Survey: Cybersecurity Teams See AI Easing SOC Skills Gaps
Summary
A Darktrace survey of more than 1,500 cybersecurity professionals found strong expectations for AI’s role in defense, despite staffing shortages, uneven confidence, and gaps in understanding AI tools.
Key points
- 74% of respondents said AI-powered threats pose a significant challenge to their organization.
- 62% cited insufficient personnel to manage security tools and alerts as the biggest barrier to defending against AI-powered threats.
- Only 11% planned to increase cybersecurity staff in 2025, while 64% planned to add AI-powered tools.
- 95% agreed AI-powered solutions can improve the speed and efficiency of defenses; respondents expected the greatest impact in threat detection.
- Confidence differed by role: about half of SecOps respondents were unconvinced AI could block and automatically respond to AI threats, compared with fewer than a quarter of executives.
- Only 42% of security professionals were confident they fully understood the types of AI in their organization’s security stack.
Article Details
- Publisher
- Darktrace
- Report Period
- 2025
- Scope
- Survey of cybersecurity professionals worldwide on AI in cybersecurity and the SOC.
- Sample Size
- Over 1,500 cybersecurity professionals
- Key Statistics
- 74% of respondents agreed that AI-powered threats pose a significant challenge for their organization.
- 62% saw insufficient personnel to manage tools and alerts as the biggest barrier to defending against AI-powered threats.
- 11% planned to increase cybersecurity staff in 2025, fewer than in 2024.
- 64% of stakeholders were committed to adding AI-powered tools to their existing security stacks.
- 95% of respondents agreed that AI-powered solutions can significantly improve the speed and efficiency of defenses.
- Recommendations
- Support security professionals with education and training so they understand AI tools and where they can be applied.
- Improve cybersecurity tool integration, an area day-to-day tool users prioritized.