Report by Cisco
Realizing the Value of AI Cisco AI Readiness Index 2025
Key Findings
72% of all organizations surveyed are at least moderately prepared to control and secure agentic AI systems.
Talent gaps are most acute in the area of cybersecurity for AI, affecting 60% of all companies surveyed.
75% of Pacesetters (the most AI-ready group) report having the capacity to fully secure agentic AI systems that make decisions independently.
55% of organizations surveyed prioritize defending models and data from tampering.
Less than a third (31%) of organizations surveyed report that they are fully equipped to control and secure agentic AI systems.
84% of Pacesetters (most AI-ready group) report full capability with end-to-end encryption for sensitive data, versus 30% of all companies.
74% of Pacesetters (most AI-ready group) report full capability with dynamic & granular access controls for AI systems and datasets, versus 27% of all companies.
Only 29% of all companies have fully integrated AI into security and identity systems, compared to 62% of Pacesetters (most AI-ready group).
81% of Pacesetters (most AI-ready group) report full capability to detect and prevent unauthorized tampering, compared to 29% of all companies.
87% of Pacesetters (most AI-ready group) report awareness of AI-specific threats, compared to 42% of all companies.
51% of organizations surveyed focus on recruiting the right talent to manage AI-specific cybersecurity threats.
84% of Pacesetters (most AI-ready group) control agent actions with guardrails and live monitoring vs 24% of all companies.