Global survey finds 68% of organisations struggle to recruit cybersecurity professionals with AI expertise, while rising breach costs and expanding AI threats intensify pressure on security teams.
India’s cybersecurity skills shortage is becoming more complex as enterprises adopt artificial intelligence while facing increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Fortinet’s 2026 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report identifies recruiting cybersecurity professionals with specialised AI experience as a major challenge, highlighting the widening gap between technology adoption and the skills required to secure it.
Based on responses from more than 2,750 IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 32 countries and locations, the report finds that 68% of respondents consider finding cybersecurity talent with specific AI experience their top recruitment challenge. Meanwhile, 93% are likely to invest in AI-related cybersecurity training or certifications over the next 12 months.
The findings point to a broader business risk. Globally, 94% of organisations reported at least one security breach in the previous 12 months, while 74% said breaches cost them more than US$1 million—up from 60% in 2024. For the third consecutive year, respondents identified a lack of cybersecurity skills as a leading cause of breaches, with 63% citing it as a concern.
“Cybersecurity is not simply a technical issue but a strategic business risk.” — Carl Windsor, CISO, Fortinet
AI is creating both opportunities and new security demands. Although 95% of respondents are using or experimenting with AI-powered cybersecurity tools, 45% identified defending against AI-enabled attacks as a top concern. Furthermore, 73% expect greater demand for AI oversight and governance roles within cybersecurity teams over the next three years.
“While boards generally recognize the importance of cybersecurity, more investment is needed to address key issues, such as emerging AI risks and the ongoing cybersecurity skills shortage,” said Carl Windsor, CISO at Fortinet.
The report also identifies a gap between recognising the need for talent and securing resources to recruit it: 67% of respondents said they struggle to obtain approval for additional cybersecurity staff. At the same time, 97% said their organisations would pay for employees to earn certifications, up from 82% in 2025.
Fortinet argues that enterprises must combine technology investments with structured training, reskilling and broader talent recruitment. The strategic challenge is no longer simply deploying AI-based security tools, but ensuring teams can govern them, interpret their outputs and respond effectively as attackers adopt similar capabilities.
For Indian businesses, closing the AI cybersecurity skills gap will be essential to building resilience as AI becomes more deeply embedded in enterprise operations.