The shift towards artificial intelligence in cybersecurity is evident, with nearly 80% of senior security executives prioritizing AI-driven solutions for their 2026 budgets, according to a recent survey by Glilot Capital. Major firms such as Blackstone, Virgin, and NTT participated in the study, highlighting a significant trend in investment strategies.
Specific findings reveal that 77.8% of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) plan to focus on AI-powered tools, while 41.3% are interested in AI systems designed for automating security tasks. Cloud data protection and identity threat detection were selected by 33% of respondents, with exposure management and attack-surface solutions garnering 22% support.
The survey also noted that approximately 65% of executives believe that companies with substantial funding attract more market attention. While 50.8% acknowledged funding size influences their decisions, 30.2% actively sought to exclude it from their considerations to avoid bias. Additionally, 38.1% of CISOs felt that products from serial entrepreneurs are often more developed compared to those from newcomers, while 63.5% emphasized the importance of reputable venture capital backing.