Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are overwhelmingly in support of the current Administration’s Executive Order (EO) to eliminate regulations that stall AI innovation. The Executive Order is a US-based legislation as the nation looks to establish dominance in AI.
At the same time, a majority of CISOs are cautioning that deregulation may make securing their organisations more difficult — driving them to prioritise resilience as a key part of their security strategy. These major findings were revealed in a Censuswide survey of 500 US-based CISOs, commissioned by Absolute Security.
Additional findings showed CISOs’ attitudes and concerns about the changing regulatory environment, rise of AI in the workplace, and DeepSeek, a China-based generative AI platform.
Consistent with the EO, 79% agreed AI policies that hinder innovation should be reviewed and revoked, with 70% anticipating further deregulation on the horizon. This shift in the approach to governance is viewed as a positive step in the future of AI, however, 61% said it makes it harder to protect their organisations from threats and cyber risk.
The rapid shift to slash government tech oversight along with the rapid adoption of AI in the US has caused security leaders to rethink their priorities. A total of 83% now agree that cyber resilience is more critical for their organisation than traditional cybersecurity measures, with 90% reporting they now have a cyber resilience strategy in place.
CISOs reported that DeepSeek is troubling. Of those polled, 69% say its use will increase the volume of cyber attacks, with 65% reporting they have banned it in their organisations.
Still, security leaders are allowing AI, with 89% saying there is a strong level of adoption across their organisations. However, 44%are not aware of how widely generative AI tools are in use or what information is being uploaded into them, with 71% saying Shadow AI use will eventually lead to a data breach.
In spite of optimism around fewer regulations leading to more growth in AI, CISOs do want government to play a significant role when it comes to DeepSeek. Among those polled, 77% said it’s government’s responsibility to regulate this generative AI platform as it did with TikTok.
“CISOs polled are being loud and clear, they are fully on board with removing barriers that stall innovation and are aware of the risks caused by fast-moving technology shifts,” said Christy Wyatt, President and CEO, Absolute Security. “The survey also reveals that security leaders are adopting resilience-focused strategies to ensure their organisations remain secure in a world that is being radically reshaped by AI.”
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