{"id":58683,"date":"2025-05-20T16:16:40","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T16:16:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/53caaab8-a1da-4fcc-810e-a6f0e569d99d"},"modified":"2025-05-20T16:16:40","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T16:16:40","slug":"ai-agent-adoption-is-driving-increases-in-opportunities-threats-and-it-budgets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/ai-agent-adoption-is-driving-increases-in-opportunities-threats-and-it-budgets\/","title":{"rendered":"AI agent adoption is driving increases in opportunities, threats, and IT budgets"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In an AI-powered economy<\/a>, data security is not just a box-checking exercise. Instead, security is the catalyst for trust and innovation within your organization and with your customers.<\/p>\n

That’s the conclusion from the State of IT<\/a> report from Salesforce, which surveyed over 4,000 IT decision-makers worldwide, including more than 2,000 professionals specializing in security, privacy, or compliance. The survey aimed to understand fast-evolving cyber threats and security priorities, suggesting how to build customer trust in an AI-driven world and use AI to improve security postures<\/a>. Here are the key takeaways from the report: <\/p>\n

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  1. Security budgets on the rise<\/strong>: Three-quarters of organizations anticipate budget increases to address everything from data poisoning to more advanced threat detection. <\/li>\n
  2. Trust is paramount<\/strong>: Almost two-thirds (64%) of customers feel that companies are being reckless with their data, and 61% believe that AI advancements make it more important than ever for companies to protect their data, underscoring the importance of organizations prioritizing data stewardship. <\/li>\n
  3. Compliance is complex<\/strong>: More than two-thirds (68%) of security leaders say compliance has become more difficult as the regulatory environment changes swiftly, and 43% feel underprepared for potential AI-related regulations. <\/li>\n
  4. AI can strengthen defenses<\/strong>: While 79% of security leaders believe that AI agents<\/a> will introduce new security and compliance challenges, 80% suggest AI agents will introduce new security opportunities.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    IT security budgets are increasing<\/h2>\n

    According to the State of IT survey, the top five most concerning security threats are cloud security, data poisoning, malware, phishing, and ransomware. The top five most effective security tactics are data encryption, data backup and restore, identity and access management, zero-trust strategies, and data masking. <\/p>\n

    Also: The death of spreadsheets: 6 reasons why AI will soon be the dominant business reporting tool<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

    The survey found that 75% of IT organizations expect to increase their IT security budgets, with only 2% anticipating a decrease in budgets. Compliance is also more difficult to manage, with 68% of security leaders saying compliance is more difficult amid evolving regulations. Almost half (43%) of security leaders don’t feel prepared for potential regulatory changes around AI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    AI creates opportunities and threats<\/h2>\n

    The use of AI agents in business is rising quickly<\/a>. AI agents can autonomously take action and serve as digital labor. However, security leaders acknowledge that, without proper governance, AI agents may introduce new security and compliance challenges. Therefore, it’s no surprise that CIOs rank security and compliance as their top AI concern and the top criteria when selecting AI vendors. <\/p>\n

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    Security leaders also see AI agents offering powerful advantages and new opportunities for security and compliance. More than three-quarters (79%) of security leaders believe AI agents introduce new security challenges. The survey found that 80% of security leaders believe that AI agents introduce new security opportunities. AI agents with properly programmed skills can enhance threat detection, automate vulnerability management, and support compliance efforts at scale.<\/p>\n

    Security in the age of agentic AI<\/h2>\n

    AI has fundamentally changed the cybersecurity landscape. The report found that 75% of security leaders believe AI-driven cyber threats will soon outpace traditional defenses, and 79% believe their security practices must transform as AI use increases. <\/p>\n

    Also: AI agents bring big risks and rewards for daring early adopters, says Forrester<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

    IT leaders see the following threats from AI: data breaches, privacy concerns, data poisoning, AI-powered threats, model supply chain attacks, adversarial attacks, and bias and discrimination. The report also noted that most security leaders believe AI-driven cyber threats<\/a> could soon outpace traditional defenses, underscoring the need for new tactics and continuous vigilance.<\/p>\n

    So, how can AI agents improve organizational security postures? Here are a few ways agents can help: <\/p>\n