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Exabeam, a global leader in security operations automation and intelligence solutions, has released its latest international report, “From Adoption to Accountability: The New Economics of AI in Cybersecurity”, highlighting a significant shift in corporate security investment priorities.

The report is based on a survey of 750 IT decision-makers responsible for security in organizations with over 500 employees across 12 countries. It reveals a key paradox: while cybersecurity budgets are growing at unprecedented rates, organizations are adopting AI faster than they are implementing measurement, justification, and strategic alignment frameworks.

According to the study, 95% of organizations plan to increase cybersecurity budgets in 2026, with 74% expecting double-digit growth. At the same time, AI occupies three conflicting positions in financial planning: it is the top driver for increasing budgets (44%), the first item likely to be cut during cost reductions (44%), and the hardest investment to justify to stakeholders (32%).

Steve Wilson, Head of AI and Products at Exabeam, commented: “Security leaders are being directed to invest in AI without clear mechanisms to demonstrate its value. The issue is not a lack of data, but the use of inappropriate metrics and communication in a language that boards do not understand, making these budgets vulnerable to cuts.”

Trends for 2026 indicate a major shift: AI and automation are the primary drivers of budget expansion (44%), followed by cloud infrastructure growth (33%) and enterprise AI adoption in business processes (32%). This redirection of spending toward technology over hiring marks a fundamental transformation in security operations in the AI era.

Despite 87% of security leaders confirming their investments deliver business value, 30% cite boards’ limited understanding of the link between security spending and business resilience as the primary challenge. Traditional security metrics, such as mean time to respond, no longer suffice in AI-driven environments, underscoring the need for new measurement models that demonstrate real business impact.

Regional adoption variations are notable: 75% of respondents in Saudi Arabia reported AI is already improving security operations, compared to 27% in Japan and 30% in the Netherlands. This reflects differing organizational priorities, aligned with national digital transformation initiatives in Saudi Arabia and a more cautious, workforce-focused approach in European and Asian organizations.

The report concludes that while cybersecurity budgets are abundant, sustainability challenges remain. Organizations investing heavily in AI struggle to communicate its business value to boards and CFOs, creating a gap that must be addressed through new impact measurement frameworks, outcome-based metrics, and executive communication strategies.

The study was conducted by Sapio Research on behalf of Exabeam in December 2025, covering decision-makers across technology, financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, telecoms, and government sectors in 12 countries spanning Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East.