Endpoint Cybersecurity Gap: 76 Days of Exposure for Enterprises
Endpoint cybersecurity software fails to protect one in five enterprise devices, leaving organizations vulnerable to cyber threats, according to research by Absolute Security. This protection gap equates to approximately 76 days per year of increased access for cybercriminals, potentially leading to data breaches and significant downtime.
Report Findings and Key Statistics
The findings are detailed in Absolute Security’s 2026 Resilience Risk Index, published on March 23, 2026. The report is based on analysis of device-level telemetry across tens of millions of enterprise endpoints utilizing endpoint management and cybersecurity software.
Christy Wyatt, President and CEO of Absolute Security, emphasized the inevitability of cyberattacks, stating, “Cyberattacks are inevitable, downtime is optional.” She further noted that the cybersecurity industry has prioritized threat detection and prevention but lags in ensuring the continued operation of security tools when needed most.
Patch Management Delays Increase Vulnerability
The report highlights that delays in applying security patches and software updates are a significant contributor to the problem. Approximately 24% of endpoint vulnerability management platforms are operating outside of compliance, an increase from 20% in the previous year. This means a growing number of endpoints operate with known, unaddressed vulnerabilities, expanding the window of opportunity for attackers.
Critical OS patching for Microsoft Windows is delayed by an average of 127 days, leaving devices vulnerable to zero-day exploits, ransomware, and other cyberattacks. Nearly 10% of enterprise endpoints continue to run Windows 10, which reached complete of support in October 2025, creating permanently unpatched vulnerabilities.
The Rising Cost of Downtime
The report estimates that these vulnerabilities contribute to $400 billion in annual downtime losses globally, based on research conducted by Oxford Economics in partnership with Splunk. The increasing complexity of enterprise IT environments exacerbates these challenges.
Addressing the Cybersecurity Resilience Gap
Enforcing robust patch management policies, particularly for enterprise security solutions and operating systems, is crucial for protecting networks from cyber threats. The report concludes that, in modern enterprise environments, the focus must shift from simply patching systems to ensuring the ability to enforce changes across all endpoints before vulnerabilities are exploited.