Faced with the rise in cyberattacks, large companies no longer rely solely on human intervention. Artificial intelligence (AI) has now become the new digital shield for global organizations. A recent study by the research firm IDC, conducted in collaboration with the American cybersecurity company Fortinet, reveals that 86% of large companies have already integrated AI solutions into their digital defense strategies1.
The survey, conducted among more than 400 IT leaders in the Asia-Pacific region, North America, and Europe, highlights an irreversible trend: automation and machine learning are now the cornerstones of modern cybersecurity.
A response to the surge in cyber threats
Cyberattacks have become more frequent, more sophisticated, and more costly. In 2024, the average cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million, according to IBM Security—a record high2. At the same time, the number of incidents reported worldwide increased by 38% between 2022 and 2024, particularly affecting the finance, healthcare, and energy sectors.
AI therefore appears to be a strategic necessity:
- 73% of the companies surveyed say they would be unable to manage the current complexity of threats without AI.
- 61% say that AI has cut the time it takes to detect and respond to incidents in half.
- And nearly 40% believe that these tools have prevented direct financial losses during targeted attacks.
“We have entered the era of predictive cybersecurity: artificial intelligence no longer reacts—it anticipates,” says Michael Xie, president and chief technology officer of Fortinet.
From Reaction to Prevention: Predictive AI Takes Center Stage
AI-powered cybersecurity solutions no longer simply analyze known threats. They learn from each attack, build behavioral models, and anticipate the early warning signs of a breach. Using self-learning algorithms, these systems detect abnormal behavior on a corporate network or in the cloud within milliseconds.
Fortinet, one of the pioneers of this approach, is now deploying a model called FortiAI, capable of analyzing more than 10 billion events worldwide every day.
The tool combines supervised and unsupervised learning to identify unknown patterns, a valuable weapon against “zero-day” attacks, which remain undetectable by traditional antivirus software.
The IDC study indicates that:
- 57% of large companies now use AI-based behavioral analytics systems,
- 45% incorporate autonomous agents capable of blocking a threat without human intervention,
- and 34% are already testing generative cybersecurity solutions capable of generating simulated attack scenarios to train defenses.
Vietnam, Asia, and Europe at the forefront
This survey highlights the Asia-Pacific region because it is experiencing one of the fastest rates of growth in AI-based cybersecurity.
In Vietnam, more than 8 out of 10 large companies say they use AI solutions to protect their information systems, according to the IDC-Fortinet study1.
This country, which is undergoing rapid digital transformation, saw cyberattacks increase by 47% between 2023 and 2024, particularly in the banking and government sectors.
Companies there are investing heavily in AI to enhance automated detection, filter out malicious traffic, and reduce the need for local expertise, which remains limited.
In Europe, the figures follow the same trend: according to ENISA, nearly 80% of large European companies now use automated analysis systems to prevent intrusions. In France, the 2025 Digital Security Act explicitly encourages the use of AI in critical infrastructure, provided that the algorithms are transparent.
Measurable benefits: speed, accuracy, and resilience
Companies that have adopted AI in cybersecurity report an average 60% reduction in critical incidents.
Algorithms enable:
- detect attacks 30 times faster than human teams,
- automate up to 70% of responses,
- and reduce the number of false alarms by 45%, which have long been seen as a barrier to responsiveness.
The combination of AI and human oversight creates a form of “hybrid” intelligence:
the algorithm detects, classifies, and neutralizes threats, while analysts focus on strategic threats and complex scenarios.
“Humans still have the final say, but machines give them a broader perspective,” explains Nguyen Thanh Binh, CTO of a major Vietnamese energy company, in an interview with IDC.
Ethical challenges and new risks
While AI enhances security, it also creates new vulnerabilities.
Experts are warning of the risk of AI-powered cyberattacks capable of bypassing automated filters or tampering with training data. According to Gartner, 20% of cyberattacks in 2025 will exploit generative AI tools to create malicious code or highly targeted phishing campaigns. The line between defense and attack is thus becoming blurred: both sides are using the same technology.
IDC researchers emphasize the need for clear algorithmic governance, including:
- regular audit protocols,
- verified training datasets,
- and continuous human oversight to prevent decision-making biases.
The European Union is already working on a specific regulatory framework: the Cyber Resilience Act, scheduled for 2026, which will require companies to demonstrate the transparency and robustness of their AI systems.
Toward enhanced cybersecurity that remains human-centered
The widespread adoption of AI marks a turning point in global cybersecurity. Large companies understand that digital defense no longer relies on reaction, but on prediction and continuous learning. However, technology alone is not enough. Experts agree that the cybersecurity of tomorrow will be hybrid: a collaboration between machine learning systems and professionals trained to interpret, correct, and guide AI decisions.
“Artificial intelligence doesn’t replace human intelligence—it enhances it,” says Ken Xie, founder of Fortinet.
Learn more
For more information, read our article “DINOv3 by Meta: Self-Supervised Learning for Precision Visual Analysis,” which explains how AI improves the reliability of detection and recognition systems—a key challenge in modern cybersecurity.
References
1. IDC & Fortinet. (2024). *Cybersecurity Skills Gap and AI Adoption Report*
https://www.fortinet.com/content/dam/fortinet/assets/reports/report-idc-ai-cybersecurity-2024.pdf
2. IBM Security. (2024). *Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024*.
https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach
