AI is Everywhere, But CISOs are Still Securing It with Yesterday's Skills and Tools, Study Finds
Mar 17, 2026
Artificial Intelligence / Security Leadership
A majority of security leaders are struggling to defend AI systems with tools and skills that are not fit for the challenge, according to the AI and Adversarial Testing Benchmark Report 2026 from Pentera. The report, based on a survey of 300 US CISOs and senior security leaders, examines how organizations are securing AI infrastructure and highlights critical gaps tied to skills shortages and reliance on security controls not designed for the AI era. AI adoption is outpacing security visibility AI systems are rarely deployed in isolation. They are layered across and integrated into existing corporate technology, from cloud platforms and identity systems to applications and data pipelines. With ownership spread across disparate teams, effective centralized oversight has collapsed. As a result, 67 percent of CISOs reported limited visibility into how AI is being used across their organization. None of the respondents indicated they have full visibility; rather, they acknowledge bei...
