New research from Gigamon, a leader in deep observability, highlights how Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) around the world are redefining their cybersecurity strategies as they prepare for 2026. The focus is on securing and managing hybrid cloud infrastructures amid the transformative rise of artificial intelligence (AI). The study, which surveyed more than 200 global CISOs from regions including Australia, France, Germany, Singapore, the UK, and the US, reveals a shift in how these leaders manage data, secure AI applications, and evolve their security operations teams.
Importance of Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure
As the volume of data traffic increases, the complexity of managing cybersecurity in hybrid cloud environments grows. The report titled "CISO Insights: Recalibrating Risk in the Age of AI" indicates that enhancing data visibility and quality has become critical. With AI accelerating digital transformation and ramping up cyber threats, gaining comprehensive insights into data is essential for defending these infrastructures. Eighty-six percent of CISOs emphasized the necessity of combining packet-level data with metadata to improve visibility and strengthen their security posture.
Visibility: A Crucial Yet Challenging Priority
Real-time threat monitoring and data visibility are top priorities for CISOs seeking to optimize their defense strategies. However, 97 percent of respondents acknowledge making compromises related to visibility gaps, tool integration, and data quality, all of which impede effective security management of hybrid cloud environments.
Escalation of AI-Driven Threats
Chaim Mazal, Gigamon's chief AI and security officer, highlighted the dual nature of AI as both a challenge and an opportunity for CISOs as they look toward 2026. "The rise in AI-driven ransomware, social engineering, and the unchecked spread of shadow AI is placing security pioneers on the defense, reinforcing the need for visibility as their top priority," he stated. Meanwhile, AI's capabilities in augmenting security teams and enhancing visibility present a chance to bolster defenses.
Impact of AI on Security Operations
The increasing volumes of AI-generated data are complicating CISOs' management and storage of data across various environments. As a result, 75 percent of CISOs now view public cloud settings as riskier compared to other environments. Consequently, 73 percent of organizations are considering moving public cloud data to private systems due to these security concerns, and 52 percent express reluctance to use AI in such settings because of intellectual property and compliance challenges.
Adjusting Strategies to Tackle AI Challenges
A significant portion of CISOs, nearly one in five, lacks confidence in their current tools' ability to handle the growing network data generated by AI. As a countermeasure, 52 percent plan to prioritize the use of metadata to enhance existing tools over the next year. Additionally, 46 percent are working on ensuring comprehensive visibility for all data-in-motion, whereas one-third are instituting protective measures around large language models to mitigate related risks.
AI’s Role in Enhancing Security Teams
The report shows a 17 percent rise in data breaches year over year, with increasing pressure on CISOs, 45 percent of whom are held accountable for breaches. This pressure, coupled with stress and burnout among teams, is prompting adoption of AI tools. Forty-five percent of CISOs are leveraging AI to boost team capabilities and productivity. As workforce shortages and budget cuts persist, 73 percent are considering AI to mitigate reduced headcounts, enabling junior analysts to perform at expert levels and cutting training costs.
Deep Observability: A Pillar for Secure AI Deployment
Eight-two percent of CISOs highlight deep observability, which combines network-derived telemetry and log data across hybrid environments, as crucial for secure AI deployment. This approach closes visibility gaps, enhances threat detection, and ensures the reliability of AI tools.
Gigamon, a pioneer in deep observability, released new research revealing how global CISOs are reshaping 2026 cybersecurity strategies as they seek to effectively secure and manage hybrid cloud infrastructure in the AI era.
AI is regarded as the most transformational technology to date, impacting everything from how businesses innovate to how adversaries operate. As a result, more than 200 global CISOs surveyed across Australia, France, Germany, Singapore, the UK, and the US are shifting how they manage data, secure AI applications, and evolve their SecOps teams.
Hybrid cloud infrastructure
CISOs now need to gain a deeper level of insight, as increasing traffic volumes add complexity
The report, “CISO Insights: Recalibrating Risk in the Age of AI,” reveals that as AI accelerates digital transformation and intensifies cyberattacks, data visibility and quality have become mission-critical to defending hybrid cloud infrastructure.
To keep pace, CISOs now need to gain a deeper level of insight, as increasing traffic volumes add complexity. Packet-level data paired with metadata was cited by 86 percent of CISOs as essential in strengthening security posture now and the key to gaining complete visibility, with metadata offering a scalable way to surface critical signals from rapidly expanding data flows.
Visibility: The top priority, yet often the compromise
CISOs reported their top priority to optimize defense-in-depth strategies is real-time threat monitoring and visibility into all data in motion.
Yet nearly all (97 percent) CISOs surveyed admit that they are making compromises in the areas of visibility gaps, tool integration, and data quality, all of which hinder their ability to effectively secure and manage hybrid cloud environments.
Rise in AI-driven ransomware
CISOs reported their top priority to optimize defense-in-depth strategies is real-time threat monitoring
“Looking ahead to 2026, AI remains both one of the biggest challenges and most exciting opportunities for CISOs,” said Chaim Mazal, chief AI and security officer at Gigamon.
“The rise in AI-driven ransomware, social engineering, and the unchecked spread of shadow AI is placing security pioneers on the defense, which is why our survey shows visibility has become their top priority."
"At the same time, AI offers a powerful way to augment security teams, restore visibility and control, and reshape how organizations structure and resource their defenses, ultimately paving the way for stronger security.”
AI complexity and data volumes reshape security
According to the survey, AI data volumes have nearly doubled, rapidly expanding the threat surface and impacting the way CISOs manage and store data across virtual, cloud, and container environments. As a result:
- 75 percent of CISOs believe that public cloud is a greater security risk than any other environment, causing many organizations to rethink their data storage strategy.
- 73 percent of CISOs report they are considering repatriating public cloud data to private cloud due to security concerns, a significant change since the migration to public cloud started early two decades ago.
- 52 percent report they are reluctant to use AI in the public cloud due to issues around intellectual property, highlighting the compliance, control, and shadow AI challenges they face due to limited visibility.
These data challenges have extended beyond a technical imperative, now moving to a strategic business imperative, as 70 percent report that public cloud security is now a board-level priority.
CISOs reprioritize strategies to secure AI
Nearly 1 in 5 CISOs are not confident they have the right tools to manage the rising volumes of network data generated from AI, highlighting a critical gap, as existing log-based tools weren’t designed to defend against AI-powered attacks. To better manage data volumes fueled by AI:
- 52 percent of CISOs say a top priority for the next 12 months is leveraging network and application metadata to make existing tools more effective.
- 46 percent are ensuring visibility across all data-in-motion.
- 1 in 3 are implementing guardrails around large language models (LLMs) to mitigate exposure to emerging risks.
AI’s impact on security teams
Data breaches are on the rise, with a 17 percent year-over-year increase in breaches. CISOs are feeling the pressure, with nearly half (45 percent) citing they are the primary person held accountable when a security breach occurs.
Another top concern cited by CISOs is the increased level of stress and burnout within their teams. As a result, CISOs are embracing AI:
- 45 percent of CISOs leveraging AI tools to enhance their internal security team's capabilities and productivity.
- Facing a global shortage of skilled professionals and reduced budgets, 73 percent of CISOs are also considering AI to compensate for decreasing headcount, clearly demonstrating that AI is seen as both a necessity and an opportunity.
With new AI technologies becoming available, teams will also be able to leverage AI to equip junior analysts to perform at the level of seasoned experts while helping teams reduce training costs, accelerate root cause analysis, and strengthen overall threat visibility.
Deep observability: The key to unlocking secure AI
According to the report, 82 percent of CISOs state that deep observability, bringing together network-derived telemetry and log data across hybrid cloud environments, is a foundational element of secure and efficient AI deployments.
It enables security teams to close visibility gaps, improve threat detection, and ensure AI tools are operating on trusted data.
