof with only hammers, or do you want the crew using the tools that deliver real results?”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of Fal.Con:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Fal.Con. Neither CrowdStrike Holdings  Inc., the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE