Critical vulnerabilities remain unresolved due to prioritization gaps

Fragmented data from multiple scanners, siloed risk scoring and poor cross-team collaboration are leaving organizations increasingly exposed to breaches, compliance failures and costly penalties, according to Swimlane.

The relentless surge of vulnerabilities is pushing security teams to their limits, forcing them to manage overwhelming volumes of risk with tools and processes that are no longer adequate.

Swimlane surveyed 500 cybersecurity decision-makers in the US and the UK to uncover how vulnerability management teams are coping with these challenges.

“The growing complexity of vulnerability management is pushing organizations to rethink how they approach organization-wide security, risk and compliance strategies,” said Michael Lyborg, CISO at Swimlane. “It’s no longer just about patching vulnerabilities — it’s about prioritizing the ones that matter most to your operations. With businesses losing an estimated $47,580 per employee each year due to manual tasks, organizations can no longer afford to operate in the reactive mode of the past.”

Organizations lack effective vulnerability prioritization

68% of organizations leave critical vulnerabilities unresolved for over 24 hours, with 37% citing a lack of context or accurate information as the top challenge in prioritization. Similarly, 35% report this lack of context hampers their remediation efforts.

With over 39,000 new vulnerabilities received by the National Vulnerability Database in 2024, having the right data is crucial to intelligent and fast risk scoring. Without it, security teams are left to work with incomplete or fragmented insights, leading to inefficient processes and slower response times.

55% of organizations still lack a comprehensive system for vulnerability prioritization. While 45% leverage a hybrid approach combining manual and automated processes, many rely on tools like cloud security posture management (71%), multiple endpoint scanners (60%), and web application scanners (59%) for vulnerability detection.

The hidden costs of manual effort and inefficiency

Manual tasks consume significant resources, with 57% of security teams dedicating 25–50% of their time to vulnerability management operations. 55% spend over five hours weekly consolidating and normalizing vulnerability data, while 51% note the limited utility of scanner results, necessitating additional tools and processes.

65% of organizations lack confidence in their vulnerability management programs’ ability to meet regulatory audit requirements. Meanwhile, 73% express concern over potential fines tied to inadequate vulnerability management practices.

59% of organizations report that siloed vulnerability management practices are creating inefficiencies and exposing their systems to potential security risks.

“Smarter prioritization and automation are no longer optional — they are essential to reducing vulnerabilities, preventing breaches and ensuring continuous compliance,” said Cody Cornell, Chief Strategy Officer of Swimlane. “By blending intelligent automation with human expertise, vulnerability management teams gain the clarity they need to act decisively. Centralizing data and responding in real-time isn’t a luxury — it’s a business imperative that minimizes risk and frees up time to focus on the next challenge.”