Enterprise defenses are showing notable improvements at the perimeter, but internal vulnerabilities remain a significant concern, according to the Blue Report 2026 by Picus Labs. The report, which analyzed over 338 million real attack simulations in the first half of 2026, revealed that average prevention effectiveness increased from 62% to 69%, matching its peak from 2024. Additionally, logging reached a four-year high of 58%.
A Vulnerable Interior Behind a Recovering Perimeter
While the perimeter defenses are performing well, the report highlights a troubling trend: once attackers breach the perimeter, defenses become significantly weaker. The Post-Compromise Prevention Rate was only 37%, indicating that internal defenses are failing to stop attacks effectively. The perimeter blocks approximately two out of three attacks, but inside, defenses only stop about one in three.
Interestingly, the report notes that while noisy attacks are often detected, quieter actions such as reconnaissance and credential theft are largely overlooked. For instance, reconnaissance activities were only stopped 10% of the time, while credential reading from memory was detected around 22% of the time.
The Data Shows Stealth Pays Off for Attackers
The findings suggest that attackers are increasingly adopting stealthy tactics, which are proving effective. The report indicates that the least-prevented technique was hiding command history, which was stopped just 1% of the time. Furthermore, the rate of blocking known malicious files has dropped to 50%, down from 60% last year.
As organizations continue to improve their perimeter defenses, the report emphasizes the need for a more robust internal security strategy that addresses these quiet, stealthy attacks. The full report provides further insights into the current state of enterprise cybersecurity and highlights areas for improvement.
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