Friction Within: Cisco Report Reveals Top Threat to Enterprise Security

A recent Cisco report has revealed that internal organizational friction is now the top threat to enterprise security. The study, which examines how security practitioners are adapting to a threat landscape reshaped by AI, found that global organizations average a score of 64 out of 100 in terms of their ability to protect themselves against cyber threats.

According to the report, only 8% of global organizations and 8% of Indian organizations qualified as 'Relentless Defenders,' which are organizations that can effectively combine broad coverage, fast response, and a coordinated team effort without operational bottlenecks. Relentless Defenders were found to operate as a single, coordinated security team with shared visibility and tools across security, network, and infrastructure.

The report highlighted several areas where security teams lose time due to internal friction, including ownership, approvals, silos, and unclear decision rights. It also noted that AI is making defenders faster but that security concerns are delaying adoption of AI-powered security capabilities. The study found that nearly half of organizations have not extensively deployed AI agents in security operations, citing concerns over data exposure, compromised systems, and third-party handling.

Despite these challenges, Relentless Defenders were found to be more effective at reducing friction and controlling the AI they are developing. They also reported stronger AI outcomes in security operations and were nearly twice as likely to see incidents fall when increasing security spending.