VIAVI State of the Network Study: NetSecOps Deployments Increase 37% YoY, but One in Five Enterprises Still Lack a Transition Plan

VIAVI Solutions (NASDAQ: VIAV) released its 2027 State of the Network study, examining convergence of network and security operations.

Rhea-AI Summary

VIAVI Solutions (NASDAQ: VIAV) released its 2027 State of the Network study, examining convergence of network and security operations. Omdia surveyed 750 networking and security personnel across seven countries. Completed deployments of the combined approach, known as NetSecOps, rose from 27% in 2025 to 37% in 2026, while another 45% of respondents were in the process of converging operations.

Among respondents that completed the switch, 44% cited enhanced security and 30% reported reduced detection time. Among respondents conducting testing, 52% reported fewer outages and service disruptions. The study also found that 65% used AI and machine-learning tools to optimize security and performance.

Key Figures

Completed NetSecOps deployments: 37% Deployments in progress: 45% Completed or ongoing transition: 82% +5 more

Completed NetSecOps deployments

37%

2026; 27% in 2025

Deployments in progress

45%

Survey respondents

Completed or ongoing transition

82%

Enterprises surveyed

Survey participants

750

Networking and security personnel across seven countries

Likelihood of significant MTTD improvement

2.7 times

35% of NetSecOps adopters versus 13% of others

Fewer outages and service disruptions

52%

Respondents conducting testing

Reduced security incidents

44%

Respondents conducting testing; fewer and/or less severe incidents

Application performance or latency improvements

42%

Respondents conducting testing

Key Terms

netsecops, mttd, post-quantum cryptography, sase

4 terms

netsecops technical

"fully converged their network and security operations"

NetSecOps is the coordinated set of activities, tools and teams that continuously monitor and protect a company’s computer networks from hacks, intrusions and data theft. For investors, strong NetSecOps reduces the risk of costly breaches, downtime and reputational damage—much like a well-staffed security team and alarm system protects a physical store—so its quality can influence a company’s valuation, regulatory exposure and future costs.

mttd technical

"mean-time-to-detect (MTTD) rates"

Mean Time To Detect (MTTD) is the average time elapsed between the start of an incident (such as a security breach, system failure, or abnormal event) and the moment it is first identified by monitoring, alerts, or human discovery. It is calculated by summing the detection intervals for a set of incidents and dividing by the number of incidents, and its usefulness depends on how an organization defines the incident start and the detection point (which can vary by system or monitoring method). As a performance metric, MTTD measures how quickly problems are noticed but does not by itself describe how fast they are contained or resolved.

post-quantum cryptography technical

"such as post-quantum cryptography (PQC), AI security, SASE and cloud networking"

Post-quantum cryptography is a set of new methods for scrambling data so it stays secure even if powerful quantum computers exist; think of replacing today’s locks with designs that a future high‑speed lockpicker cannot open. For investors, it matters because companies must upgrade systems, meet regulations, and protect customer and trade data—creating costs, competitive advantages, or legal and reputational risks depending on how quickly and effectively they adopt these new security standards.

sase technical

"post-quantum cryptography (PQC), AI security, SASE and cloud networking"

SASE, or Secure Access Service Edge, is a modern technology that combines network security and access management into a single, cloud-based service. It ensures that users can safely connect to company resources from anywhere, much like having a secure, virtual gatekeeper that protects digital information. For investors, SASE matters because it reflects how organizations are adopting advanced security measures to support flexible, remote work environments and protect valuable data.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Eighteenth annual study reveals strategic initiatives to drive network resilience and security, including NetSecOps adoption, pre-deployment testing and balancing security and performance

CHANDLER, Ariz., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- There has been a 37% increase in organizations that have fully converged their network and security operations over the past year, according to VIAVI Solutions Inc.'s (NASDAQ: VIAV) 2027 State of the Network study.

This annual study, now in its 18^th edition, focuses on current drivers and best practices for network performance and security, seeking insights into priorities and outcomes. The research was conducted by Omdia using surveys of 750 networking and security personnel spanning seven countries, including Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. Participants represented different levels within IT, from leadership to management, across a wide range of organization sizes and industry verticals.

The survey reported a 10-point rise in completed deployments (from 27% in 2025 to 37% in 2026). An additional 45% of respondents stated they were in the process of converging network and security operations, meaning just over four-fifths of enterprises (82%) have undergone or are undergoing the move to NetSecOps.

Forty-four percent of those that had completed the switch cited enhanced security as a key benefit of converging, with 30% noticing a reduced time to detect issues since deploying a NetSecOps approach. Twenty-two percent cited a reduction in the reported number of incidents and 22% stated the time to investigate had reduced. Additionally, those that had implemented a NetSecOps strategy were 2.7 times more likely to have reported a significant improvement in mean-time-to-detect (MTTD) rates (35 vs. 13%).

"The increase in completed conversion and the benefits being cited in the State of the Network Study are consistent with the experience of our customers," said Chris Labac, Vice President and General Manager, Network Performance and Threat Solutions, VIAVI. "Aligning a converged NetSecOps organizational model with integrated network monitoring and security platforms is a critical success factor for enterprises today."

"As an organization's attack surface expands, driven by increasingly sophisticated and AI-enabled threats, NetOps and SecOps teams need shared visibility to strengthen their security posture," said Jim Frey, Principal Analyst, Networking, Enterprise Strategy Group from Informa Tech Target. "With around a fifth of enterprises still without a defined strategy, the challenge is to reach these organizations and demonstrate the benefits of a converged NetSecOps approach."

Another strategic approach organizations are using to improve network performance and security is structured testing. The most common approach, cited by more than half of respondents, is pre-deployment validation of new technologies, such as post-quantum cryptography (PQC), AI security, SASE and cloud networking. Among respondents conducting testing, 52% reported seeing fewer outages and service disruptions, 44% reported a reduced number and/or severity of security incidents and 42% reported improvements in either application performance or latency.

The survey also highlighted that most organizations were using multiple strategies to mitigate the impact of security measures on network performance. Sixty-five percent of respondents reported the use of AI and ML tools to optimize both security and performance, 65% conduct capacity planning to prevent security measures from straining the network, 58% have adopted pre-deployment testing of network and security controls, and 58% again use ongoing, continuous testing and tuning of security controls to minimize performance impact.

About VIAVI
VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global leader in test and measurement and optical technologies. Our test and measurement, and resilient Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) solutions enable and secure critical infrastructure ranging from data center ecosystems and communication networks to military, aerospace, railway and first responder communications. In addition, we develop and advance technologies used in high-volume optical applications across anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, aerospace, industrial and automotive end markets.

Learn more about VIAVI at www.viavisolutions.com. Follow us on VIAVI Perspectives, LinkedIn and YouTube.

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SOURCE VIAVI Solutions