Despite the hype, cybersecurity teams are still taking a cautious approach to using AI tools
Most teams are enthusiastic about AI tools, but they're not going all-in just yet


AI tools are taking off in cybersecurity, but security workers aren't quite ready to go all-in.
According to a new study from ISC2, three-in-ten practitioners already AI tools in their daily workflows, while 42% are exploring or testing their adoption.
Just 10% of respondents to the survey said they have no plans at all to use AI at work.
In terms of industries, industrial enterprises (38%), IT services (36%), and professional services organizations (34%) lead in the adoption of AI security tools.
30% off Keeper Security's Business Starter and Business plans
Keeper Security is trusted and valued by thousands of businesses and millions of employees. Why not join them and protect your most important assets while taking advantage of this special offer?
Financial services and the public sector have the lowest current adoption rates, at 21% and 16% respectively.
Of those who have already adopted AI security tools, 70% reported positive impacts on their team’s overall effectiveness.
Similarly, they're seeing benefits in network monitoring and intrusion detection, cited by 60%, endpoint protection and response with 56%, and vulnerability management, cited by half.
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
Meanwhile, 45% said they saw improvements in threat modelling and 43% in security testing.
Casey Marks, chief qualifications officer at ISC2, said the report shows enthusiasm for AI is growing in security alongside other industries, but professionals in this space are far more cautious about adoption and integration.
“Our latest AI survey shows cautious but growing interest in AI security tools, with adoption expected to accelerate in the future,” Marks commented.
What companies are using AI tools for cybersecurity?
It's the biggest organizations - those with more than 10,000 employees - that are leading the adoption of AI security tools, with 37% actively using them.
ISC2 also noted that mid-sized firms with between 500 and 2,499 employees and those with fewer than 99 employees show the lowest adoption rates. Only 20% in each of these groups are actively using AI for cybersecurity purposes.
Naturally, the smallest organizations are also the most conservative, with 23% reporting no plans to evaluate AI security tools.
Teams do expect to see an effect on hiring, with just over half saying that AI will probably reduce the need for entry-level staff.
However, 31% reckoned that AI will also create new types of entry- and junior-level roles or increase demand, helping to counter the decline in early career opportunities elsewhere.
More than four-in-ten said their organization’s cybersecurity hiring hadn't yet been affected by the introduction of AI security tools, with only 21% saying AI has changed their hiring plans and priorities.
However, 44% said their organization was actively reconsidering the roles and skills needed to support the adoption and use of AI security tools.
"Encouragingly, 44% of professionals report no impact on hiring from current or expected adoption of AI security tools, and 28% see AI creating new opportunities for entry-level talent," said Marks.
"Findings suggest that AI is helping cybersecurity professionals by automating repetitive tasks and enabling them to focus on more meaningful work.”
There is, though, some hesitancy about the pace of change. Almost half of security leaders and practitioners recently told penetration testing firm Cobalt that they'd like a 'strategic pause' to recalibrate their defences.
Meanwhile, some experts have warned practitioners could become over-reliant on AI, which will ultimately lead to a loss of important skills, complacency, and dangerous consequences for enterprises.
Make sure to follow ITPro on Google News to keep tabs on all our latest news, analysis, and reviews.
MORE FROM ITPRO
Emma Woollacott is a freelance journalist writing for publications including the BBC, Private Eye, Forbes, Raconteur and specialist technology titles.
-
Warning issued to Salesforce customers after hackers stole Salesloft Drift data
News Customers were targeted through compromised OAuth access tokens from Salesloft Drift integrations
-
A notorious hacker group is ramping up cloud-based ransomware attacks
News The Storm-0501 threat group is refining its tactics, according to Microsoft, shifting away from traditional endpoint-based attacks and toward cloud-based ransomware.
-
Hackers are abusing ConnectWise ScreenConnect, again
News A new spear phishing campaign has targeted more than 900 organizations with fake invitations from platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
-
Security researchers have just identified what could be the first ‘AI-powered’ ransomware strain – and it uses OpenAI’s gpt-oss-20b model
News Using OpenAI's gpt-oss:20b model, ‘PromptLock’ generates malicious Lua scripts via the Ollama API.
-
AI means cyber teams are rethinking their approach to insider threats
News Nearly two-thirds of European cybersecurity professionals see insider threats as their biggest security risk – and AI is making things worse.
-
74% of companies admit insecure code caused a security breach
News A large number of data breaches are linked to insecure code, prompting calls for better training
-
Data I/O shuts down systems in wake of ransomware attack
News Regulatory filings by Data I/O suggest the costs of dealing with the attack could be significant
-
Cyber pros say the buck stops with the board when it comes to security failings
News Fines, sanctions, and even prosecution are all on the table when it comes to cyber failings, practitioners believe