Annual Research Report · SonicWall 2026
2026 SonicWall Cyber Protect Report
From Threat Tracking to Real Protection
SonicWall's annual research has evolved. Rather than cataloging threats, the 2026 Cyber Protect Report measures real protection outcomes — revealing the seven operational failures most likely to leave SMBs exposed today.
A New Era of Cybersecurity Research
For years, the industry measured cybersecurity success by the volume of threats detected. The 2026 Cyber Protect Report challenges that model. Most SMBs aren't losing ground to sophisticated zero-day exploits — they're falling to preventable operational failures that have existed for years.
Powered by SonicWall Capture Labs threat research, this report analyzes real-world attack data to identify the patterns putting businesses most at risk — and what partners can do to change the outcome.
What's Inside:
- Why SonicWall reframed its annual research around protection outcomes
- The Seven Deadly Sins of SMB cybersecurity
- 2025 threat data: high/medium severity attacks, ransomware, IoT, and more
- Why ransomware hits SMBs at more than 2× the rate of large enterprises
- The hidden cost of alert fatigue and legacy access models
- Actionable steps for MSPs and MSSPs to improve protection outcomes
Why This Report Is Different
From Counting Threats to Measuring Protection
This year, SonicWall made a deliberate decision: stop framing cybersecurity success as a count of threats blocked and start measuring whether businesses are actually protected. The result is a report that focuses on outcomes over optics.
The data is clear: SMBs represent 99% of U.S. businesses and face ransomware at more than double the rate of large enterprises. Yet most breaches aren't caused by unstoppable attackers. They stem from gaps that defenders know about and haven't closed. This report names them — the Seven Deadly Sins — and gives partners a framework to fix them.
"The danger isn't that AI isn't working; it's that we're using it as an excuse not to do the things we already know we should." — SonicWall 2026 Cyber Protect Report
By the Numbers: 2025 Threat Landscape
The data behind the 2026 Cyber Protect Report reveals an attack environment growing in volume, speed, and impact — especially for SMBs.
High/Medium Severity Hits
A 20.8% surge — driven by automated bots running 36,000+ vulnerability scans every second.
SMB Breaches Involved Ransomware
More than double the 39% rate seen at large enterprises in 2025.
Days Average Breach Dwell Time
While 80% of IT leaders claim they can contain an incident within 8 hours.
Average SMB Breach Cost
Yet organizations with an incident response plan save $1.23M per breach.
The Seven Deadly Sins of SMB Cybersecurity
The report identifies seven common — and preventable — failures that leave SMBs exposed. Not sophisticated attackers. Operational gaps.
Ignoring the Fundamentals
Skipping MFA, delaying patches on internet-facing systems, and failing to audit admin privileges remain the most exploited entry points.
False Confidence
44% of alerts go uninvestigated. Believing existing tools are sufficient without validating coverage leads to critical blind spots.
Overexposed Access
Excessive user permissions and unrestricted admin access accelerate lateral movement — which can begin within 48 minutes of initial compromise.
Reactive Security Posture
Without an incident response plan, organizations spend more and recover slower. Testing backups and tabletop exercises dramatically reduce impact.
Cost-Driven Security Decisions
Choosing the cheapest option over the right option creates gaps. Identity, cloud, and credential threats account for 85% of actionable security alerts.
Reliance on Legacy Access Models
VPN CVEs grew 82.5% — 60% rated high or critical. Over 48% of breaches in 2025 involved compromised VPN credentials.
Chasing Hype Over Execution
The average enterprise runs 45 security tools — spending half their time managing them instead of defending. Consolidation and execution beat complexity every time.
Ready to move from threat tracking to real protection?
Download the full 2026 SonicWall Cyber Protect Report — free, no form required.
Download the Full ReportContact Us to Learn More
Interested in how SonicWall solutions address the protection gaps in the 2026 Cyber Protect Report? Our team is ready to help.
More Ways to Reach Us
Call Us
Email Us
Live Chat
Open Chat
Available 7am – 6pm PST. We respond to all inquiries within 1 business day.