Partner Content This year has shown just how quickly new exposures can emerge, with AI-generated code shipped before review, cloud sprawl racing ahead of controls, and shadow IT opening blind spots. Supply chain compromises have disrupted transport, manufacturing, and other critical services. On the attacker side, AI-assisted exploit development is making it faster than ever to turn those weaknesses into working attacks.
Intruder's 2025 Exposure Management Index draws on data from more than 3,000 small and mid-sized businesses (1-2,000 employees) to understand how defenders are adapting – revealing where progress is being made, and where pressure points remain. Below are three key trends shaping exposure management in 2025.
1. High-severity vulnerabilities surge 20 percent
The average number of critical vulnerabilities discovered by organizations has held steady compared with last year, but high-severity issues are up nearly 20 percent. For most security teams, that means more to fix without extra staff or funding.
The rise reflects how attackers are working. With AI accelerating exploit development, high-severity flaws are being weaponized faster and more often. They may not trigger the same all-hands response as criticals, but they still pile pressure onto already stretched teams.
2. Faster turnaround on criticals - 89 percent fixed in 30 days
The good news: teams are fixing critical issues faster. In 2025, 89 percent of resolved critical vulnerabilities were fixed within 30 days - a sharp improvement from 75 percent last year.
That acceleration likely owes something to the headlines. Major breaches in healthcare, retail, and manufacturing pushed cyber security onto boardroom agendas. When leaders see the impact of cyber risks clearly, fixing critical issues becomes a higher priority.
The data also suggests processes are maturing. Clearer ownership of remediation and solutions that integrate directly into developer workflows are helping teams close gaps more quickly.
The report also tracks how remediation speed varies by industry, revealing clear differences between sectors like software, financial services, healthcare, and more.
3. Small teams still fix faster - but the gap is closing
Smaller companies still fix critical issues faster than midsize ones, but the gap has narrowed sharply. In 2024, teams with fewer than 50 employees averaged 20 days compared with 38 days for midsize companies (51-2,000 employees) – nearly twice as fast. In 2025 that gap has shrunk to 14 days vs 17 days, only about 20 percent faster.
Larger organizations cutting remediation times so dramatically points to better ownership, tighter workflows, and fewer bottlenecks between security and delivery teams. Complexity still slows bigger estates – with heterogeneous systems, legacy apps, and multiple approvals – but the data shows those delays are being pared back.
The state of exposure management in 2025
The data points to progress but also mounting pressure. Response times on critical issues are improving, yet the overall volume of exposure is climbing and attackers are moving faster to exploit it.
Beyond these top-line trends, the index explores how different sectors and regions compare, how older CVEs are being re-weaponized, and how regulatory frameworks are shaping the pace and priorities of remediation in Europe.
And with thousands of CVEs published each year, Intruder's security team highlights the five vulnerabilities that defined 2025, and what defenders can learn from them.
Download the full 2025 Exposure Management Index here.
Sponsored by Intruder.