AI Agents Multiply: 89% of Firms Hiring for Identity Security as Rubrik Flags Recovery Concerns
AI-Driven Identities Outnumber Humans 82 to 1, Creating New Security Priorities
The rush to adopt AI in the enterprise has triggered a wave of new challenges for IT leaders, according to fresh findings from Rubrik Zero Labs. The surge in non-human identities (NHIs)—now outnumbering humans 82 to 1—demands new urgency around protecting access points, as AI agents rapidly join organizational workflows worldwide.
Most Leaders Cite Identity Attacks as a Top Threat—Security Teams Take Decisive Action
Ninety percent of global executives surveyed now identify identity-based cyber threats as a chief concern, a sentiment translating into rapid workforce changes and infrastructure upgrades. In the next 12 months, 89% of organizations expect to hire professionals focused on identity management and security. At the same time, 87% of IT and security leaders are either switching or have already begun switching Identity and Access Management (IAM) providers—mainly for stronger protection.
| Key Findings | % of Respondents |
|---|---|
| Hiring for identity security in 12 months | 89% |
| Switching IAM providers | 87% |
| AI agents incorporated or planned | 99% |
| Estimate of cyberattacks driven by AI in 1 year | 58% see ≥50% |
Rising Agentic AI Triggers New Identity Management Risks
As AI-powered software agents increasingly drive enterprise operations, security risks are escalating. Nearly nine in ten organizations (89%) have already embedded AI agents into their identity infrastructure, with virtually all planning to do so soon. Over half of surveyed security leaders expect that in the coming year, at least half of their cyberattack volume will be powered by agentic AI.
This is rapidly changing the job for CIOs and CISOs, as securing NHIs—AI-generated access points—becomes as critical as traditional human credential protection.
Confidence in Recovery Capabilities Slides, Highlighting a New Weak Spot
The research also paints a sobering picture for post-breach recovery. The proportion of leaders confident in fully recovering operations within 12 hours after an incident fell from 43% in 2024 to just 28% for 2025. More than half believe it would now take at least two days to restore services, underscoring a growing gap between identity attack risk and organizational preparedness. For ransomware, the problem is acute: 89% of attacked firms paid a ransom last year to recover data or stop the attack.
| Recovery Benchmark | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Confident in ≤12-hour full recovery | 43% | 28% |
| Expect recovery to take at least two days | n/a | 58% |
| Ransomware victims who paid ransom | n/a | 89% |
Takeaway: Identity Resilience Becomes Essential as AI Expands Attack Surface
Rubrik’s research suggests identity threats are a when, not if, proposition for enterprises moving to an AI-centric future. Security and IT leaders are ramping up investment in both talent and infrastructure, but the steady drop in recovery confidence shows that the traditional playbook is no longer enough. As agentic AI becomes commonplace, organizations need to make identity resilience—securing and quickly recovering from identity breaches—a front-and-center strategy.
Want to learn more? Rubrik’s full Zero Labs report on building resilience against identity-driven threats is available at zerolabs.rubrik.com.
Contact Information:
If you have feedback or concerns about the content, please feel free to reach out to us via email at support@marketchameleon.com.
About the Publisher - Marketchameleon.com:
Marketchameleon is a comprehensive financial research and analysis website specializing in stock and options markets. We leverage extensive data, models, and analytics to provide valuable insights into these markets. Our primary goal is to assist traders in identifying potential market developments and assessing potential risks and rewards.
NOTE: Stock and option trading involves risk that may not be suitable for all investors. Examples contained within this report are simulated and may have limitations. Average returns and occurrences are calculated from snapshots of market mid-point prices and were not actually executed, so they do not reflect actual trades, fees, or execution costs. This report is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Neither Market Chameleon nor any other party makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Please consult a financial advisor before executing any trades. You can read more about option risks and characteristics at theocc.com.
The information is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. All stock price information is provided and transmitted as received from independent third-party data sources. The Information should only be used as a starting point for doing additional independent research in order to allow you to form your own opinion regarding investments and trading strategies. The Company does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the Information.
Disclosure: This article was generated with the assistance of AI