Cisco Report Reveals AI Cyberattacks Outpace Organizational Defenses

As AI-powered cyberattacks surge, many organizations are struggling to keep up due to internal inefficiencies, according to a new report from Cisco. The company's Relentless Defense Report reveals that the most effective cybersecurity teams combine broad coverage, rapid response, and seamless coordination across departments. However, globally, organizations average just 64 out of 100 on Cisco's security performance index, with India slightly higher at 66. Only 8% of companies worldwide, including those in India, qualify as top performers, what Cisco calls Relentless Defenders.

The report highlights organizational friction as a major obstacle to stronger cyber defenses. Issues such as unclear decision-making authority, fragmented data, and siloed teams slow down responses. For instance, only 41% of global organizations (40% in India) report that security, networking, and IT teams work together with shared visibility and tools. Additionally, 40% of companies globally (44% in India) spend more time gathering and correlating data than actually addressing threats.

Despite AI's potential to enhance cybersecurity, adoption remains slow. Over 80% of practitioners globally (more than 90% in India) report at least a 25% improvement in detection and response times thanks to AI. However, fewer than half of organizations have extensively deployed AI-powered security tools, with adoption lowest in security operations, the area where AI could most reduce workload. Concerns over data exposure and compromised systems are major barriers, with only 54% globally (66% in India) expressing confidence in detecting and responding to attacks involving AI agents.

The Relentless Defenders stand out by reducing friction and maintaining strong AI governance. They are more likely to operate as a unified team, apply consistent controls to AI agents, and report significant improvements in threat detection speed, 25% of them see over a 100% boost. Among organizations increasing security spending, Relentless Defenders are nearly twice as likely to see a reduction in incidents (71% vs. 39%).