Netwrix Research: Over One-Third of Organizations Adjust Security Strategies in Response to AI-Driven Threats

AI is accelerating identity-based threats and creating new data protection demands.

Netwrix, a recognized leader of identity and data security solutions, released new findings from its 2025 Cybersecurity Trends Report. They reveal that more than one in three organizations (37%) said AI-driven attacks forced them to adjust their security approach over the past year. The results reflect the growing impact of AI on both the speed and sophistication of today’s threats, as well as the tools organizations are using to counter them. Respondents also reported several additional shifts in their security programs:

• AI is a new attack surface: 30% say their business uses AI and must now protect it like any other critical system.

• Compliance is catching up: 29% report auditors now require proof of data security and privacy in AI-based systems.
  
  
• AI is strengthening defenses: 28% say cybersecurity AI tools improved detection and response.
  
  
• Early efficiency gains: 20% have offloaded some IT/security workloads to AI.
  
  
• Priority for professionals: Nearly one-third (29%) of respondents say adopting AI-based solutions would be among their top three actions to strengthen cybersecurity.
  
  
• Adoption momentum builds: Implementing AI-based tools as a top-five IT priority has surged 189% in two years, from 9% in 2023 to 26% in 2025.

Also Read: CIO Influence Interview with Duncan Greatwood, CEO at Xage Security

“Microsoft reported that identity-based threats surged by 32% in the first half of 2025, with over 97% of those attacks relying on password compromise,” said Grady Summers, CEO of Netwrix. “AI is amplifying the speed, scale, and sophistication of such attacks, but it’s also helping defenders neutralize threats faster than ever before. In this AI arms race between attackers and defenders, the organizations that stay ahead will be those that can rapidly identify and eliminate identity and data risks using AI-powered solutions that help their teams move faster and with more precision.”

“The long-standing challenge of understaffed security teams has become even more pressing as AI increases the efficiency and volume of cyberattacks,” said Jeff Warren, Chief Product Officer at Netwrix. “At the same time, AI can also help close the talent gap. Already security solutions powered by AI are enabling security teams to identify and remediate threats, eliminating guesswork and manual effort.”