Recent insights from Forrester’s 2026 Budget Planning Guide indicate a significant shift in cybersecurity spending, with software accounting for 40% of budgets, surpassing hardware, outsourcing, and personnel costs. The report highlights the necessity for security and risk leaders to adjust to new budgetary demands amid increasing volatility.
Cyber attacks driven by generative AI pose new threats, allowing attackers to deliver 10,000 personalized phishing emails per minute. The challenges are compounded by the rise of deepfake fraud, which bypasses biometric security measures in 97% of cases, and a looming 2030 deadline set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for quantum encryption standards. These developments raise questions about the adequacy of current defenses and the expected impact on enterprise security strategies.
Organizations managing more than 75 cybersecurity tools reportedly waste $18 million annually due to integration issues. The average detection time for cyber incidents remains around 277 days, presenting a stark contrast to the speed at which attacks can occur. According to Gartner, market share for certain security tools is forecasted to decline, further complicating the landscape. Current tools often generate alerts lacking actionable context, leading analysts to spend up to 67% of their time addressing false positives.
Reports also highlight the necessity for firms to consolidate security tools effectively, particularly at AI’s inference layer, to cope with evolving threats. As machine identities continue to outnumber human users significantly, the focus on managing machine identity is becoming increasingly critical, with projected spending in this area set to double by 2028.
Forrester urges organizations to rapidly adapt their cybersecurity approaches, prioritizing integrated platforms over legacy tools to enhance visibility and management efficiency. The emphasis on real-time threat neutralization could reshape security strategies moving forward.
Source: https://venturebeat.com/security/software-is-40-of-security-budgets-as-cisos-shift-to-ai-defense/