Fact of the Week: AI Adoption for Cybersecurity More Than Doubled Across OECD Enterprises Between 2021 and 2025
Source: Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, “Businesses increasingly adopt AI for cybersecurity while individuals expand privacy protections,” statistical release, October 26, 2026.
As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, businesses are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities. According to new OECD data, 17.7 percent of enterprises experienced information and communication technology (ICT) security incidents in 2023, an increase of 28.2 percent compared to 2018. The share of enterprises using AI to address these cybersecurity challenges more than doubled between 2021 and 2025, reaching 5.3 percent, or approximately one-quarter of all enterprises using AI.
However, adoption varies considerably by firm size and industry. In 2025, 26.7 percent of large firms used AI for ICT security, compared to 9.6 percent of medium-sized enterprises and 3.7 percent of small enterprises. Similarly, industries vary considerably. Adoption was highest in the information and communication sector (18.1 percent), followed by professional, scientific, and technical services (8.9 percent). By comparison, just 2.1 percent of enterprises in accommodation and food services used AI for cybersecurity, highlighting significant disparities in the adoption of advanced security technologies across the economy.
