CISOs Prioritize AI in 2026 Cybersecurity Budgets Shift

Avery K. Bristow

Published: February 10, 2026 5:32 AM ET

CISOs Prioritize AI in 2026 Cybersecurity Budgets Shift

The cybersecurity landscape is undergoing significant transformation as artificial intelligence (AI) takes center stage. Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are increasingly channeling their budgets toward AI-driven solutions, as indicated by a recent survey from Glilot Capital. This shift in investment priorities is expected to crystallize further by 2026.

CISO Perspectives on 2026 Cybersecurity Budgets

A survey encompassing senior security executives from notable enterprises such as Blackstone, Virgin, and NTT revealed their funding preferences for upcoming budgets. Nearly 80% of the participants identified AI-related solutions as top funding priorities.

Funding Allocation Insights

77.8% of CISOs plan to invest in AI-powered cybersecurity tools.
41.3% intend to allocate budgets for AI systems designed for task automation.
Cloud data protection and identity threat detection were each favored by 33% of respondents.
22% prioritized exposure management and attack-surface solutions.

The Impact of Funding Rounds

The survey also examined the perception of market dynamics. An impressive 65% of executives believe that companies with significant funding rounds attract greater attention. However, half of the respondents stated that funding size did not critically influence their product selections.

14.3% expressed that heavily funded vendors receive priority consideration.
30.2% emphasized an active effort to disregard funding sizes to prevent bias.
4.8% warned that inflated funding can lead to flawed decision-making.

Entrepreneurship and Product Evaluation

Perspectives on entrepreneurs also varied. Approximately 38.1% of CISOs believe that products from repeated founders are generally more mature. In contrast, 61.9% consider product quality to be independent of the founders’ experience.

Investor Influence

Investor identity significantly impacts CISO evaluations. Around 63.5% of respondents noted the importance of venture capital firms backing startups. Only 19% view the absence of cybersecurity-focused investors as a red flag.

Trends in Cybersecurity

As the industry evolves, CISO expectations for upcoming trends are becoming clearer. A majority, 58.7%, foresee the operational use of AI in defense becoming standardized by the end of 2026. Key trends include:

55.6% advocating for securing AI-generated code.
50.8% emphasizing the need for tools to detect AI-driven attacks.
47.6% focusing on governance and monitoring of AI usage within organizations.
30.2% anticipating demand for technologies that test AI model integrity.

Conclusion

According to Arik Kleinstein, co-founder of Glilot Capital, the shift towards AI is reshaping corporate security expenditures. Organizations now feel a heightened sense of vulnerability. As companies push for rapid AI integration, the cybersecurity sector stands poised for the emergence of new industry leaders.