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RESEARCHED BY
90% of Organizations Are Falling Behind on Microsegmentation.
Omdia's 2026 survey of 352 security leaders reveals the real state of microsegmentation — what's stalling programs, what's working, and where your peers stand. Get the independent benchmark report.
The State of Microsegmentation
Comparison
VLAN vs Microsegmentation: How Segmentation Approaches Compare
Legacy Solutions
VLAN-Based Segmentation ("Macro-segmentation")
- Pro: Simple yet complex. Leverages switches and existing network design.
Con: Coarse granularity: All devices in a VLAN can still reach each other unrestricted allowing lateral movement within the segment.
Network ACLs / Firewall Rules
- Pro: Wide support: All enterprise-grade networks support ACLs or firewall rules.
Con: Very much requires people resources and expertise: ACLs must be manually written and updated, which is error-prone and doesn't adapt to dynamic networks.
Network Access Control (NAC)
- Pro: Pre-connect control: Blocks or isolates unknown devices at network entry.
Con: Often provides macro-segmentation (by groups like employees vs guests) rather than per-workload microsegmentation.
First Gen Microsegmentation
Agent-Based Microsegmentation
Pro: Granular, real-time control: Can enforce at the process/application level (Layer 7).
Con: Requires deploying and managing software on every protected workload – which can be operationally heavy for organizations with thousands of servers, and impossible for devices that don't support agents (e.g. most IoT/OT gear).
Modern Microsegmentation
Identity-Based Microsegmentation
- Pro: No agents to install: Ideal for devices where agents aren't feasible (IoT, OT, IoMT, printers, SCADA PLCs, older OS). Makes deployment easier in environments with diverse devices. . Leverages switches and existing network design.
Con: Limited visibility into encrypted or host-internal traffic: Agentless approaches often act on network headers. They might not see process-level info or be able to differentiate traffic once it's encrypted end-to-end.
The Data
Doesn’t Lie.
Microsegmentation is no longer an awareness problem, it’s a scale problem: organizations understand it and know they need it, but very few are getting it across most of their critical environment.
This report cuts through vendor noise and delivers peer-level intelligence about where enterprise security teams actually stand.
Familiarity & Expectation of Microsegmentation
9%
51%
Key Insight: The Microsegmentation Gap is Real
With only 9% of organizations achieving 80%+ microsegmentation coverage, over 90% are falling behind, despite it being the #1 priority for stopping lateral movement. Security leaders are responding, with more than half demanding fast deployments to close the gap.
Which features/functionalities are most desirable in a modern microsegmentation solution?
Enhanced compliance with industry regulations (e.g., HIPAA, NIST, PCI DSS)
59%
Lateral movement prevention
54%
Fast deployments
51%
Cloud-delivered management
48%
Integrations with existing security and tech stack
41%
Policy enforcement with existing infrastructure
39%
Dynamic policy automation
36%
Agentless
26%
Reports for auditors
25%
Rapid discovery of users, workloads and devices
23%
Policy simulation and testing before production
21%
Which benefits would you expect to experience from implementing amodern microsegmentation solution?
Enhanced compliance with industry regulations (e.g., HIPAA, NIST, PCI DSS
45%
Improves attack surface coverage area
37%
Improves visibility and context
33%
Increased network visibility and operational efficiency
31%
Improved protection against ransomware and lateral movement attacks
29%
Easier enforcement of Zero Trust security principles
28%
Improved security posture for IT and OT environments
24%
Reduced business disruption from security initiatives
21%
Cost savings from reduced breach risk and downtime
15%
Enhances automation and efficiency
13%
Faster implementation of solution
11%
Automated policy enforcement and reduced manual workload
10%
Key Insight: Microsegmentation is the Top-priority, and Biggest Blocker
Identity-based microsegmenation solution is the #1 desired feature in a modern microsegmentation solution.
Enabling a Zero trust Strategy
What are the primary business drivers for your organization’s microsegmentation initiative?
Network segmentation as part of a Zero Trust strategy
68%
Regulatory compliance (e.g. NIST, HIPAA, PCI DSS, etc.)
60%
Risk reduction from ransomware and lateral movement attacks
54%
Improved operational efficiency and security visibility
47%
Vendor requirements or industry standards
44%
Cyber insurance requirements
32%
Which user types require special consideration in your segmentation strategy?
Manufacturing
Equipment vendors
41%
Healthcare
Visiting clinicians
74%
Key Insight: Zero Trust Intent Isn’t Matching Zero Trust Action
68% say they're pursuing microsegmentation as part of a Zero Trust strategy, yet when asked what Zero Trust tools they've actually deployed, microsegmentation ranks near the bottom trailing MFA, EDR, IAM, and ZTNA by a wide margin. The intent is there but the execution isn't.
"It took us 6 months to fully segment an entire site [with legacy segmentation approaches]. Multiply that by 75 sites, the time to value and the time to secure becomes elongated. And I think we all know that in cybersecurity, time is the enemy."
Mike Elmore
CISO, GSK
Preventing Lateral Movement
5
0 1 2 3 4 5
7
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
%
5
0 1 2 3 4 5
3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3
%
Which features/functionalities are most desirable in a modern microsegmentation solution?
Multi-factor authentication (MFA
76%
Endpoint detection and response (EDR)/extended detection and response (XDR)
70%
Identity and access management (IAM)
64%
Zero Trust security for third-party / vendor access
55%
Cloud security posture management (CSPM)
49%
Continuous authentication and monitoring
48%
Secure access service edge (SASE)
41%
Secure remote access (e.g. ZTNA, VPN alternatives)
40%
Least-privilege access controls
36%
Network access control (NAC)
28%
Microsegmentation of critical applications / systems
24%
Software-defined perimeter (SDP)
20%
Key Insight: What’s The Hold Up? Legacy Solutions.
1 in 2 experience a lateral attack yet 53% still rely on VLANs, 49% ACLs, 35% NAC. These tools were built for a different era — and they're showing it. Yet 78% have never seen modern microsegmentation. Teams aren't stalling because they don't care. They just don't know the hard part has been solved.
Segmentation is One Piece of the Puzzle
Which tools must your segmentation tool integrate with?
SIEM
67%
EDR
54%
SOAR platforms
49%
Identity
43%
Network/Infrastructure security
40%
Asset management
38%
CMDB
28%
Others
3%
Microsegmentation is Not Widely Used
What types of network segmentation methods has your organization tried in the past?
1
0 1
7
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
%
1
0 1
2
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
%
How familiar are you with modern microsegmentation solutions?
5%
Not familiar at all
I’ve never heard of them.
31%
Slightly familiar
I have heard of them, but don’t know much about them.
42%
Moderately familiar
I understand the basics but haven’t worked with them directly.
22%
Very familiar
I have hands-on experience or
in-depth knowledge.
Key Insight: What’s Organizations are Stuck.
Organizations still rely primarily on traditional segmentation methods such as VLANs (53%), ACLs (49%), and host-based firewalls (44%), while familiarity with modern microsegmentation remains limited: only 22% report being very familiar with it, highlighting a gap between the growing need for advanced segmentation and organizations’ readiness to adopt it.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Omdia 2026 Microsegmentation Report
The Omdia 2026 Microsegmentation Survey is independent research measuring microsegmentation programs across 352 cybersecurity decision-makers at organizations with 1,000+ employees in healthcare, manufacturing, and construction. It covers current segmentation approaches (VLANs, ACLs, NAC, agent-based, identity-based), microsegmentation coverage rates, Zero Trust alignment, deployment timelines, and the capabilities security leaders prioritize most in modern solutions. The report is vendor-agnostic peer-benchmark data — not a vendor evaluation.
The Omdia data points to three converging blockers. First, legacy infrastructure dependence: 53% still rely on VLANs, 49% on ACLs, and 44% on host-based firewalls — tools that weren't built for modern east-west traffic. Second, a familiarity gap: only 22% of respondents report being "very familiar" with modern microsegmentation approaches, meaning most teams don't know that agentless, identity-based options now exist. Third, project scope: traditional approaches require months or years to deploy, and 51% of security leaders now demand fast segmentation — making legacy rollouts a non-starter.
Omdia's survey measured microsegmentation programs across 352 organizations with 1,000+ employees in healthcare and manufacturing. The full report includes peer-benchmark scoring on coverage (9% at 80%+), familiarity (22% "very familiar"), lateral-movement exposure (50% hit in the past year), and segmentation approach mix (53% VLAN / 49% ACL / 35% NAC / 12% agent-based / 17% fabric overlay). Download the report to see the detailed scoring methodology.
The Forrester Wave evaluates microsegmentation vendors. Gartner Cool Vendors identifies emerging providers. Omdia's 2026 Microsegmentation Survey is different — it's a peer-benchmark of organizations, showing you what your counterparts are actually doing, where they're stalling, and what they're prioritizing next. It's research for buyers, not about vendors.
What now? Make modern microsegmentation solutions work for you.
Microsegmentation is now the #1 initiative to stop lateral movement. Modern, identity-based, agentless solutions can be deployed in days, not years, with no downtime. The message is clear: evolve your Zero Trust architecture now — or stay exposed. But where do you start?
Identify the Right Platform
Demand unified user and device discovery, policy creation, simulation, and enforcement on existing infrastructure, with audit-ready reporting.
Implement in Weeks
Discover, simulate, enforce at the switch. Tackle high-impact zones first, then expand and report coverage, accuracy, and blocked east-west.
Run a POV
Run a POV on real segments, include remote / third-party access, and measure time-to-visibility, time-to-policy, and lateral-movement containment.