Gigamon has unveiled significant findings on how global Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are adapting their cybersecurity strategies for 2026. As leaders in deep observability, their research focuses on managing hybrid cloud infrastructures amidst an AI-driven landscape. The study surveyed over 200 CISOs from Australia, France, Germany, Singapore, the UK, and the US, highlighting a shift in data management, AI application security, and the evolution of SecOps teams.
AI Transforms Cybersecurity
AI is considered the most transformative technology of our time, influencing business innovation and adversarial tactics alike. The report, titled "CISO Insights: Recalibrating Risk in the Age of AI," illustrates how AI is accelerating digital transformation and amplifying cyber threats, making data visibility and quality crucial for defending hybrid cloud infrastructures.
With increasing traffic volumes complicating matters, achieving deeper insights has become essential. Notably, 86% of CISOs emphasise the importance of pairing packet-level data with metadata to enhance security posture. This combination provides comprehensive visibility, with metadata being a scalable means to highlight vital signals in large data flows.
Visibility: A Vital Yet Challenging Goal
Real-time threat monitoring and comprehensive visibility of data in motion emerge as top priorities for optimising defence-in-depth strategies among CISOs. However, 97% admit to facing compromises in visibility gaps, tool integration, and data quality, which impacts the security and management of hybrid cloud environments.
Emergence of AI-Driven Threats
Chaim Mazal, chief AI and security officer at Gigamon, remarked on the dual nature of AI: both a formidable challenge and an exciting opportunity. "The rise in AI-driven ransomware, social engineering, and unchecked shadow AI is pressing security trailblazers to defend actively," Mazal stated. Nonetheless, AI also enhances security teams, restoring visibility and reshaping organisational defences for fortified security.
Security Reshaped by AI Complexity and Data Volumes
The survey highlights how AI has nearly doubled data volumes, expanding the threat landscape and influencing data management across virtual, cloud, and container environments. Consequently, 75% of CISOs perceive public cloud as a significant security risk, prompting many to reconsider their data storage strategies. Furthermore, 73% are contemplating moving public cloud data back to private clouds due to security concerns, marking a shift from the previous trend towards public cloud usage.
Strategic Reprioritisation for AI Security
Many CISOs face challenges with increased network data from AI, with one in five expressing concern about their current tools. To tackle this, 52% plan to leverage network and application metadata to enhance existing tools' effectiveness. Additionally, 46% aim for visibility across all data-in-motion, and one in three are setting up protocols around large language models (LLMs) to mitigate emerging risks.
AI's Impact on Security Teams
With a 17% year-over-year rise in data breaches, CISOs are under pressure, with 45% being held accountable for breaches. The stress and burnout levels among security teams are rising. To combat this, 45% of CISOs are using AI tools to boost their teams' capabilities, while 73% consider AI a solution for the global shortage of skilled professionals and limited budgets. By enabling junior analysts with AI, teams can function at expert levels, reducing training costs and improving threat visibility.
Deep Observability: Essential for Secure AI Deployments
The report reveals that 82% of CISOs view deep observability, combining network-derived telemetry and log data across hybrid cloud environments, as crucial for secure and efficient AI deployments. It bridges visibility gaps, enhances threat detection, and ensures AI tools operate with trusted data.
Gigamon, a pioneer in deep observability, released new research revealing how global CISOs are reshaping 2026 cybersecurity strategies as they seek to effectively secure and manage hybrid cloud infrastructure in the AI era.
AI is regarded as the most transformational technology to date, impacting everything from how businesses innovate to how adversaries operate. As a result, more than 200 global CISOs surveyed across Australia, France, Germany, Singapore, the UK, and the US are shifting how they manage data, secure AI applications, and evolve their SecOps teams.
Hybrid cloud infrastructure
CISOs now need to gain a deeper level of insight, as increasing traffic volumes add complexity
The report, “CISO Insights: Recalibrating Risk in the Age of AI,” reveals that as AI accelerates digital transformation and intensifies cyberattacks, data visibility and quality have become mission-critical to defending hybrid cloud infrastructure.
To keep pace, CISOs now need to gain a deeper level of insight, as increasing traffic volumes add complexity. Packet-level data paired with metadata was cited by 86 percent of CISOs as essential in strengthening security posture now and the key to gaining complete visibility, with metadata offering a scalable way to surface critical signals from rapidly expanding data flows.
Visibility: The top priority, yet often the compromise
CISOs reported their top priority to optimise defence-in-depth strategies is real-time threat monitoring and visibility into all data in motion.
Yet nearly all (97 percent) CISOs surveyed admit that they are making compromises in the areas of visibility gaps, tool integration, and data quality, all of which hinder their ability to effectively secure and manage hybrid cloud environments.
Rise in AI-driven ransomware
CISOs reported their top priority to optimise defence-in-depth strategies is real-time threat monitoring
“Looking ahead to 2026, AI remains both one of the biggest challenges and most exciting opportunities for CISOs,” said Chaim Mazal, chief AI and security officer at Gigamon.
“The rise in AI-driven ransomware, social engineering, and the unchecked spread of shadow AI is placing security pioneers on the defence, which is why our survey shows visibility has become their top priority."
"At the same time, AI offers a powerful way to augment security teams, restore visibility and control, and reshape how organisations structure and resource their defences, ultimately paving the way for stronger security.”
AI complexity and data volumes reshape security
According to the survey, AI data volumes have nearly doubled, rapidly expanding the threat surface and impacting the way CISOs manage and store data across virtual, cloud, and container environments. As a result:
- 75 percent of CISOs believe that public cloud is a greater security risk than any other environment, causing many organisations to rethink their data storage strategy.
- 73 percent of CISOs report they are considering repatriating public cloud data to private cloud due to security concerns, a significant change since the migration to public cloud started early two decades ago.
- 52 percent report they are reluctant to use AI in the public cloud due to issues around intellectual property, highlighting the compliance, control, and shadow AI challenges they face due to limited visibility.
These data challenges have extended beyond a technical imperative, now moving to a strategic business imperative, as 70 percent report that public cloud security is now a board-level priority.
CISOs reprioritise strategies to secure AI
Nearly 1 in 5 CISOs are not confident they have the right tools to manage the rising volumes of network data generated from AI, highlighting a critical gap, as existing log-based tools weren’t designed to defend against AI-powered attacks. To better manage data volumes fuelled by AI:
- 52 percent of CISOs say a top priority for the next 12 months is leveraging network and application metadata to make existing tools more effective.
- 46 percent are ensuring visibility across all data-in-motion.
- 1 in 3 are implementing guardrails around large language models (LLMs) to mitigate exposure to emerging risks.
AI’s impact on security teams
Data breaches are on the rise, with a 17 percent year-over-year increase in breaches. CISOs are feeling the pressure, with nearly half (45 percent) citing they are the primary person held accountable when a security breach occurs.
Another top concern cited by CISOs is the increased level of stress and burnout within their teams. As a result, CISOs are embracing AI:
- 45 percent of CISOs leveraging AI tools to enhance their internal security team's capabilities and productivity.
- Facing a global shortage of skilled professionals and reduced budgets, 73 percent of CISOs are also considering AI to compensate for decreasing headcount, clearly demonstrating that AI is seen as both a necessity and an opportunity.
With new AI technologies becoming available, teams will also be able to leverage AI to equip junior analysts to perform at the level of seasoned experts while helping teams reduce training costs, accelerate root cause analysis, and strengthen overall threat visibility.
Deep observability: The key to unlocking secure AI
According to the report, 82 percent of CISOs state that deep observability, bringing together network-derived telemetry and log data across hybrid cloud environments, is a foundational element of secure and efficient AI deployments.
It enables security teams to close visibility gaps, improve threat detection, and ensure AI tools are operating on trusted data.
