Cybersecurity managers see the great potential that lies in AI-based security solutions, but widespread implementation in companies is not yet in sight.
In the past year, a gigantic AI hype broke out not only in the technology industry, but in society as a whole, linked to the question of what role it will play in various areas of life and the economy in the future. Arctic Wolf®, a leading security operations provider, releases the results of its latest artificial intelligence (AI) study, “The Human-AI Partnership.” The study was conducted by the CyberRisk Alliance among 800 IT and cybersecurity managers in large companies in the USA and Great Britain as well as another 100 managers in Germany. The latest survey data provides insight into executive attitudes toward current and future use of AI for cybersecurity.
The most important regional findings at a glance:
Despite industry hype, investment in AI-powered cybersecurity solutions is still in its infancy in Germany:
- Only 15% of companies have allocated the majority of their cybersecurity budget to AI-powered solutions. On average, only 11% of the total cybersecurity budget is allocated to such security solutions.
- Three-quarters (73%) of companies plan to use at least one AI-based solution to improve their cybersecurity readiness. That's more than in the USA and UK: here it's only 64% of organizations. However, companies in these regions are planning to use it within the next year.
Threat detection and automation as the most important use cases for AI-based tools
- Two-thirds (67%) of respondents believe AI will outperform humans in detecting threats.
- More than three-quarters (79%) of cybersecurity leaders believe the primary benefit of AI will be in automating response efforts or repetitive tasks, such as alarm triage. In the USA and the UK, however, it is only 46%.
Cybersecurity managers see people as an essential factor in realizing efficiency gains through AI
- Two in five companies (41%) say they do not have enough qualified tech employees to manage AI-based solutions.
- Only a slim majority (52%) believe that the cybersecurity outcomes enabled by AI-powered tools are more cost-effective than those achieved by humans alone.
Executives are skeptical about the short-term benefits of large language models (LLMs) in cybersecurity
- Only 6% of respondents rate the use of large language models to contextualize existing data as a core benefit of AI in their cybersecurity tools.
- Only a third (33%) of respondents believe LLMs and other AI technologies are superior to humans when it comes to explaining the context of threats. In the USA and Great Britain, too, the majority of those surveyed are convinced of the superiority of human employees in this area.
Technology alone is not enough protection
“The survey shows that the role of artificial intelligence in improving threat detection and response is undeniable. “But it’s also important to recognize that technology alone cannot protect organizations from modern threats,” said Dan Schiappa, Chief Product Officer at Arctic Wolf. “As threat actors become more sophisticated and deploy AI-based tools, humans will play an essential role in investigating novel attacks. They will continue to provide context for their business and, most importantly, use their knowledge and experience to train the exact AI and machine learning models that will be deeply embedded in next-generation cybersecurity solutions.”
AI-based solutions will improve security in the long term
“Unlike other industries where workers can be displaced or even replaced by automation and AI, the skilled analysts who lead security operations centers are likely to see their role upgraded and enhanced by AI rather than, as some might expect, a devaluation or dismissal,” says Daniel Thomas, researcher at the CyberRisk Alliance. “In the short term, we will experience growing pains that accompany the introduction of any new technology, but in the long term, AI – when complemented by human expertise – will deliver faster and better safety outcomes in almost all circumstances.”
Methodology
The survey was commissioned by Arctic Wolf and conducted by CyberRisk Alliance. More than 800 senior IT decision-makers and managers in the USA and Great Britain and an additional 100 managers in Germany were surveyed. The survey results provide insight into the attitudes and beliefs of corporate cybersecurity decision-makers regarding artificial intelligence and the role it plays in their cybersecurity and business operations.
Go directly to the report on ArcticWolf.com
About Arctic Wolf Arctic Wolf is a global leader in security operations, providing the first cloud-native security operations platform to mitigate cyber risk. Based on threat telemetry spanning endpoint, network and cloud sources, the Arctic Wolf® Security Operations Cloud analyzes more than 1,6 trillion security events per week worldwide. It provides company-critical insights into almost all security use cases and optimizes customers' heterogeneous security solutions. The Arctic Wolf platform is used by more than 2.000 customers worldwide. It provides automated threat detection and response, enabling organizations of all sizes to set up world-class security operations at the push of a button.