As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms enterprise operations, only 8% of Indian organisations are prepared to withstand AI-driven cyber threats, according to Accenture State of Cybersecurity Resilience 2025 report. The study surveyed cybersecurity and tech executives across 17 countries, including India.
The report warns that 81% of Indian companies fall in the “Exposed Zone,” meaning they lack both strategic direction and technical readiness. These firms remain highly vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated AI-augmented attacks.
Low preparedness despite rising AI adoption
Despite rapid AI uptake across industries, Indian companies are lagging in building secure systems. Only 19% have implemented clear policies for generative AI usage. Few maintain inventories of AI systems or enforce encryption and access control to safeguard sensitive data pipelines and cloud infrastructure.
The report categorises companies into three zones based on their security posture: “Exposed Zone” (81%), “Progressing Zone” (11%), and the highly mature “Reinvention Ready Zone” (8%).
In contrast, Reinvention Ready organisations are 69% less likely to face advanced threats and show superior detection capabilities, reduced technical debt, and increased customer trust.
Also read: Check Point Flags First AI-Targeted Malware Attempt
Security must be embedded into AI core
Gautam Kapoor, Managing Director – Cybersecurity at Accenture India, emphasised that cyber resilience must evolve with the AI landscape. “Security should not be an afterthought—it must be built into the foundation of every AI initiative,” he noted.
To move into the Reinvention Ready zone, companies must deploy fit-for-purpose governance models, embed security into AI lifecycles, proactively test AI models, and leverage GenAI itself to strengthen cyber defences.
The report also notes that Indian organisations face compounded risk due to global geopolitical shifts and an increasingly digital economy. With data pipelines and decision engines being shaped by GenAI, a weak cybersecurity foundation could expose organisations to business and reputational collapse.
Accenture’s findings call for a fundamental shift in how India’s enterprises approach cybersecurity in an AI-powered future.
