The bottom line: Inadequate network segmentation enables attackers to rapidly spread horizontally across 80 percent of enterprise servers following initial compromise.
The “2026 Lateral Movement Exposure Report” from Zero Networks shows that 80 percent of enterprise servers lack sufficient segmentation and provide attackers with fast propagation paths through the network following initial breach.
The report documents how low the barriers are for lateral movement – the horizontal propagation of compromise within a network – in typical enterprise environments. Once an attacker establishes an initial access point, they can advance to other systems and servers without encountering significant technical obstacles.
For CISOs, this represents a critical risk: the extent of damage is not determined by the initial entry point, but rather by the network architecture and micro-segmentation behind it. An initial compromise quickly becomes a network-wide compromise scenario when lateral movement is possible unimpeded.
Zero Networks provides the free Breach Map Tool, which enables organizations to map the actual propagation paths in their own infrastructure and identify exposures. This serves as the foundation for a segmentation strategy that significantly slows or blocks lateral movement.
Source: itwelt.at · Published June 15, 2026
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