Proofpoint Report Finds AI Adoption Outpacing Collaboration Security Readiness
Summary
Proofpoint’s 2026 AI and Human Risk Landscape survey of more than 1,400 security professionals in 12 countries finds AI deployment outpacing security integration, with limited confidence in controls and challenges investigating threats across collaboration channels.
Key points
- The survey found that 87% of organizations had AI assistants beyond pilot and 76% were rolling out autonomous agents; only 48% said security was built into their AI strategy from the start.
- Although more than 90% reported AI security funding, the report says many existing controls were designed for pre-AI threat models.
- While 63% reported having AI security controls, 52% were not fully confident those controls could detect a compromised AI; half of organizations with controls reported a suspicious or confirmed AI-related incident.
- Among organizations that had experienced an AI-related incident, reported activity spanned email (67%), SaaS or cloud apps (57%), AI assistants or agents (53%), and collaboration tools, social platforms, or file-sharing (49%).
- Only about one-third said they were fully prepared to investigate AI- or agent-related incidents; 94% found managing multiple security tools at least moderately challenging, and 41% could not correlate threats across channels.
- The report says 53% planned to move to a unified platform within 12 months and includes threat-intelligence coverage of OAuth consent abuse, AI-built phishing infrastructure, and prompt injection.
Article Details
- Publisher
- Proofpoint
- Report Period
- 2026 report; survey fieldwork dates not stated
- Scope
- Global study of AI’s impact on the collaboration security threat landscape, based on security professionals’ survey responses across 12 countries.
- Sample Size
- More than 1,400 security professionals across 12 countries.
- Key Statistics
- 87% of organizations had AI assistants deployed beyond the pilot stage; 76% were actively rolling out autonomous agents.
- 48% of organizations said security was embedded in their AI strategy from the start; more than 90% had AI security funding.
- 63% reported having AI security controls; 52% were not fully confident those controls would detect a compromised AI. Among organizations with controls, half had experienced a suspicious or confirmed AI-related incident.
- Among organizations that had experienced an AI-related incident, reported threat activity appeared in email (67%), SaaS or cloud apps (57%), AI assistants or agents (53%), and collaboration tools, social platforms, or file-sharing (49%).
- About one-third of organizations felt fully prepared to investigate an AI- or agent-related incident; 94% said managing multiple security tools was at least moderately challenging, and 41% could not correlate threats across channels.
- Recommendations
- Organizations should address AI security and collaboration security together; the report says organizations need both.
- Security leaders should benchmark their organization’s posture and identify gaps in its AI and collaboration security.