AI Incident Response Planning Lags Despite Rising Adoption in…

Event summary

Only 8% of organizations conduct regular AI-specific response exercises, per ISACA's 2026 State of Cybersecurity report.
64% of enterprises have not conducted any AI-related incident response exercises.
48% of respondents either don’t know whether their organization has established AI incident playbooks or say their organization does not have them.
45% of respondents report that LLM SecOps is a skill gap among cybersecurity professionals.
68% of cybersecurity professionals report increased stress over the past five years.

The big picture

ISACA's research highlights a critical gap in AI incident response planning despite the rapid adoption of AI in cybersecurity operations. As AI becomes more embedded in security roles, organizations must prioritize AI-specific exercises, clear playbooks, and upskilling to manage emerging risks. The increasing complexity of the threat landscape and staffing challenges further exacerbate the stress on cybersecurity professionals, underscoring the need for comprehensive solutions.

What we're watching

Response Planning: How the pace of AI-specific incident response planning will affect organizations' ability to manage AI-related risks.
Workforce Readiness: Whether enterprises can address the growing skill gap in LLM SecOps to ensure secure and effective AI use.
Stress and Retention: The impact of high work stress on cybersecurity professional retention and its implications for organizational security.