Security is becoming the deciding factor in how much autonomy companies give AI systems, according to new reports.
Nearly half of organizations experienced a cybersecurity breach in the past year, up from 17% during the prior year, Unisys found in research published Tuesday. The IT services firm surveyed 1,000 senior executives in March and April.
As companies move forward with AI deployments, executives prioritize cloud security, Unisys found. More than 9 in 10 respondents said cloud security capabilities significantly affect the level of autonomy they grant AI systems.
The findings dovetail with observations by Omdia, a Channel Dive sister company. AI adoption has “emerged as a structural tailwind across all segments,” Omdia analysts said in the firm’s Worldwide Cybersecurity Market Summary for the first quarter of 2026, published this month.
“AI deployment is expanding attack surfaces that require additional security investments, while simultaneously driving demand across existing security categories,” Matthew Ball, chief analyst, enterprise and channel, and Srikara Upadhyaya, research analyst, enterprise and channel, said in the report.
The analyses highlight two sides of a significant market shift. Respondents to the Unisys survey indicated that security has a key influence on AI deployment decisions, while Omdia found that AI has amped up demand for security services. Together, the findings point to a larger role for partners who can help customers expand their use of AI without taking on unacceptable risk.
The rise in breaches stems from multiple causes, Mike Thomson, CEO and president of Unisys, told Channel Dive. First, threat actors are becoming more sophisticated and moving more quickly, creating a far tougher risk environment than organizations faced a year ago. At the same time, employees are using technology without training in secure software development, debugging or identifying known vulnerabilities. Unintended exposure is expanding while guardrails remain under-deployed.
“As organizations increase their use of cloud, AI and distributed digital environments, complexity is growing faster than many security programs can adapt,” Thomson said.
The situation calls for partners to do far more than clean up after an incident.
“Channel partners can help clients move beyond a reactive approach to security by building resilience into cloud, infrastructure and AI strategies from the start,” Thomson said.
Such work includes improving visibility, strengthening governance, modernizing security operations and taking a secure-by-design approach.
“The goal isn't simply to reduce risk,” Thomson said. “It's to create an environment where organizations can innovate and scale with confidence by working with partners you trust.”
Long-term channel growth
More than half of Unisys respondents acknowledged that cloud security measures may restrict agentic AI use in the near term but were vital for long-term scalability.
For partners, these insights highlight opportunities that go well beyond selling security products. Customers need help deciding which data AI systems can access, how identities and permissions are managed, where workloads should run and what actions require human oversight. They also need governance, monitoring and security controls built into projects before deployment, not bolted on after systems are up and running.
“One of the most encouraging findings in this year’s research is that organizations increasingly view security as an enabler of innovation rather than a barrier,” Thomson said.
Most executives — 96% — were confident their cloud security approach helps them adopt new technologies faster than competitors, up from 60% in 2025. Stronger security provides the trust, control and resilience needed to adopt new technologies faster and at greater scale, Thomson added.
“Channel partners have an opportunity to help organizations operationalize that mindset,” Thomson said. “By embedding security, governance and data controls directly into cloud and AI strategies, partners can help clients innovate with confidence while maintaining resilience.”
IT services providers are well positioned to deliver security services.
A huge chunk of global cybersecurity spending already flows through partners, according to Omdia. Worldwide cybersecurity technology spending reached $25.1 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 11.9% year over year. The channel accounted for $22.88 billion, or 91.3% of the market, and channel spending rose 11.8%.
Services-oriented partner categories posted some of the strongest gains. Cybersecurity spending through service providers increased 15.9%, while systems integrators recorded 15.8% growth. Spending through MSSPs rose 11.3%.
Customers direct the vast majority of cybersecurity spending through providers that sell, integrate, operate and secure their IT environments. Demand for these security services is correlated with AI adoption, Omdia found. Data security spending rose 21%, endpoint security grew 12.2% and network security increased 9.7% in Q1.
A surge in breaches gives partners added market traction, but customers are aware of the stakes. They don’t need partners to stoke their fears. Instead, they want providers who can deliver stronger security and support wider AI use without surrendering control of data, access or accountability.
“The most successful organizations won’t treat security as a separate initiative,” Thomson said. “They’ll use it as a foundation for growth, innovation and long-term competitiveness.”
