58% of CISOs are boosting AI security budgets

AI is no longer an experiment in the security stack — it’s becoming the centerpiece. Foundry’s 2025 Security Priorities Study finds that 58% of organizations plan to boost spending on AI-enabled security tools next year, signaling a decisive shift from curiosity to commitment. And it’s not just budgets following the trend. The research finds 93% say they’re already using or are actively researching using AI in their security technologies over the next 12 months.

The urgency makes sense. CISOs are watching attackers weaponize generative AI to automate phishing, create deepfakes, and craft more convincing social engineering campaigns. In response, they’re turning to agentic and generative AI to harden defenses, augment analysts, and improve resilience at scale.

Foundry

At the upcoming CSO Conference, IDC’s Frank Dickson will examine this trend in his session, “Insights from IDC’s Latest Security Research.” He’ll explore how AI is reshaping cybersecurity strategy — not as a bolt-on tool, but as a fundamental shift in how organizations detect, respond, and adapt to risk.

Recent CSO reporting shows what that evolution looks like in practice. Early adopters describe how intelligent agents are already handling tier-one SOC tasks such as alert triage, log correlation, and first-line containment, freeing analysts for higher-level investigations. Others are using AI to prioritize vulnerabilities, analyze threat intelligence in real time, and even draft reports and risk summaries for executive audiences.

But as adoption accelerates, so does the need for governance. Many security leaders are discovering that deploying AI responsibly requires new controls, from audit trails and human-in-the-loop oversight to transparency into model decisions. In other words, the same technology transforming the SOC also demands fresh thinking about accountability, data quality, and risk tolerance.

Still, most CISOs agree the upside outweighs the risk. Experts describe AI as a “force multiplier for the defense,” enabling smaller teams to handle larger workloads and react faster than ever. The Security Priorities research echoes that sentiment, showing AI-driven cybersecurity is now a top-tier investment priority — not a future experiment.

Foundry

The takeaway: AI in cybersecurity has reached an inflection point. Whether it’s accelerating incident response, tightening identity management, or simplifying complex threat analysis, enterprises are betting big that AI-enabled tools will be essential for staying secure in an era of AI-enabled attacks.

Hear more at the CSO Conference & Awards, October 20–22 at the Grand Hyatt Indian Wells. Join IDC’s Frank Dickson and leading CISOs as they share real-world lessons on where AI delivers results and how to deploy it responsibly in the fight against today’s evolving threats.

The CSO Security Priorities study for 2025 will be presented during a discussion at the annual CSO Conference & Awards, October 20–22 at the Grand Hyatt Indian Wells.  Join IDC’s Frank Dickson and leading CISOs as they share real-world lessons on where AI delivers results and how to deploy it responsibly in the fight against today’s evolving threats.

For more information about the agenda and speakers, please visit: https://event.foundryco.com/cso-conference-awards/agenda/