Dataminr report: attackers exploit vulnerabilities faster than organizations patch

As noted by Channel Insider, a new report from Dataminr highlights a growing disparity in cybersecurity, where attackers are breaching networks in minutes while organizations take weeks to patch vulnerabilities, especially in the face of AI-powered threats.

Dataminr's 2026 Mid-Year Threat Landscape Report reveals that the median time to patch vulnerabilities has increased to 43 days, contrasting sharply with the average attacker breakout time of just 29 minutes. This widening gap is exacerbated by AI, which, while aiding in vulnerability detection, also creates a triage problem by increasing the volume of findings. The report questions the effectiveness of traditional Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) scores for prioritization, arguing they don't account for exploitability or business impact. Instead, Dataminr recommends a targeted approach, prioritizing remediation based on whether a vulnerability is actively targeted in a specific sector and if attackers can reach critical assets.

Key findings also include a rise in phishing campaigns and significant cyber-loss events, with ransomware accounting for 25% of confirmed 2026 losses. The report concludes that organizations that prioritize patching the most critical vulnerabilities based on exploitability, exposure, and business impact, rather than solely CVSS scores, will be better positioned to stay ahead of attackers.

Source: Channel Insider