Despite their best efforts, many enterprises operate one step behind when it comes to hybrid cloud management. For example, it can take up to 292 days for organizations to detect breaches related to compromised credentials, according to IBM research. And 42% of businesses struggle with reactive cost control and visibility, according to the 2025 Cloud Complexity Report.
Often, the problem is a siloed approach to infrastructure oversight. Teams work independently across disconnected tools. Each cloud environment has its own set of policies and procedures, creating gaps between the ecosystems that put the business at risk. And both upkeep and optimization efforts are highly manual and time-consuming. Given this, it’s perhaps no surprise that 47% of companies listed security as the top cloud infrastructure challenge, per the complexity report.
While these are significant problems now, they become exponentially greater when AI agents start to work autonomously across enterprise IT landscapes. Already, non-human identities (NHIs) outnumber humans by as much as 50:1, according to some estimates. As NHIs multiply, a “take care of it later” approach to cloud management won't be able to keep up.
This blog will cover why companies get stuck in a reactive mindset, and what standout organizations are doing to adopt a proactive hybrid cloud strategy.
»Root cause #1: Tool sprawl
The systems intended to help streamline infrastructure and security operations can quickly become roadblocks. On average, enterprises have five tools to manage their cloud environments, according to the complexity report. Instead of troubleshooting, specialists spend time navigating different interfaces just trying to uncover vulnerabilities and compile other important intelligence. The lack of automation reinforces organizational and technical silos. And ultimately, companies are stuck managing the health of their hybrid environments through snapshots instead of a holistic, lifecycle view.
»Root cause #2: Disconnected teams
Doing cloud right requires many different skill sets. Often, those professionals don’t work as a cohesive unit. In fact, in 73% of businesses, platform engineering teams are disconnected from their security counterparts, per the 2025 Cloud Complexity Report. In some organizations, the two groups may even have opposing priorities. Engineers may want to move faster than security can keep up with. Instead, a common foundation for operations, security, and networking teams can help improve regulatory compliance, reduce security incidents, and enhance visibility.
»Root cause #3: Fragmented policies
Modern infrastructure is complex. In 58% of organizations, workloads are split between on-premises and cloud environments, per the report. And on average, organizations rely on two or more cloud providers. Each of these ecosystems may have its own governance and security policies. This disjointed approach slows teams down and exposes the organization to greater risk. In 42% of companies, gaps in security across hybrid environments impacted innovation, according to the report.
»A foundation for AI: Why you need a unified platform team
Companies that were more successful and mature at cloud operations in the Cloud Complexity Report (the “transformative” category) had platform teams.
Their internal developer platforms consolidated both infrastructure and security lifecycle management by unifying toolkits, connecting teams, and cutting complexity out of common processes to help the broader organization gain a better infrastructure footing. One where they can adopt a proactive approach to operations that unlocks better developer velocity and happiness while also keeping things secure and cost effective, even in complex hybrid cloud environments.
With the ability to build standardized guardrails into templates and make them available through self-service portals, for example, organizations can automate provisioning and deployment for faster, more secure innovation. This approach to development also cuts excess costs and helps maximize cloud investments.
But picking the right foundation is key. Companies should seek out systems that are:
- Multi and hybrid cloud compatible
- Easily integrated with existing technologies and workflows
- Compliant with current organizational policies
- Cost-effective and have a proven path to ROI, with numerous case studies
Read the full 2025 Cloud Complexity Report for even more insights into how organizations are managing their hybrid infrastructures.
Not sure how to get started on your own unified platform initiative? Read our guide on how to Do Cloud Right and have a chat with us.
