Business Resilience in the Face of Cyber Threats: Insights from N-able’s 2026 SOC Report
In an era where cyber threats are increasing in frequency and complexity, organizations must prioritize business resilience to ensure continuity amidst disruption. Business resilience refers to the capability to detect, contain, and recover from cyber-attacks swiftly, thereby minimizing disruptions and maintaining customer confidence. The 2026 State of the Security Operations Center (SOC) Report by N-able provides valuable insights into effective strategies and practices that organizations can adopt to enhance their resilience against cyber threats.
The report draws from over 900,000 alerts documented between March and December 2025, sourced from the Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service offered by Adlumin through N-able. This comprehensive analysis reveals both the strengths and weaknesses of current security strategies, offering a roadmap for IT leaders striving to implement robust resilience measures.
1. Moving Beyond Single-Layer Security
A foundational step in improving organizational resilience is to move away from reliance on single-layer security measures. Many organizations are still primarily focused on endpoint or cloud controls, which inadvertently exposes them to significant risk. The report highlights that a striking 18% of alerts in 2025 originated from network and perimeter exploits—areas often overlooked when relying solely on endpoint visibility. With over 137,000 threats detected that could bypass point-only controls, it is clear that a more extensive approach is necessary.
Recommended Approach: IT leaders are encouraged to adopt a layered security model—often described as "defense in depth." This involves integrating various security measures, including identity, endpoint, network, and perimeter visibility. Simply adding more tools on top of existing solutions will not suffice; a holistic approach is essential to mitigate vulnerabilities.
2. Embracing Automation in Security Operations
The sheer volume of alerts presents a daunting challenge for Security Operations Center (SOC) teams. In 2025, N-able processed an average of two alerts every minute, a rate that has prompted a substantial shift toward automated response mechanisms. The report notes a staggering 500% year-on-year increase in the adoption of Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) technologies—indicating that nearly a quarter of responses are now automatically orchestrated.
Pro Tip for IT Leaders: To make the most of this automation trend, organizations should streamline workflows for rapid triage and containment. Automating repetitive tasks—such as password resets and endpoint remediation—frees up analysts to focus on proactive threat-hunting efforts, enhancing overall security posture.
3. Updating Endpoint and Identity Management
As cyber-attack tactics evolve, traditional endpoint defenses alone are insufficient. The N-able SOC report reveals that only half of the alerts identified involved the endpoint layer, emphasizing the need for enhanced identity management. Identity has emerged as a critical attack surface, making it imperative for organizations to maintain visibility over suspicious sign-ins, privilege abuse, and unusual authentication behaviors.
Actionable Steps: Organizations should invest in modern endpoint management solutions that facilitate control and security across all endpoints. Additionally, implementing an Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) solution is crucial for effectively monitoring and analyzing identity events. This allows security teams to act promptly against potential identity-based attacks.
4. Ensuring Recovery Readiness
Resilience extends beyond the immediate response to attacks; it also encompasses the ability to restore operations swiftly while minimizing downstream damage. An anecdote from a recent N-able case study illustrates this point—one customer faced a massive 1.5 terabyte ransomware attack on a Friday but managed to restore their system by Monday thanks to reliable, validated backups. This rapid recovery underscores the importance of preparedness in limiting downtime and business disruption.
Advice for Organizations: Organizations should integrate regular backup testing and ensure that backups are immutable. These recovery procedures must be systematically woven into the SOC’s playbooks. The quicker and more certain the restoration process, the more resilient an organization can remain in the face of potential threats.
5. Preparing for AI as the New Attack Surface
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform the cybersecurity landscape, it is crucial for organizations to adapt. By 2026, it is anticipated that as much as 90% of investigations may become automated through AI technologies. However, this advancement also brings forth new vulnerabilities, as adversaries could exploit AI orchestration or counterfeit AI-driven systems.
Next Steps: Organizations are advised to conduct audits on how AI and automation are integrated into their environments. Monitoring AI-driven activities with the same scrutiny applied to human actions is essential to safeguard against potential threats emerging from this evolving technology.
Conclusion: Focusing on Resilience as a Strategic Priority
In today’s fast-paced and often treacherous cyber environment, resilience is not just a buzzword—it is essential for organizational survival. By leveraging a multi-layered defense approach, automating response processes, modernizing management practices, ensuring readiness for recovery, and preparing for AI-related challenges, organizations can bolster their cybersecurity frameworks. For IT leaders aiming to enhance their organization’s resilience, the insights provided by the 2026 State of the SOC Report serve as a vital blueprint for proactive and strategic security measures. Understanding and implementing these principles can help organizations not only survive but thrive in an ever-changing threat landscape.