Why Extended Dwell Times Matter
Implementing Rocketgraph’s capabilities is not just an IT decision but a strategic financial choice—one that can prevent catastrophic data leaks, protect brand value, and deliver a measurable return on every dollar spent.
Data breaches are expensive not just because of stolen records but because attackers often remain in networks for months, quietly exploring and exfiltrating sensitive data.
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In 2024, the average cost of a data breach was US$4.88 million, and organizations took about 194 days to detect an intrusion and 292 days to identify and contain it (varonis.com).
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When a breach’s lifecycle exceeds 200 days, the total cost increases by roughly US$1.02 million compared with breaches contained more quickly (centraleyes.com).
This long “dwell time” amplifies damages because attackers can quietly copy databases, move laterally to privileged systems, and plant persistence mechanisms.
Real-World Examples of Prolonged Breaches
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Marriott/Starwood (2014–2018) – Attackers gained access to Starwood’s reservation system years before the 2016 acquisition by Marriott. Suspicious activity was detected only in September 2018; investigations showed that hackers had unfettered access for roughly four years, during which they extracted names, passport numbers, and payment card data (strongdm.com). The protracted intrusion compromised up to 500 million guest records and triggered lawsuits, regulatory fines, and reputational damage.
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Equifax (2017) – A missed patch allowed attackers to infiltrate Equifax’s systems in March 2017 and remain hidden for several months. They accessed the personal data of 147 million individuals—including Social Security numbers and driver’s license information. The company eventually spent US$1.4 billion on remediation plus US$1.38 billion in legal settlements (strongdm.com).
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Yahoo (2013–2016) – By forging cookies, attackers gained persistent access to user accounts and remained undetected for roughly three years (strongdm.com). The breach ultimately affected three billion accounts and resulted in a US$117.5 million class-action settlement plus a US$35 million SEC fine; Verizon reduced its purchase price for Yahoo by US$350 million.
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SolarWinds (2019–2020) – Attackers inserted malicious code into SolarWinds’ Orion updates in February 2020 and removed it in June 2020; the breach was uncovered only in December 2020 (bitlyft.com). Over the course of nearly a year, they infiltrated government and enterprise networks, exposing national-security data and leading to significant remediation costs.
Key takeaway: Long-term intrusions lead to legal settlements, incident-response expenses, reputational harm, lost customers, and even reduced acquisition valuations. Organizations that detect breaches sooner save millions in direct and indirect costs.
ROI of Rocketgraph’s Graph-Based Detection
Rocketgraph is a high-speed graph analytics platform designed to shorten dwell time and amplify the return on cybersecurity investments. Its ROI comes from three main factors:
1. Early Detection Saves Millions
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According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach report, breaches discovered in under 200 days cost about US$3.93 million, whereas those with longer lifecycles cost US$4.95 million—an extra US$1.02 million (centraleyes.com).
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Rocketgraph accelerates detection by correlating disparate data sources (NetLog, authentication logs, threat-intel feeds) in near real time, enabling security teams to spot lateral movement and privilege escalation quickly.
By reducing dwell time, the platform can save over US$1 million per breach in direct costs alone, not including intangible benefits like avoiding reputational damage and regulatory fines.
2. Enhanced Productivity and Automation
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IBM’s 2025 report shows that organizations using extensive AI and automation cut breach costs by US$1.9 million compared with those lacking such capabilities (cinchops.com).
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Rocketgraph’s AI-driven query interface and automated graph traversals empower less-technical analysts to query complex relationships (e.g., “Which users accessed high-value assets before privilege escalation?”) without writing code.
This reduces labor costs and response times.
3. Prevention Pays for Itself
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Research indicates that every US$1 spent on breach prevention saves US$2.90 in breach costs, and organizations with mature security programs incur 63% lower costs when breaches occur (teramind.co).
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By integrating Rocketgraph as an additive layer to existing tools (SIEM, EDR, fraud platforms), enterprises can enhance their security posture without replacing current investments.
The savings from avoiding a single major breach can more than justify the platform’s subscription cost.
Conclusion: A Compelling Return on Investment
Real-world breaches demonstrate that undetected attackers can lurk for years, resulting in multimillion-dollar losses, regulatory fines, and reputational damage.
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On average, catching a breach early saves more than US$1 million.
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Using AI-driven automation yields an additional US$1.9 million in savings (centraleyes.com, cinchops.com).
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Proactive investments return nearly 3× savings in breach costs (teramind.co).
Rocketgraph’s graph-based detection, AI-powered querying, and scalable, secure architecture provide a unique advantage in reducing dwell time and exposing hidden attack paths.
Every dollar spent on Rocketgraph works like insurance that pays for itself: reducing breach costs, shielding revenue streams, and ensuring that cybersecurity investments translate directly into measurable financial outcomes.