Businesses Getting Better at Blocking Attacks – But Attackers Are Slipping Through the Cracks Anyway

A new industry report analysing more than 338 million simulated cyberattacks across real business environments has found that overall prevention rates are at some of their highest levels this year. On the surface, this looks like good news: security tools are getting better at catching the loud, obvious attack attempts that trigger alarms.

However, the same data reveals a worrying trend. While defenses at the 'edge' of networks — such as firewalls and email filters — are performing well, protections inside the network are not keeping pace. Attackers who avoid making noise and instead use quiet, low-profile techniques are increasingly able to move around undetected once they get past the initial barrier. In other words, businesses are winning the fight at the front door but struggling once an intruder is already inside.

This pattern suggests that traditional security investments, which often focus heavily on perimeter defenses, may be leaving gaps in internal monitoring and detection. For small and medium businesses, this is a reminder that stopping an attack at the entry point isn't enough — visibility into what happens after that point matters just as much.