An executive read on what 1,200 security leaders across 17 countries are actually doing in 2026. Ten data-driven insights on AI threats, ransomware economics, identity, budgets, and board engagement.
of organizations were hit by at least one successful cyberattack in the past 12 months, essentially flat for the third year running.
Security leaders rate their posture at a record high, yet expect more breaches than last year. Both readings are about AI.
What worries security leaders most about adversarial AI. Malware automation tops the list.
Phishing has displaced malware as the #1 overall threat. Generative AI is the reason: perfect grammar is now the tip-off.
Victim rates held flat, but the share of victims paying jumped 14.3 points, and more are getting working decryptors.
Once a help-desk discipline. Now the connective tissue of cybersecurity, covering software, IoT, and AI agents.
Security pros were asked when AI will reduce the headcount their current role needs. The clock is short.
Nine in ten organizations expect security budgets to rise in 2026, the highest reading in a decade of this survey.
At least 75% of orgs are using or implementing AI for every major security task. This is no longer a pilot.
≤9% of organizations have no plans to adopt AI for these tasks. The wait-and-see camp is gone.
Direct, recurring engagement with the board is now the rule, not the exception, for security leaders.
The 2026 CDR shows a market that has stopped debating whether AI changes the threat model and started funding the response. Identity, telemetry, and data security are where the next gains, and the next breaches, will be decided.