Exabeam

In the Middle East, unauthorised GenAI is the top insider concern (31%).

More than three-quarters of organisations (76%) report some level of unapproved Generative AI (GenAI) usage.

Government organisations are bracing for the steepest rise (73%) in insider threats.

The majority (54%) of organisations expect insider threat growth to continue.

Unapproved GenAI usage rates are highest in technology (40%), financial services (32%), and government (38%).

AI-enhanced phishing and social engineering are the most concerning tactics (27%) for insider threats.

53% of cybersecurity professionals expect insider threats to increase.

Over the past year, more than half of organisations (53%) have seen a measurable increase in insider incidents.

64% of cybersecurity professionals view insiders (whether malicious or compromised) as a greater risk than external actors.

88% of organisations state they have insider threat programmes.

Just 44% of organisations use user and entity behaviour analytics (UEBA) for insider threat detection.

97% of organisations use some form of AI in their insider threat tooling.

Two of the top three current insider threat vectors are now AI-related.

74% of cybersecurity professionals report that AI is making insider threats more effective.

Asia-Pacific and Japan lead in projected insider threat growth (69%).

In the Middle East, nearly one-third (30%) of organisations anticipate a decrease in insider threats.

Manufacturing expects a 60% rise in insider threats.

Healthcare expects a 53% rise in insider threats.

More than half of executives believe AI tools are fully deployed, contrasting with managers and analysts who report many are still in pilot or evaluation stages

18% of organizations are expanding hiring for roles focused on AI governance, automation oversight, and data protection.

56% of security teams report that AI has improved productivity in threat detection, investigation, and response (TDIR).

71% of executives report AI-driven productivity gains.

Only 29% of teams trust AI to act on its own.

37% of organizations report workforce reductions tied to automation.

Organizations in India, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (IMETA) report the highest productivity gains (81%) after adopting AI.

More than half of surveyed organizations have restructured their teams due to AI implementation.

Among analysts, only 10% trust in AI autonomy.

Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) reported 46% productivity gains after adopting AI.

44% of North American organizations report improvements in productivity due to AI.

The United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe (UKIE) reported 60% productivity gains after adopting AI.

Only 22% of analysts agree that AI has significantly improved productivity across their security teams.