Report by ManageEngine

The psychology of being breached

16 FINDINGSPublished Sep 10, 2026
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Key Findings

80% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders say heightened attention to cybersecurity lasts only one to six months after an incident.

Incident ResponseUSCanada

84% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders say employees are likely to report a cybersecurity mistake immediately.

Human ErrorUSCanada

83% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders say fear of consequences influences how cybersecurity incidents are handled.

Human ErrorIncident ResponseUSCanada

55% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders say AI-enabled security tools have made their organization more willing to accept cyber risk.

AI in SecurityRisk ManagementUSCanada

24% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders say AI has introduced new risks requiring significant changes to their cybersecurity strategy.

AI in SecurityRisk ManagementUSCanada

81% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders say AI has made cybersecurity decision-making easier overall.

AI in SecurityDecision MakingUSCanada

33% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders believe a major cyber incident is inevitable regardless of their defenses.

Security IncidentsRisk PerceptionUSCanada

26% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders say they accept risks they consider manageable.

Risk ManagementUSCanada

23% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders say known risks often remain unresolved until an incident or audit creates urgency.

Risk ManagementIncident ResponseUSCanada

25% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders say unclear ownership can delay containment, remediation, or other critical actions.

Incident ResponseGovernanceUSCanada

8% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders say cybersecurity becomes a permanent priority after an incident.

Security IncidentsOrganizational BehaviorUSCanada

91% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders are confident in their organization's cybersecurity posture.

Cybersecurity PostureRisk PerceptionResilienceUSCanada

59% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders say business priorities always or often cause security initiatives to be postponed or downgraded.

Security InitiativesBusiness PrioritiesUSCanada

Among organizations using AI in cybersecurity, 67% always or often act on AI-generated recommendations without additional verification.

AI in SecuritySecurity OperationsUSCanada

Among organizations using AI in cybersecurity, 29% always act on AI-generated recommendations without additional verification.

AI in SecuritySecurity OperationsUSCanada

44% of US and Canadian IT and cybersecurity leaders report that their organization made no structural or strategic change following their most recent incident.

Incident ResponseOrganizational ChangeUSCanada