Free report
AI cyber readiness pulse
AI is changing the risks, responsibilities and capabilities cybersecurity teams need to manage. Infosec Institute asked security leaders, decision influencers and practitioners where their organizations stand today — and what’s shaping their next AI cyber readiness priorities.
Explore the findings below or download the full report for the complete results.
AI cyber readiness at a glance
The results provide an informal snapshot of how respondents say their organizations are approaching AI cyber readiness.
say employee AI use is creating the most urgency around AI cyber readiness
say AI phishing and deepfakes are a top concern
say AI data protection is a capability their team most needs to strengthen
say required baseline AI cybersecurity training has not yet been implemented
Based on an informal poll of 148 respondents conducted by Infosec. The poll closed July 27, 2026.
What is driving the most urgency around AI cyber readiness?
Employee AI use
Employee AI use stands apart as the leading source of urgency around AI cyber readiness. 45.9% of respondents selected this option — more than three times the share of the next-highest response.
The pressure appears to stem from AI adoption already happening across the workforce, creating practical questions around acceptable use, data handling, visibility and training.
Which AI-related cyber risks are your top concerns? (Select up to 3)
AI phishing, deepfakes and shadow AI
When asked to select their top AI-related cyber risks, respondents pointed to three leading concerns:
- 50.7% cited AI phishing and deepfakes
- 48.0% cited shadow AI and data leaks
- 39.2% cited governance and compliance gaps
For security leaders, that means defending against external threats while building the visibility and guardrails needed for internal AI use.
Which AI cybersecurity areas does your team most need to strengthen? (Select up to 3)
Data protection and governance
Those concerns are translating into practical capability priorities for security teams:
- 49.3% say AI data protection is among the areas their teams most need to strengthen
- 43.9% point to governance and guardrails
- 38.5% point to AI risk assessment
Taken together, the results show that AI cyber readiness requires more than any single technical capability. Leaders need a coordinated approach to managing data, risk and AI use across the organization.
What is the most structured AI cybersecurity training your organization has in place?
AI cybersecurity training is still developing
For many organizations, workforce preparation has not yet reached a structured baseline. 68.2% of respondents say required baseline AI cybersecurity training has not yet been implemented. For this group, the most structured approach ranges from no training at all to optional resources or AI use guidance.
When asked about the biggest barrier to AI cybersecurity upskilling:
- 37.2% cite time and budget limits
- 21.6% say skill needs are unclear
- 18.2% say risks change too fast
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Get the full AI cyber readiness findings
The full AI cyber readiness pulse report takes a closer look at how organizations are approaching AI-related risk, governance and workforce preparation — including additional findings on readiness stages, implementation challenges and training priorities.
From AI pressure to practical readiness
The findings point to three practical areas security leaders can address as AI adoption, risk and cybersecurity responsibilities continue to evolve.
Assess current AI use and exposure
Understand where your people use AI, what data it can access and which use cases create meaningful security or governance risk.
Adapt governance and team capabilities
Build policies and guardrails for employee AI use, and ensure teams have the capabilities to put those expectations into practice.
Build a structured training baseline
Establish practical guidance and baseline preparation, then deepen training for the roles responsible for securing, governing and using AI.
About the AI cyber readiness pulse poll
The AI cyber readiness pulse poll is an informal online poll conducted by Infosec Institute. It received 148 completed responses and closed on July 27, 2026. The findings reflect responses to this poll and should not be interpreted as representative of all cybersecurity professionals or organizations.
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