Report by Retail & Hospitality Information Sharing and Analysis Center (RH-ISAC) and IANS
2026 CISO Benchmark Report
Key Findings
35% of retail and hospitality CISOs plan to increase full-time security staff in 2026.
In 2025, IT spending rose from 3.2% to 3.9% of revenue in the retail and hospitality industry.
71% of retail and hospitality CISOs identify AI as a primary concern, citing risks such as data leakage, insider misuse, and insufficient governance controls.
In 2025, security spending increased from 0.57% to 0.75% of revenue in the retail and hospitality industry.
Nearly 90% of retail and hospitality CISOs expect spending on AI-related security initiatives to rise, often through reallocating existing budgets rather than adding new funds.
70% of retail and hospitality CISOs report that AI has been added to their scope of responsibility.
54% of retail and hospitality CISOs expect budget increases in 2026.