The Ultimate Guide to AI Network Security
March 13, 2026
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Why enterprises must prioritize robust infrastructure and security over AI
- Ciaran Roche
In today’s always-on business world, global connectivity and network resilience are no longer optional – they’re mission-critical. For any enterprise looking to carve out a competitive edge, achieving seamless global connectivity is essential as the foundation for a modernized IT infrastructure that can scale and adapt. Without this foundation, enterprises will falter when it comes to technological advancements like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and higher volumes of data.
AI promises transformative outcomes, but many IT leaders are distracted by the glitz and glamour of AI and invest in shiny AI solutions without ensuring they have the infrastructure in place to support it. In addition, leaders are neglecting security in their IT investment strategies, exposing organizations to an increased risk of cybersecurity breaches, data loss, disruption, and operational inefficiencies.
INSIGHT: The real barrier to digital transformation isn’t a lack of AI – it’s the persistence of legacy thinking. Modernizing global connectivity infrastructure isn’t just an IT upgrade; it’s a strategic reset that determines whether enterprises can scale, secure, and innovate. Yet many leaders continue to pour resources into AI while ignoring the brittle foundations beneath it. Every dollar spent on AI without addressing infrastructure and security is an investment in fragility. The future belongs to organizations that treat connectivity and security as growth enablers, not afterthoughts.
According to our inaugural Global Business Connectivity Outlook Report 2025–2026, leaders are missing out on the timely opportunity to innovate with a dual focus on digital foundations and the future potential of AI. For most businesses, technology investments are being led by AI, when in reality, solid infrastructure and security must first be in place to support new technologies like AI and Generative AI (GenAI).
Why are today’s leaders prioritizing AI investment?
In our Global Business Connectivity Outlook Report, we interviewed 50 senior leaders from diverse backgrounds about their priorities for global business expansion in 2025 and 2026. It was pleasing to see that almost three-quarters of leaders (70 percent) listed enhancing global connectivity at the top of the business agenda for the year ahead. However, there is a growing disparity between the leaders investing in practical, secure solutions for connectivity, versus those chasing after the latest AI trend.
It is clear from our findings that AI continues to dominate corporate IT investment strategies, with more than 30 percent of enterprises spending their IT budget on AI. AI is the highest priority for technology investment, followed by cloud computing at 24 percent, and optimized network architecture at 19 percent. It is alarming that security ranked the lowest and was out of the top 3. Given the critical role of security in enhancing global connectivity and operational excellence, why is it so far down the priority list?
In alignment with our research, a recent study by Deloitte found that nearly half (48 percent) of all surveyed organizations now use AI to streamline workflows and support employees. For 10 percent of these AI-driven organizations, the CEO is the primary instigator of the AI agenda, framing AI as a strategic imperative and not just a technology upgrade. The study indicated that global enterprises are shifting towards a top-down, organization-wide prioritization of AI. But the question remains: do these enterprises have the infrastructure and security measures needed to successfully scale AI across the business?
According to Deloitte, for 85 percent of organizations, their AI investment in the past 12 months increased. A further 91 percent plan to increase AI investment again in 2025-26. Part of the investment strategy is to embed GenAI, which is already delivering measurable gains in productivity and growth for enterprises around the world. AI investment requires significant planning, long-term investment, and ongoing organizational change that brings people along on the journey.
Our report indicated that AI is already being embedded into core business operations, reshaping how enterprises create value and drive global connectivity plans. Yet most of these enterprises are integrating AI on outdated foundations that cannot deliver the speed, scalability, or security that AI demands. This misalignment exposes new cyber threats, compliance failures, and operational bottlenecks while also undermining the very innovation AI is meant to drive.
Embracing the connectivity-first approach with solid, highly secure foundations is just the first step in the transformation journey. Leaders also need to understand why security is so vital to global connectivity and avoid investment in the latest flashy AI offering – at least until there is a robust architecture in place to support it.
| Priority Area | Why It Matters | Action Required |
|---|---|---|
| Network Architecture | Enables scalability, performance, and global connectivity | Replace legacy systems with modern infrastructure |
| Security | Protects data, operations, and compliance across borders | Embed security into core digital strategy |
| Interoperability | Ensures AI works across systems and platforms | Standardize frameworks and architecture decisions |
| Workforce Readiness | Reduces operational risk and response gaps | Train teams to manage evolving digital environments |
| AI Investment | Drives productivity and innovation | Deploy only after infrastructure and security are validated |
Why is security investment lagging behind AI?
We know that investment in security is a particular point of tension for leaders. Despite being a top concern for business enablement, security is lagging in technology strategy and investment decisions. As our research indicates, AI continues to dominate the budget. Yet as enterprises look to expand their reach across borders, a robust security strategy is more important than ever in protecting sensitive data, overseeing hybrid and remote workforces, and ensuring business continuity.
A key question in our Global Business Connectivity Outlook Report focused on current challenges and opportunities for managing global operations. It is interesting to note that 17 percent of respondents said security was their biggest challenge/opportunity going forward. In fact, security was the third highest challenge/opportunity listed by leaders, after compliance (18 percent) and technology (also 18 percent). The fourth highest after security was compliance, at 13 percent.
Enterprises may overlook network security for a variety of reasons. Reliable security solutions lack the hype and excitement of new AI technologies (for example, GenAI promises sophisticated pattern recognition, detailed data analysis, and engaging content creation). Further, security is often invisible until something goes wrong, such as an outage, mass data leak, or cyber-attack. Leaders tend to underestimate potential threats and prioritize day-to-day productivity over security. This is especially true when security protocols are running smoothly in the background.
Leaders with this ‘install it and forget it’ mindset risk instilling a culture of complacency in their organization. Complacency towards current security measures exposes the business to the dangers of disruption, downtime, and data breaches. Instead of proactively upskilling staff in how to control and update security systems, the business only reacts when there is a problem – and it could be a serious one.
With this state of play in mind, it is important for leaders to ask themselves: do your people have sufficient understanding of how your technology works? Do they have appropriate training to respond to security breaches, abnormalities, or malfunctions? Poor communication about technology adoption/management, as well as limited employee training, can result in significant disruption to your digital security operations.
According to Forrester, interoperability between systems is essential to seamless AI adoption, meaning careful architecture decisions are critical to scaling AI. Successful cross-platform functionality requires standardized frameworks that address not only technical compatibility but also security, meaning IT and cybersecurity must be taken into account alongside AI investment.
AI continues to drive networking demands – and the need for a robust and secure digital infrastructure is essential to AI functioning as it should. In terms of investing, our research revealed that network architecture ranked third in the top investment areas, which is a promising sign. However, businesses will not experience the full benefits of AI and global connectivity without investing in new network architecture and moving away from legacy systems
Conclusion
Despite the risks of investing in AI for AI’s sake, we know that leaders are prioritizing AI adoption over investment in robust infrastructure and sophisticated security measures. For many enterprises, this mismatch is placing increased pressure on current infrastructure and service offerings.
The way forward is simple: fix the foundation first. Leaders should start AI initiatives with the following steps:
- Audit your infrastructure to identify gaps and risks
- Modernize network architecture to become a strategic asset that enables your business
- Prioritize security as a core component of digital strategy
- Build interoperability across systems, platforms, and regions
- Upskill teams to confidently manage and support digital transformative initiatives
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