Artificial Intelligence is no longer a future trend in cybersecurity—it has become the operational core of enterprise defence. According to a new IDC study commissioned by Fortinet, nearly 94% of Indian organizations are already using AI across their cybersecurity environments, marking a decisive shift from reactive protection to predictive resilience.
The report reveals that AI adoption in India has surged from isolated pilots to full-scale production deployments. While AI initially powered detection and alerting, it now drives automated response, predictive threat modelling, AI-led incident response, and behavioural analytics. This evolution underscores that detection is no longer the end goal—anticipation and orchestration are the new imperatives.
“CISOs across India are entering a phase where AI is not just augmenting defences but reshaping how organizations build teams, allocate budgets, and respond to threats.”
— Vivek Srivastava, Country Manager, India & SAARC, Fortinet
However, the rise of AI is a double-edged sword. The study finds that 72% of Indian organizations faced AI-powered cyberattacks in the past year, with 70% seeing a twofold and 12% a threefold increase in threats. Attackers are leveraging AI to exploit gaps in visibility, governance, and process maturity—forcing defenders to adapt faster.
The shift is also redefining cybersecurity teams. Demand is soaring for AI-driven roles such as security data scientists, AI engineers, and incident response specialists, as enterprises build teams around intelligent automation rather than traditional tools. Yet, the report warns of acute talent and resource shortages—only 13% of IT staff focus on cybersecurity, and just 6% of organizations have dedicated SOC or threat-hunting teams.
As complexity grows, enterprises are turning to convergence and consolidation for relief. Nearly 88% are merging security and networking operations, and 74% are exploring vendor consolidation to simplify management and strengthen defences.
IDC’s Simon Piff notes that this marks a new era of cyber maturity: “Organizations are embedding AI into every layer of security operations—reshaping how threats are detected, prioritized, and neutralized.”
With Fortinet at the forefront, India’s cybersecurity landscape is shifting toward platform-driven resilience, where AI is the backbone of defence, not just a tool.
