Chapter 2: The Threat Landscape
Proceed to:
Chapter 3: Cybersecurity Operations
The State of AI Cybersecurity 2026 | Chapter 2

how ai is reshaping
The Threat Landscape

That AI is both a target and a tool for increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks is old news. Threat volumes are rising, and AI models and model context protocol (MCP) servers are common targets, while vulnerabilities are being exploited within minutes of publication.

What’s new is growing evidence that attackers are using AI to coordinate end-to-end operations, including alleged cases of large-scale cyber-espionage executed with minimal human involvement.

Nearly three quarters are seeing the impact of AI-powered threats

Read more +

73%

say AI-powered cyber-threats are already having a significant impact on their organization

92%

agree that AI-powered cyber-threats are forcing them to significantly upgrade their defenses

87%

agree AI is significantly increasing the sophistication and success rate of malware

87%

say AI is significantly increasing the number of threats requiring attention by the security operations team

Hyper-personalized phishing tops respondents’ worry list

Read more +

Top concerns with AI usage in computing environment

Hyper-personalized phishing
50%
Automated vulnerability scanning and exploit chaining
45%
Adaptive malware
40%
Deepfake voice fraud
40%
AI-assisted credential stuffing
37%
Deepfake video fraud
35%
Insider misuse aided by generative AI
22%
Compare by job role: 
CISO
2026

Nearly half don’t feel confident in their ability to defend against AI-powered attacks

Read more +

We are NOT adequately prepared for AI-powered threats

9%

Strongly agree

37%

Somewhat agree

38%

Somewhat disagree

16%

Strongly disagree

2026

We are NOT adequately prepared for AI-powered threats

8%

Strongly agree

37%

Somewhat agree

38%

Somewhat disagree

17%

Strongly disagree

2025

We are NOT adequately prepared for AI-powered threats

17%

Strongly agree

43%

Somewhat agree

35%

Somewhat disagree

5%

Strongly disagree

2024

Confidence levels vary by country

Read more +

Percentage of respondents feeling ready to defend AI-powered attacks.

Under 40%
Over 40%
Over 60%

'Insufficient knowledge and skills' is the #1 inhibitor for defense against AI-powered threats

Greatest inhibitors to defending AI-powered threats:

Read more +
Insufficient knowledge/skills pertaining to AI technology and its increasing threat
3.26
Insufficient knowledge or use of AI-driven countermeasures
3.23
Insufficient personnel to manage tools and alerts
3.18
Insufficient integration among the organization’s security solutions
3.16
Lack of a coordinated plan/policy for the use of AI technology
3.10
Insufficient cyber security budget
3.09
Lack of management recognition that AI-powered threats are a growing problem
2.95
Poor cyber hygiene practices (such as patching or least privileges access control)
2.95
Compare by job role: 
CISO
2026
Insufficient knowledge/skills pertaining to AI technology and its increasing threat
3.06
Insufficient knowledge or use of AI-driven countermeasures
3.07
Insufficient personnel to manage tools and alerts
3.10
Insufficient integration among the organization’s security solutions
2.97
Insufficient cyber security budget
2.90
Lack of management recognition that AI-powered threats are a growing problem
2.61
Poor cyber hygiene practices (such as patching or least privileges access control)
2.71
Compare by job role: 
CISO
2025
Insufficient knowledge/skills pertaining to AI technology and its increasing threat
3.26
3.06
Insufficient knowledge or use of AI-driven countermeasures
3.23
3.07%
Insufficient personnel to manage tools and alerts
3.18
3.10%
Insufficient integration among the organization’s security solutions
3.16
2.97%
Insufficient cyber security budget
3.09
2.90
Lack of management recognition that AI-powered threats are a growing problem
2.95
2.61
Poor cyber hygiene practices (such as patching or least privileges access control)
2.95
2.71%
2026
2025
Compare by job role: 
CISO
Compare

*Weighted average score rated from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest)

Next: How AI is reshaping cybersecurity operations

Discover defenders’ attitudes to how defensive AI is having an impact on cybersecurity workflows.

The essential AI cybersecurity platform

Defend intelligently

with AI that learns from – and adapts to – your unique environment

Defend at speed

isolating and stopping attacks faster, without disrupting the business

Defend across boundaries

increasing visibility beyond business silos and tracking threats across domains

Defend with ease

automating and prioritizing the security tasks that matter most

See what Darktrace finds in your environment