Microsegmentation Helps Respond Faster To Cyberthreats, Lowers Cyber Insurance Costs
New Akamai report shows 90% of organisations have adopted some form of segmentation, but only 35% have implemented microsegmentation across their network environment.
Even as attackers use AI as they try fresh routes to infiltrate networks, a new report by Akamai Technologies says that microsegmentation reduces ransomware containment time and helps respond faster to cyberthreats, and this leads to reduced cyber insurance costs. This is leading non-adopters to plan implementation within two years, while more than two-thirds of current adopters expect to increase their investment. The report surveyed 1,200 security and technology leaders worldwide.
While 90% of organisations 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. Organisations that responded to the survey identified the following key drivers when adopting microsegmentation:
Contain ransomware attacks: 79% of organisations experienced at least one ransomware attack in the past 24 months. Of the organisations 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 organisations 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 organisations (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 organisations recover financially after a breach or ransomware attack and encourages stronger defences with smarter risk management. Around 75% of responding organisations reported that insurers now assess segmentation posture during underwriting.
The report also shows that organisations increasingly associate segmentation maturity with lower insurance premiums, faster claims processing, stronger audit readiness, and better ransomware outcomes. Organisations have reported that microsegmentation provides numerous benefits related to cyber insurance:
Simplified audit reporting: 85% of organisations 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 organisations have received premium reductions tied to segmentation maturity.
Improved claim outcomes: 74% of organisations believe that stronger segmentation increases the likelihood that their insurance claims will be approved.
Challenges In Adoption
Microsegmentation awareness is rising, but many organisations 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, organisations that have successfully implemented microsegmentation report fewer compromised systems, lower recovery costs, and stronger business continuity, according to the report.
