Software commands 40% of cybersecurity budgets as gen AI attacks execute in milliseconds

VentureBeat August 29, 2025
Louis Columbus

“With volatility now the norm, security and risk leaders need practical guidance on managing existing spending and new budgetary necessities,” states Forrester’s 2026 Budget Planning Guide, revealing a fundamental shift in how organizations allocate cybersecurity resources.

Software now commands 40% of cybersecurity spending, exceeding hardware at 15.8%, outsourcing at 15% and surpassing personnel costs at 29% by 11 percentage points while organizations defend against gen AI attacks executing in milliseconds versus a Mean Time to Identify (MTTI) of 181 days according to IBM’s latest Cost of a Data Breach Report.

Three converging threats are flipping cybersecurity on its head: what once protected organizations is now working against them. Generative AI (gen AI) is enabling attackers to craft 10,000 personalized phishing...

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