Multi-cloud and cloud firewalls are becoming the standard, according to a new report from AlgoSec on the today’s network security landscape.

The report identifies significant shifts in cloud platform adoption, deployment of firewalls and Software-defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN), as well as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) implementation and AI.

Based on comparative findings from 2024 and 2025, AlgoSec’s research includes responses from security, network, and cloud professionals across 28 countries and evaluates market leaders including Cisco, Microsoft Azure, AWS, Check Point, Palo Alto Networks, and more.

The report found that security visibility gaps are driving a shift in security management. 71% of security teams struggle with visibility, which is delaying threat detection and response. The lack of insight into application connectivity, security policies and dependencies are proving to be a significant risk

Businesses also continue to adopt multi-cloud environments, with Azure becoming the most widely used platform in 2025, with multi-cloud and cloud firewalls becoming the standard.

Further, despite complexity, firewall and SD-WAN adoption is growing. Multi-vendor strategies make firewall deployment more challenging.

In terms of customer base, Palo Alto Networks took the lead, but Fortinet’s NGFW is gaining traction. SD-WAN adoption jumped, with Fortinet rising from 19.1% in 2024 to 25.8% in 2025.

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Zero-trust awareness is at an all-time high, with 56% of businesses fully or partially implementing it, though 20% are still in the learning phase. SASE adoption is also growing, with Zscaler leading at 35%, while Netskope has gained 15% market share.

The research also added to the evidence that AI and automation are reshaping security.

AI-driven security tools are improving real-time threat detection, but implementation and privacy concerns remain a challenge. Automation is now critical, with application connectivity automation ranked as the top priority for minimizing risk and downtime.

“As businesses expand their digital footprints across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, securing network infrastructure has become a top challenge,” said Eran Shiff, VP of product at AlgoSec. “We are seeing a major shift toward automation, orchestration and risk mitigation as key security priorities. Adoption of SD-WAN and SASE continues to rise, while awareness of AI-driven security and zero-trust principles is stronger than ever.”