AI-Driven Threats Driving Spending Plans: AXIS

Core Insights - Nearly 82% of executives plan to increase their cybersecurity budgets in the next 12 months, while 75.2% anticipate reducing cybersecurity headcount due to AI tools enhancing productivity [1][2] Group 1: AI and Cybersecurity Perception - A survey of 500 CEOs and CISOs in the U.S. and UK reveals significant differences in perceptions of AI's risks and rewards [2] - AI is recognized as a transformative force for data analytics and operational efficiency, but it also introduces a new risk landscape [3] - AI-driven attacks are identified as the top emerging cyber threat (25.2%), surpassing identity theft (18.0%) and supply-chain compromise (16.6%) [4] Group 2: AI-Related Risks - CEOs rank data leakage (28.7%) as their greatest AI-related threat, while CISOs highlight Shadow AI (27.2%) as their primary concern [4] - Other notable AI-related risks include model manipulation (19.0%), deepfake/social engineering (17.6%), and regulatory noncompliance (17.4%) [6] Group 3: Regional Differences in AI Adoption - UK executives exhibit more caution regarding AI adoption compared to their U.S. counterparts, with only 55.3% of UK CEOs confident in AI strengthening cyber defenses versus 88.4% of U.S. CEOs [7] - U.S. leaders (82.8%) are more likely to trust AI tools for cybersecurity decisions than UK leaders (43.3%) [7] - A higher percentage of U.S. respondents (94%) carry cyber insurance compared to 68.4% in the UK [7]