AI Security Now a Top CIO Concern, Rivals Malware and Ransomware

Securing artificial intelligence systems has surged to the forefront of cybersecurity priorities for Chief Information Officers (CIOs) globally. A recent report from Logicalis indicates that over a quarter of CIOs now view AI as a significant risk, placing it on par with long-standing threats like malware, ransomware, and phishing. This shift underscores the growing concern that AI, while a potential tool against cyber threats, is increasingly becoming a vector for them.

The Logicalis Global CIO Report 2026 surveyed over 1,000 CIOs and highlighted that 77% of organizations experienced cybersecurity incidents in the past year, with AI-powered threats exacerbating the strain on already stretched security teams. The report found that AI adoption has led to challenges such as reduced breach detection capabilities, increased security blind spots for 34% of respondents, and a worsening of incident response times for 41%. Consequently, a significant 68% of organizations have increased budgets for post-breach remediation and ransom payments, signaling a growing sense of inevitability around cyber incidents.

Adding to the complexity, the report points to the rise of ‘shadow AI’ and a persistent cyber skills shortage as key factors contributing to these risks. Nearly half of CIOs expressed a wish that AI had never been invented, reflecting the immense pressure to manage AI-driven vulnerabilities and governance gaps. With only 37% of CIOs claiming full visibility into AI tools currently in use across their organizations, the path to robust AI security remains a significant hurdle.