Microsegmentation is beginning to gain ground as one of the most effective strategies against ransomware and strengthening digital resilience. This is demonstrated by the latest report of Akamai Technologieswhere it is clear that dividing the network into small segments is today one of the best defenses to limit the impact of cyberattacks and streamline the response to incidents.
The study, “The Impact of Segmentation: Why Microsegmentation Now Defines Enterprise Cybersecurity, Risk, and Resilience«reveals a change of mentality in corporate strategies. No longer enough to protect the perimeter, security is now built from within, isolating critical assets and containing threats before they spread across the network.
“Organizations that adopt microsegmentation respond faster to cyber threats and enjoy lower insurance premiums. “We have seen that segmentation, with the right policy controls, reduces the likelihood that attacks will succeed, even when AI is used to disguise itself and seek new infiltration routes into networks,” he explains. Francisco Arnauregional vice president of Akamai for Spain and Portugal.
Arnau insists that this strategy represents a turning point: “Segmenting the network and containing the breach is the definitive defense against cyberattacks. This way, companies can focus on their work without fear of interruptions.”
An adoption in the maturity phase
The report points to uneven adoption, and although 90% of organizations have implemented some type of segmentation, only 35% have made the leap towards complete microsegmentation. That gap, according to Akamai, leaves many companies more exposed than they realize. Despite these data, the forecasts continue to be optimistic, since half of the companies that have not yet applied it plan to do so in the coming years, and more than 68% of those that already use it plan to increase their investment in this area.
The study, “The Impact of Segmentation: Why Microsegmentation Now Defines Enterprise Cybersecurity, Risk, and Resilience«reveals a change of mentality in corporate strategies
The reasons are obvious. He 79% of companies say they have suffered at least one ransomware attack in the last two years. Of those that have implemented microsegmentation, 63% He assures that it was precisely to contain the spread of this type of threats. In addition, 56% seek to improve the speed of response to incidents, while 74% consider it key to isolating high-value assets and protecting them from external and internal attacks.
Microsegmentation and cyber insurance: a new relationship
The research also analyzes the role of cyber insurancewhich are moving from being a simple financial tool to becoming an element that encourages the adoption of better security practices. He 75% of organizations surveyed confirms that insurers already value the segmentation strategy when defining insurance conditions.
Among the most cited benefits, three stand out:
1. The 85% considers that segmentation facilitates audit reports and reduces certification costs.
2. The 60% has achieved lower your premiums for sure thanks to network segmentation.
3. The 74% ensures that having a solid strategy improves the chances of success in claims.
The challenges of its implementation
Despite the benefits, the adoption of microsegmentation continues to encounter resistance. The network complexitythe visibility gaps and the operational resistance are the main obstacles pointed out by IT managers. Many enterprise environments still operate on legacy architectures and rely on north-south segmentation models, which are easier to manage but less effective at preventing lateral movement of attackers.
Still, the report highlights that organizations that have completed their transition to a microsegmented model reportfewer compromised systems, lower recovery costs and stronger operational continuity.
A model aligned with the Zero Trust approach
Akamai’s proposal is articulated around its solution Guardicore Segmentationdesigned to provide complete visibility into internal traffic and apply dynamic isolation policies in real time. In Spain, Telefónica Tech has been one of the first to integrate this technology into its managed security services offering.
“With Akamai Guardicore Segmentation we contribute to business resilience by allowing the network to be segmented dynamically, preventing the spread of attacks and thus reputational and economic damage,” he underlines. Alberto Semperedirector of Services, Innovation and Partnerships at Telefónica Tech.
