Vendor restrictions lifted: Avnet revolutionizes security data handling
Avnet Transforms Security Operations with Centralized Data Management
Avnet, a global distributor of electronic components and IT services, is revolutionizing its security operations by taking ownership of its data and leveraging AI-based tools.
The company, which serves over a million customers in designing, building, and moving products through the supply chain, has redesigned its security data architecture to address a long-standing challenge in cybersecurity. Avnet, it seems, was relying on traditional security tools but didn't truly own the data.
Max Chan, Avnet's CIO, views a renewal discussion with a legacy SIEM vendor as a strategy inflection point. Chan suggests treating vendor renewal cycles as opportunities for a change in strategy, as it was a key factor in Avnet's decision to redesign its security data architecture.
Avnet partnered with Cribl, a platform that enables data to be pulled in from multiple sources, filtered in real time, and sent wherever it's needed, without being tied to a single vendor's ecosystem. This shift to a centralized architecture has led to streamlined operations, lower costs, and more team agility for Avnet.
Data processing capacity at Avnet has doubled as a result of the data management project, while licensing and storage costs for data management have been reduced to 15 percent of their former levels. One engineer can now manage data pipelines more efficiently, compared to four engineers previously.
The move to Cribl has also helped Avnet's security team shift to a centralized architecture that captures, routes, and stores data more cost-effectively, with the freedom to analyze it on its own terms. This shift has resulted in a consolidated view of all data transactions and a unified pipeline interface for the cybersecurity team.
The goal of Avnet's data management project is multifaceted. It aims to own and manage its data directly, start large-scale ETL operations, reduce costs, improve compliance, boost operational efficiency, and leverage AI. The project has already borne fruit, allowing the company to reclaim control of its security data and unlock AI-driven insights.
Avnet's innovative approach to data management has earned it a 2025 CSO Award, recognizing outstanding thought leadership and business value. The company plans to extend its data management architecture to areas like cloud security posture management, attack surface management, and new AI-based use cases.
Chan advises CIOs and CISOs considering a move to data ownership to invest as much time getting buy-in from stakeholders as they do building the platform. Avnet's journey serves as a testament to the transformative power of taking control of one's data in the digital age.
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