Companies confront rising AI security risks

Two recent studies highlight growing concerns over artificial‑intelligence‑driven cyber threats in corporate environments. The AI‑Security‑Report 2026 from Hornetsecurity by Proofpoint found that German firms view AI‑enhanced phishing and deepfakes as their top security worries, but only 27 % see AI as both a risk and an opportunity. Around a quarter of respondents are unsure whether AI is already used in their own defenses, and while 55 % name AI‑phishing as the biggest threat, merely 19 % rank investment in AI‑based security as a top priority. The report urges greater transparency, integrated AI pilots, and employee training to address the gap between risk perception and action.

A parallel DigiCert survey of global organisations reports that 78 % have already experienced AI‑related incidents, and three‑quarters have added multiple new AI systems in the past six months. Yet half lack a central view of deployed AI tools, and although 90 % discuss AI governance at board level, only about half have formal governance programmes. More than half have dedicated budgets and assign digital identities to AI agents, and 86 % can revoke access to compromised agents. However, roughly 50 % cannot fully trace the data or models behind AI decisions, hampering incident response and regulatory compliance.