Security operations are under pressure like never before. From increasing alert volumes to fragmented tooling and rising business expectations, security teams are being asked to detect faster, respond more efficiently, and demonstrate clear value. All of this is happening while they navigate limited resources and mounting complexity.
According to Gartner®, bridging the gap between proactive and reactive security operations is critical to building a modern, resilient program. In the 2025 Gartner® report Transform SecOps via Proactive Exposure Management and Threat Defense, we believe security and risk leaders will find a compelling blueprint for strengthening SOC performance and reducing risk by integrating exposure data directly into threat detection, investigation, and response workflows.
Here are three key takeaways from the report, and what they mean for your security operations strategy.
1. Exposure data helps you detect what actually matters
For many organizations, threat detection and response efforts are drowning in excess data. According to Gartner®, “generic detection use cases and untailored analytics lead to higher operational costs, overwhelmed teams and delayed detection processes" [1].
In this report, we feel Gartner® urges leaders to move beyond ad hoc use case creation and instead establish a managed detection lifecycle powered by real exposure data. When integrated into the SOC’s data fabric, this information allows teams to:
Identify high-risk assets and threats proactively
Fine-tune detection logic to prioritize actual business risk
Reduce alert fatigue and false positives
Minimize over-collection and streamline log management
By modeling threats around real-world exposures, security teams can shift from collecting everything to focusing on what actually matters.
2. SOC investigations need context, not just alerts
Context is critical but often missing. SOC analysts and incident responders frequently spend excessive time gathering asset information, finding owners, or even identifying the role of a system within the business. Without this context, investigations stall and mean-time-to-detect (MTTD) increases significantly.
As per our understanding Gartner® recommends embedding exposure insights directly into SOC alerts to improve triage, prioritization, and response. For example, knowing that a flagged asset lacks endpoint protection or belongs to a mission-critical system helps teams respond faster and with more confidence. We believe Gartner® emphasizes this enriched visibility enables:
Contextualized alerting at the point of triage
Faster MTTD and MTTR by prioritizing based on risk
Improved alignment with SLAs and business objectives
A more efficient and proactive response model
This is not just about reacting better. It is about investigating smarter, with clear visibility into what matters most.
3. Bidirectional integration creates a more resilient security posture
Traditionally, threat detection (TDIR) and exposure management (CTEM) are managed separately. This separation leaves untapped opportunities for optimization. According to Gartner®, leaders should treat these capabilities as interdependent rather than isolated.
We feel the report outlines a compelling case for bidirectional integration. Exposure data should inform SOC prioritization and detection. At the same time, insights from threat detection, such as real-time SIEM alerts, should feed back into exposure prioritization.
This feedback loop helps teams improve threat modeling, accelerate response, and optimize resource allocation. It also supports automation. For example, when a critical exposure is flagged in the same domain where SIEM detects lateral movement, automated workflows can immediately escalate or act on the risk without delay.
This is a proactive model designed not just to detect more threats, but to respond faster and strengthen the organization’s ability to adapt.
Where to start
We believe Gartner® acknowledges that integrating exposure and threat response practices is a journey, not a single initiative. Leaders are encouraged to start small, focus on measurable outcomes like MTTD, and gradually scale integrations across the SOC stack.
One strong entry point is enriching L1 to L3 investigations with exposure context. From there, security programs can measure improvements, refine priorities, and strengthen collaboration between exposure, response, and infrastructure teams.
The bottom line
In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, vulnerability lists and generic detections are not enough. To stay ahead of threats and aligned with business risk, security teams must rethink how they integrate context into every stage of detection, investigation, and response.
The Gartner® report Transform SecOps via Proactive Exposure Management and Threat Defense offers practical guidance for building smarter, faster, and more resilient SecOps.
Download the Gartner® report today and discover how exposure data can help you improve visibility, accelerate response, and strengthen your security posture.
[1] Gartner, Transform SecOps via Proactive Exposure Management and Threat Defense, Jonathan Nunez, Mitchell Schneider, 6 May 2025.
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