CFO survey webcast describes new wrinkle in cyber budgeting
CFOs are investing heavily in AI, and the security risks it introduces are prompting shifts in how they budget for cyber defenses.
“Security is pervasive,” Grant Thornton | Auxis Business Modernization & Outsourcing Services CEO Raul Vega said in a webcast devoted to the firm’s 2026 Q1 CFO survey. “It’s an embedded cost in every product or service, and it should be considered as such, not an SG&A expense. There’s a fundamental rethink that needs to be happening in terms of how organizations evaluate their level of IT spending.”
The webcast, which is available on demand, provides deep insights into a CFO survey showing that 58% of respondents expect cyber risk/security expenses to increase over the next year
On the webcast, Grant Thornton professionals portrayed cybersecurity as a necessary companion to AI adoption. The survey showed that finance leaders’ urgency on AI is soaring, as 68% — a 21-quarter high — expect their IT and digital transformation expenses to increase in the next year.
A new approach to cyber spending
For some Grant Thornton clients, this has resulted in a new approach to cybersecurity budgeting. These organizations are considering security spending as a percentage of their business innovation budget, instead of their IT budget, in response to an increasingly complex threat landscape.
“To drive business while retaining customer trust, we’re seeing organizations leverage cybersecurity investments not only in technologies, but in their processes and programs as well,” said Tony Buffomante, Grant Thornton’s National Managing Partner for Cyber and Risk.
This focus on cybersecurity is part of a larger trend of companies trying to address governance and compliance challenges as they work to stay ahead of their competitors in AI adoption. Grant Thornton’s 2026 AI Impact Survey demonstrates that an AI proof gap — a lack of governance — is slowing AI adoption and preventing AI investments from delivering measurable benefits.
Cybersecurity is a critical part of the governance needed to turn AI implementation into strong returns. It’s becoming even more important as organizations implement agentic AI, giving autonomous tools access to their data and processes.
“There’s a link between data security, cybersecurity and compliance management for organizations that are trying to push AI pilots forward,” Buffomante said. “It’s critically important that they create guardrails around risk and compliance.”
However, many organizations face a fundamental challenge: They lack the talent, expertise and investment to keep pace with the rapid development of AI technologies, regulations and cyber threats. As a result, cybersecurity — once one of the least outsourced business functions due to concerns over control and data privacy — has become one of the most outsourced functions across the enterprise.
“We’re not just talking about a talent shortage, we’re talking about a general lack of investment into talent in the organization,” Buffomante said. “As a result, companies are looking outside — recognizing service providers are able to do the training that’s required in a much more rapid and industrialized fashion.”
How we can help you
SERVICE
SERVICE
SERVICE
A platform perspective on tools
Buffomante is encouraged that organizations are trending in the right direction with their cybersecurity investments. Clients that once managed compliance and responded to incidents using 60 or 70 different cybersecurity toolsets are now turning to platform solutions that reduce the number of tools required for cybersecurity.
Organizations are also using AI and automation to strengthen security and improve monitoring capabilities.
“We’re seeing a ton of automation in this space that enables organizations to monitor their compliance on a continuous basis rather than an event-driven basis, using AI tools,” Buffomante said.
Ultimately, AI is being used to monitor risks even as it introduces new ones. Organizations that invest in these capabilities are taking an important step toward developing the governance necessary to create benefits through AI.
Other topics addressed during the webcast include:
- Pricing: Companies are incurring higher costs but are reluctant to pass them on to customers. “The only way to do that is to operate more efficiently in an incredibly challenging environment,” said Grant Thornton Chief Growth Officer Paul Melville. AI implementation plays a major role in driving these efficiencies.
- Outsourcing: Outsourcing is no longer just about cost — finance leaders are using it to access talent, accelerate transformation, and support more complex work. “The old lift-and-shift, labor arbitrage-driven model is outdated,” Vega said. “The strategic conversation we now have with clients is, how do you use outsourcing as a tool to transform, and then, how do you use that to help fund modernization activities?”
- Growth: Strong growth expectations are fueling investments in tech and reductions in cost-cutting, though optimism remains cautious. “Most companies we talk to feel like they’re doing pretty well, but there’s a lot of uncertainty about the future … plus with AI they know they need to change their business,” Vega said.
For the full story on AI spending, cyber risk, changing operating models and what finance leaders are doing next, watch the on-demand webcast.
Contacts:
Content disclaimer
This Grant Thornton Advisors LLC content provides information and comments on current issues and developments. It is not a comprehensive analysis of the subject matter covered. It is not, and should not be construed as, accounting, legal, tax, or professional advice provided by Grant Thornton Advisors LLC. All relevant facts and circumstances, including the pertinent authoritative literature, need to be considered to arrive at conclusions that comply with matters addressed in this content.
Grant Thornton Advisors LLC and its subsidiary entities are not licensed CPA firms.
For additional information on topics covered in this content, contact a Grant Thornton Advisors LLC professional.
Share with your network
Share