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The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence is creating a dual-edged sword for cybersecurity, simultaneously introducing powerful new threats and promising tools for defense. Vanta, the leading AI-powered trust management platform, has released its third annual State of Trust Report, revealing that 72% of organizations believe the security risks facing their company have never been higher. This marks a significant 17-point increase from 2024, driven largely by the pace of AI-driven cyber threats outpacing the expertise of security teams.
72% of organizations say security risks are at an all-time high, up 17 points from 2024.
59% of leaders say AI cyber threats are advancing faster than their team's expertise.
79% are using or plan to use AI agents to defend against AI-powered attacks.
However, 65% admit their use of agentic AI outpaces their understanding of it.
Only 48% have a framework to control autonomy in AI systems.
76% report that AI and automation tools are reducing employee burnout.
The report highlights a critical paradox. While 79% of leaders are turning to agentic AI to combat AI-powered attacks, a lack of governance threatens to undermine these efforts. Nearly two-thirds (65%) admit that their use of agentic AI outpaces their actual understanding of the technology, and a mere 48% have developed a framework for granting or limiting autonomy in AI systems, despite 61% trusting AI to override human decisions in certain security scenarios.
The data also points to a growing burden of compliance. Organizations report spending an average of 12 working weeks per year on compliance tasks, up from 11 in 2024. This has led 61% of leaders to say they spend more time proving security rather than improving it, with 64% characterizing today's security frameworks as "security theater."
Amid these challenges, AI is also proving to be a powerful tool for alleviating pressure on security teams. A significant 76% of security and compliance leaders report that AI and automation tools are reducing burnout and improving productivity. Furthermore, 95% believe these tools have improved their team's overall effectiveness.
This report underscores the urgent need for businesses to bridge the gap between AI adoption and governance. As AI rewrites the rules of cybersecurity, building verifiable trust requires not just new tools, but also the frameworks to ensure they are used securely and responsibly.
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