Readiness metrics have flatlined since 2023, with most sectors slipping backward as teams fumble crisis drills

Teams that think they're ready for a major cyber incident are scoring barely 22 percent accuracy and taking more than a day to contain simulated attacks, according to new data out Monday.

Immersive's latest Cyber Workforce Benchmark, which draws on 1.8 million exercises from the Immersive One platform and a survey of 500 cybersecurity leaders, paints a picture of an industry that has become more confident but no more capable. Immersive says 94 percent of organizations believe they can "effectively detect, respond to, and recover from a major incident," yet real-world performance in controlled drills has remained stubbornly flat. 

According to the report, resilience scores haven't improved since 2023, with the median response time to complete critical cyber threat intelligence labs still coming in at 17 days – despite what Immersive describes as "record investment" and growing pressure from boards and cyber insurance carriers. 

James Hadley, Immersive ...