Nearly half (46%) of respondents spend more time maintaining tools than defending the organization.

Of those prioritizing AI security, over two-thirds have acquired tools from their cloud providers.

73% of respondents report investing in AI-specific security tools, using either new budgets or reallocating existing resources.

Of those prioritizing AI security, three in five (60%) are leveraging established security vendors.

78% of respondents say their security tools are dispersed and disconnected.

59% of respondents say tool maintenance is the main source of inefficiency.

69% say disconnected and dispersed tools creates moderate to significant challenges.

90% of leaders in manufacturing and automotive believe that hackers are more likely to trick AI-based cybersecurity tools than those operated by humans.

50% of SMBs feel overwhelmed by the number of cybersecurity tools on the market.

Nearly 70% of SMBs rely on third-party guidance to inform buying decisions.

Only 6.5% of SMBs believe their current cybersecurity budget is truly sufficient.

Only 36% of SMBs are investing in new cybersecurity tools.

Only 57% of SMBs say they prioritize protection against advanced threats when selecting a solution.

67% of SMBs prioritize affordability when selecting a cybersecurity solution.

Over half of CIOs say their security patch systems have become too complex to manage effectively.

Just 43% of global organizations use dedicated tools to proactively manage risk across their attack surface.

41% of CIOs don't believe their current security investments fully meet their organization's needs.

Over half of CIOs believe they have overinvested in security patch systems.

More than four in five security professionals (84%) prefer security tools powered by artificial intelligence.

50% of SMB tech stacks include antivirus software.