Study: AI attacks driving major threat intelligence investment

New research from Recorded Future indicates that the vast majority of cybersecurity professionals plan to increase spending on threat intelligence in 2026, driven by growing concerns over AI-assisted attacks and state-sponsored hacking campaigns, reports Security Brief United States.

The survey of more than 600 professionals found that 91% intend to invest more, with respondents citing AI as a key force multiplier enabling adversaries to scale the speed and volume of assaults. According to Recorded Future's Field CISO Richard LaTulip, "AI has lowered the barrier to entry for cybercriminals," creating an expanded threat landscape that demands a strategic shift from reactive incident response to continuous, intelligence-led monitoring.

The study reveals that 68% of organizations currently use threat intelligence to enhance existing security tools like firewalls and endpoint protection, while 58% leverage it for business risk assessment. Financially, 76% of organizations invested over $250,000 in threat intelligence in 2025, and 83% now maintain dedicated, full-time threat intelligence teams.