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Barracuda Survey Finds Widespread AI Security and Governance Skills Gaps

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Summary

A Barracuda survey of 2,000 IT and security decision-makers found that 38% of organizations lack expertise to secure and govern business AI, with larger gaps reported by some midmarket and AI-connected organizations.

Key points

  • The survey covered 2,000 IT and security decision-makers at organizations with 100–2,000 employees across the U.S., Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
  • Overall, 38% of surveyed organizations said their teams lacked the skills to secure and govern AI tools used across the business.
  • AI security and governance ranked as the third-largest reported skills gap, behind responding to AI-powered phishing and social engineering (47%) and defending against identity-based attacks (39%).
  • Reported gaps varied by organization size: 49% of respondents at organizations with 500–1,000 employees cited the issue, compared with 38% at organizations with 100–500 employees.
  • Organizations using AI to connect email with workflows reported more concern about governance expertise than those keeping email processes human-only (42% versus 35%).
  • The article says AI connected to business systems can access sensitive information, influence decisions, and initiate actions, increasing governance and oversight challenges.

Article Details

Publisher
Barracuda Research
Scope
Survey of IT and security decision-makers at organizations with 100 to 2,000 employees across the U.S., UK, France, DACH, Benelux, the Nordics, Australia, India, and Japan.
Sample Size
2,000 respondents
Key Statistics
  • 38% of surveyed organizations said their teams lacked the skills or expertise to secure and govern AI tools used across the business.
  • AI security and governance ranked as the third-largest skills gap (38%), behind responding to AI-powered phishing and social engineering attacks (47%) and defending against identity-based attacks (39%).
  • Among organizations with 1,500 to 2,000 employees, 47% reported a lack of AI governance expertise, compared with 38% of organizations with 100 to 500 employees.
  • 42% of organizations using AI to integrate email with workflows reported concerns about AI governance expertise, compared with 35% where email remained a human-only process.
  • 40% of organizations using managed service providers reported concern about AI security and governance skills gaps, compared with 30% of organizations that did not use MSPs and had no plans to do so.
Recommendations
  • Maintain visibility and control over how employees use business data in AI.
  • Establish oversight of which AI tools are used, what data they can access, how outputs are used, and who is responsible.
  • Govern AI access to data and connected business systems, including the actions AI can initiate.

Vendors

BarracudaNew Barracuda research shows that 44% of the most senior IT leaders in organizations with 100 to 500 employees, and 49% of those in organizations with 500 to 1,000 employees, rank AI security and governance as one of

Products

Barracuda AI Data SecuritySolutions such as Barracuda AI Data Security help organizations and MSPs maintain visibility and control over how employees use business data in AI, supporting secure AI adoption without slowing innovation.

Countries

AustraliaBenelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Australia, India, and Japan.Austriabetween 100 and 2,000 employees from a broad range of industries in the U.S., UK, France, DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway,Belgiumfrom a broad range of industries in the U.S., UK, France, DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Australia, India, andDenmarkDACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Australia, India, and Japan.Finland(Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Australia, India, and Japan.Francein organizations with between 100 and 2,000 employees from a broad range of industries in the U.S., UK, France, DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the NordicsGermanywith between 100 and 2,000 employees from a broad range of industries in the U.S., UK, France, DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland,India(Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Australia, India, and Japan.Japanthe Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Australia, India, and Japan.Luxembourgin the U.S., UK, France, DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Australia, India, and Japan.NorwayAustria, Switzerland), Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Australia, India, and Japan.SwedenSwitzerland), Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Australia, India, and Japan.Switzerlandand 2,000 employees from a broad range of industries in the U.S., UK, France, DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden),the Netherlandsrange of industries in the U.S., UK, France, DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden), Australia, India, and Japan.United Kingdomroles in organizations with between 100 and 2,000 employees from a broad range of industries in the U.S., UK, France, DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg), the NordicsUnited StatesBarracuda recently surveyed IT and security leaders in organizations with between 100 and 2,000 employees in the U.S., EMEA and APAC.