Nokod, the cybersecurity platform securing AI apps built by business users, today released its 2026 State of Security in Business-Built Applications and AI Agents Survey. The report reveals that Enterprise AI tools, such as Microsoft Copilot Studio and ServiceNow, have sparked a "shadow engineering" revolution. Business users now outnumber professional developers by as much as 10:1 in some organizations, leaving security teams blind to the majority of AI agents and automations running critical infrastructure. This growing "Enterprise AI Jungle" bypasses traditional AppSec controls, creating significant security gaps that many enterprises are currently struggling to identify or close.
Shadow Engineering: Business builders outnumber professional developers by an average of 4:1, and up to 10:1 in some sectors.
Visibility Crisis: 80% of security teams admit they lack full visibility into assets created by business users.
Untracked Data: Most organizations can only track 44% of AI tools currently handling sensitive company and user data.
Critical Operations: Over 50% of CISOs agree that business-built applications now support business-critical processes.
Governance Mandate: 90% of security leaders expect to implement formal governance for citizen development by the end of 2026.
Investment Trends: 67% of organizations already allocate a budget for securing business-built AI, with 15% growth expected next year.
As business users leverage AI to build autonomous agents and complex workflows, they are fundamentally altering the structural reality of enterprise IT. These applications are no longer just fringe experiments; they have become integral to enterprise operations. However, because they are created outside traditional development processes, they often lack the necessary guardrails to prevent data leakage or unauthorized access.
"Security teams are losing a race they don't even realize they are running. Entire layers of enterprise logic are emerging outside traditional oversight, creating a jungle of untracked risks," said Yair Finzi, CEO and Co-Founder of Nokod. "Our survey highlights that these enterprise AI tools are now supporting the most critical workflows in the company, often with zero governance."
The survey results underscore an urgent need for security solutions that provide automated remediation without stifling innovation. While 90% of leaders plan to formalize controls by the end of 2026, the current lack of oversight remains a primary concern for CISOs. Organizations require a way to monitor how business-built agents interact with enterprise data and automatically remediate vulnerabilities like prompt injection.
Finzi added, "Nokod provides the map and guide, enabling security teams to automatically remediate vulnerabilities while allowing employees to innovate at full speed. Organizations need a way to manage this new layer of software while still enabling employees to build, streamline, and innovate." By providing full visibility and risk detection, enterprises can safeguard their digital transformation efforts while maintaining a competitive pace.
About Nokod
Nokod is the leading application security platform dedicated to securing the growing jungle of AI apps and automations built by business users. The company provides complete visibility, risk detection, and automated remediation to secure this often overlooked attack surface. By proactively detecting and remediating hidden threats while enforcing continuous, automated guardrails, Nokod enables organizations to govern their digital transformation safely without slowing down productivity.
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