ISC2 Report: AI Tops Cybersecurity Risks and Opportunities
ISC2 Report: AI Tops Cybersecurity Risks and Opportunities
https://www.channelinsider.com/security/isc2-ai-cybersecurity-risk-opportunity-report/
Publish Date: 2026-05-20 12:15:00
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A new study from ISC2 has found that cybersecurity professionals now see AI as both their biggest opportunity and biggest threat.
The findings point to a field at an inflection point, with teams moving to adopt AI for defense while preparing for more scalable, convincing AI-enabled attacks.
AI ranks as top security opportunity and threat
The research presented respondents with a list of emerging technologies and asked them to rank which would have the greatest positive impact on organizational security and which could pose the greatest negative impact.
According to the report, 41% of respondents said advancements in AI will have the greatest positive impact on security. Interestingly, 52% also said AI would have the greatest negative impact.
This paradox shows AI might be cybersecurity’s clearest double-edged sword: a great opportunity, and an equally great threat.
Cybersecurity teams weigh AI benefits against risks
Respondents identified the following technologies as having the greatest positive impact on security:
- Advancements in AI (41%)
- Automation in cybersecurity (35%)
- Zero trust network access (33%)
- Passwordless authentication (22%),
- Agentic AI (21%)
- Risk‑based vulnerability management (21%)
However, when asked which technologies could have the most significant negative impact on security, the rankings shifted:
- Advancements in AI (52%)
- Agentic AI (34%)
- Quantum computing (32%)
- Increase in processing power and speed (19%)
- Mobile computing advances (17%)
ISC2 said the contrasting rankings highlight the complex challenge cybersecurity professionals face with AI.
“AI is not a single-dimensional tool. It is simultaneously an accelerator for defenders and a…
