Trend Micro leads in global vulnerability identification for 2023

Trend Micro has reported identifying 60% of the world's vulnerabilities in 2023, according to a new independent study by Omdia. The findings highlight the critical role that Trend Micro's comprehensive approach to vulnerability management plays in global cybersecurity.

Mick McCluney, Field CTO, ANZ at Trend Micro, commented on the importance of securing software systems amid increasing reliance on digital infrastructure. He stated, "As our business operations, critical infrastructure, and daily lives increasingly rely on software, securing these systems has never been more crucial. Trends Zero Day Initiative (ZDI), with its proactive and thorough approach to vulnerability disclosures, combined with our deep expertise, enables us to protect our customers faster than ever before. This leadership mitigates risks and translates into significant cost savings for enterprises, reinforcing our commitment to enhancing global cybersecurity and supporting business continuity."

Omdia's comparative analysis for 2023 involved 1,211 disclosed vulnerabilities assigned a CVE, across nine global vendors and organisations that specialise in disclosing vulnerabilities. The study found that Trend Micro disclosed over 2.5 times more vulnerabilities than its nearest competitor, highlighting the company's long-standing leadership in the field. ZDI, the world's largest vendor-agnostic bug bounty program for 16 consecutive years, has consistently led the vulnerability management market since its inception in 2007.

The efficacy of ZDI's research can be seen in the Trend Vision One platform, which integrates capabilities such as Extended Detection and Response (XDR), attack surface management (ASM), and virtual patching. This integration enables Trend Micro to offer faster protection than competitors, often providing network IPS protection shortly after a vulnerability is discovered and disclosed to the vendor—well before an official patch is released.

In 2023, Omdia revealed that 10% of all disclosed threats were classified as critical, with 69% marked as high severity, 21% as medium, and less than 1% as low. These statistics underscore the effectiveness of Trend Micro's program in addressing significant vulnerabilities.

The financial toll of data breaches due to unpatched vulnerabilities has reached an unprecedented high. The average cost of such breaches was USD $4.45 million in 2023, a figure that speaks to the substantial financial impact security incidents can have on organisations. Costs associated with these breaches include detection and escalation, notification, post-breach response, and lost business.

As cyber threats continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, organisations face increasingly severe financial consequences. Proactive vulnerability management and timely disclosures, which have been long advocated by Trend Micro, are essential strategies in mitigating these risks.