Akamai Technologies, the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online, released a new report, The Segmentation Impact Study: Why microsegmentation now defines enterprise cybersecurity, risk, and resilience.The report, which surveyed 1,200 security and technology leaders worldwide, found that microsegmentation reduces ransomware containment time and improves cyber insurance position. This has led half of non-adopters to plan implementation within two years, while more than two-thirds of current adopters expect to increase their investment.
Mr. Ofer Wolf, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise Security at Akamai.
Organizations that adopt microsegmentation are responding faster to cyberthreats and enjoying lower insurance premiums. We’ve seen how segmentation, with the right policy controls in place, reduces the likelihood of successful attacks, even as attackers are using AI to disguise themselves and look for new routes to infiltrate networks,” Mr. Ofer Wolf, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Enterprise Security at Akamai. “Segmenting the network and containing the breach is the ultimate defense against cyberattacks, allowing businesses to focus on their work without fear of disruption.”
Adoption of microsegmentation
While 90% of organizations have adopted some form of segmentation, only 35% have implemented microsegmentation across their network environment. This gap between intent and execution leaves many enterprises exposed to cyberthreats. Fortunately, half of non-adopters plan to implement microsegmentation within two years, while more than two-thirds (68%) of current adopters expect to increase their investment.
Organizations that responded to the survey identified the following key drivers when adopting microsegmentation:
- Contain ransomware attacks: 79% of organizations experienced at least one ransomware attack in the past 24 months. Of the organizations that have adopted microsegmentation, 63% did so to help contain ransomware attacks and prevent spread across the network.
- Respond to incidents faster: 56% want to respond more quickly and effectively to security incidents by implementing microsegmentation.
- Protect critical assets: 74% of organizations are adopting microsegmentation to isolate their high-risk assets from potential threats.
- Safeguard against internal threats: 57% aim to protect their systems from insider threats, whether malicious or accidental, through microsegmentation.
- Meet regulatory requirements: 57% are adopting microsegmentation to comply with regulatory standards and avoid potential penalties.
The report also found that security organizations (with more than $1 billion in annual revenue) that have implemented microsegmentation reported that ransomware containment time was reduced by 33%, accelerating time to mitigation.
Microsegmentation’s role in cyber insurance
Cyber insurance is also becoming a must-have in today’s threat landscape. While it doesn’t replace a comprehensive security strategy, it helps organizations recover financially after a breach or ransomware attack and encourages stronger defenses with smarter risk management. Seventy-five percent of responding organizations report that insurers now assess segmentation posture during underwriting.
The report also shows that organizations increasingly associate segmentation maturity with lower insurance premiums, faster claims processing, stronger audit readiness, and better ransomware outcomes. Organizations have reported that microsegmentation provides numerous benefits related to cyber insurance:
- Simplified audit reporting: 85% of organizations find that segmentation makes audit reporting easier, which in turn helps 33% reduce costs associated with attestation and assurance.
- Lower insurance premiums: 60% of surveyed organizations have received premium reductions tied to segmentation maturity.
- Improved claim outcomes: 74% of organizations believe that stronger segmentation increases the likelihood that their insurance claims will be approved.
Challenges of adoption
Microsegmentation awareness is rising, but many organizations remain stalled in the early stages of adoption. These entities still rely on legacy north-south segmentation approaches, leaving them vulnerable to growing cyberattacks and lateral movement.
Respondents cited several common challenges to implementing microsegmentation, including network complexity (44%), visibility gaps (39%), and operational resistance (32%). In spite of those hurdles, organizations that have successfully implemented microsegmentation report fewer compromised systems, lower recovery costs, and stronger business continuity.
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