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Four out of ten companies worldwide have expanded their information security investments as they adopt artificial intelligence, according to a new survey. Kaspersky’s study of 1,800 IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 18 countries found that 41% of respondents cited AI adoption as a primary driver of increased security spending. Shadow AI—employees using external AI services without corporate oversight—has emerged as a new data leakage risk, with 31% of respondents identifying it as a security concern. While 59% of companies allow external AI use under certain restrictions, 81% have either deployed or are evaluating LLM-based internal AI tools. The findings highlight the growing tension between AI-driven productivity gains and the security challenges posed by uncontrolled AI usage.
Key Elements
Companies worldwide are ramping up information security budgets as they aggressively integrate artificial intelligence into business operations. In particular, so-called “shadow AI”—employees using external AI services without corporate approval—has emerged as a new data leakage risk factor.
According to Kaspersky’s “AI Adoption and Corporate Security Investment” report released on the 17th, 41% of surveyed companies identified AI adoption as a primary driver of increased information security investment. The survey was conducted among 1,800 IT and cybersecurity decision-makers and professionals across 18 countries, spanning diverse industries including IT, manufacturing, finance, and wholesale/retail.
Beyond AI adoption, rising costs from security breaches, cloud infrastructure migration, and recent security incidents were also cited as contributing factors to increased security spending.
Among the key security threats companies perceive, 19% of respondents ranked AI vulnerabilities as one of the most dangerous threats facing their organizations. Phishing topped the list at 22%, followed by large-scale malware attacks at 20%. Concerns about AI-related security threats were relatively higher in the finance, IT, and government sectors.
Uncontrolled AI Use Emerges as a New Risk
Wariness of shadow AI—where employees use external AI services such as ChatGPT or DeepSeek for work without corporate management or oversight—was clearly evident. Thirty-one percent of respondents identified uncontrolled external AI use by employees as a general security risk.
Companies tended to allow external AI use under certain restrictions rather than blocking it entirely. Fifty-nine percent of surveyed companies said they permit external AI tool usage with conditions such as prohibiting the input of company names or internal documents. Twenty-three percent said they allow usage without separate access restrictions but provide guidelines and training for safe use.
Despite these security concerns, the pace of AI adoption continues to accelerate. Eighty-one percent of surveyed companies said they have deployed or are considering deploying LLM-based internal AI tools, with 18% already having integrated such technologies into their business processes.
The top objectives for internal AI adoption were improving operational efficiency, reducing human error, and enhancing the quality of deliverables to customers, each cited by 59% of respondents.
Security Must Be Considered from the AI Adoption Stage
Vladislav Tushkanov, manager of Kaspersky’s AI Technology Research Center Group, noted that as companies adopt AI to accelerate business processes and reduce repetitive tasks, security risks such as AI vulnerabilities and shadow AI are growing in tandem. He emphasized the need to enhance operational resilience through breach prevention, rapid threat response, and integration of multiple security tools.
Lee Hyo-eun, head of Kaspersky’s South Korea office, explained that when employees use shadow AI without oversight, the likelihood of sensitive data leakage increases, and new AI-powered threats are making corporate defense environments more complex. She advised that companies should incorporate security into their AI adoption strategy from the outset—rather than addressing AI security as an afterthought—and ensure visibility into related activities.
The survey results demonstrate that while AI is establishing itself as a core tool for improving corporate productivity, uncontrolled AI use is placing new burdens on existing security frameworks. How companies maintain their AI adoption momentum while developing security strategies to guard against data leakage and AI-based attacks has emerged as a key challenge going forward.
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