Artificial intelligence adoption is accelerating worldwide. However, cybersecurity preparedness is not keeping pace in several countries. A new March 2026 study highlights a growing gap between AI integration and national cybersecurity readiness.
The research, conducted by
Check Point Software Technologies, evaluated 38 countries by comparing AI adoption levels with their cybersecurity capabilities.
The report assessed national security preparedness through four key factors. Cybersecurity policy frameworks, protection of critical infrastructure, incident response readiness, and cyber crisis management.
These indicators were then measured against the exposure of the national digital infrastructure to common cyber threats. These include botnets, infostealers, banking trojans, ransomware, and mobile-based attacks.
The findings suggest that several countries are adopting AI technologies faster than they are building the security frameworks required to defend against AI-driven cyber threats.
Bosnia and Herzegovina Shows the Largest AI Security Gap
Bosnia and Herzegovina ranks as the country with the biggest gap between AI adoption and cybersecurity preparedness.
Around 20 percent of organizations across public, business, and technology sectors have already integrated artificial intelligence into their operations.
Despite this adoption, the country received a cybersecurity policy score of zero. It also scored zero in critical infrastructure protection and cyber crisis management.
Approximately 14 percent of the country’s digital infrastructure is currently exposed to cyber threats. According to the report, botnet-driven attacks remain the most common risk.
The country received a security index score of just 22 out of 100. This indicates a significant lack of preparedness for AI-enabled cyber threats.
Kuwait Faces the Highest Cyber Threat Exposure
Kuwait ranks second in the study. It also records the highest cyber threat exposure among the top ten countries analyzed.
Nearly one-fifth of Kuwait’s digital infrastructure is vulnerable to cyber attacks. At the same time, about 19 percent of business and technology organizations are already integrating artificial intelligence.
While Kuwait has introduced digital policy frameworks with a score of 40 out of 100, the country lacks cybersecurity protections for critical information infrastructure. It also has no formal cyber crisis management mechanisms in place.
Qatar and Jamaica Also Show Growing Security Gaps
Qatar demonstrates one of the highest AI adoption levels among the countries analyzed. Around 38 percent of organizations in the country are already using AI technologies in business and technical operations.
However, the report notes that Qatar currently lacks documented cybersecurity protections for critical infrastructure systems. Roughly 6 percent of the country’s digital infrastructure remains exposed to cyber threats. Ransomware attacks are reported as the most common form of attack.
Jamaica also appears among the countries where AI deployment is advancing faster than cybersecurity readiness. Around 22 percent of organizations have adopted AI technologies.
The country received a policy score of 40 out of 100. Its cyber incident response score stands at 57 out of 100. Despite these measures, approximately 15 percent of the national digital infrastructure remains vulnerable to cyber attacks.
Rapid AI Adoption Could Expand Future Attack Surfaces
Costa Rica completes the top five list of countries where AI adoption is outpacing cybersecurity development.
More than a quarter of organizations in the country are already using artificial intelligence technologies. At present, only about 6 percent of its digital infrastructure is exposed to cyber threats.
However, researchers warn that the rapid pace of AI integration could expand future attack surfaces if cybersecurity capabilities do not evolve at the same pace.
AI Is Transforming the Cyber Threat Landscape
Cybersecurity experts say artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how cyber attacks are executed.
An AI expert from Check Point noted that AI is now both a defensive tool and an attack enabler within modern cyber operations.
According to the expert, botnet operations that previously required significant coordination can now be automated using AI agents. These systems are capable of conducting reconnaissance, launching infections, and adapting to security defenses autonomously.
“AI now is both a gateway for a cyber attack and a tool. Botnets were dangerous before, and AI has made them fully autonomous. AI agents handle reconnaissance, launch infections, and adapt to defenses, compressing multi day operations into minutes.”
The expert added that countries with limited cybersecurity frameworks may struggle to control how AI systems manage data, memory, and access privileges.
This could create new opportunities for attackers seeking to exploit AI-enabled systems.
FAQs
1. How is artificial intelligence changing cybersecurity threats?
Artificial intelligence is enabling cyber attackers to automate reconnaissance, malware deployment, and attack adaptation. This allows threats such as botnets, ransomware, and phishing campaigns to scale faster and operate with minimal human intervention.
2. Why does rapid AI adoption increase cybersecurity risk?
When organizations deploy AI technologies without strengthening cybersecurity policies, infrastructure protection, and incident response systems, new vulnerabilities can emerge that attackers can exploit.
3. What types of cyberattacks are being accelerated by AI?
AI is making botnet attacks, ransomware campaigns, infostealer malware, banking trojans, and automated phishing operations more efficient and harder to detect.
4. How should organizations secure AI systems against cyber threats?
Organizations should implement AI governance frameworks, strengthen access controls, monitor AI model behavior, secure training data pipelines, and integrate AI risk management into existing cybersecurity strategies.
5. Why are governments evaluating AI adoption against cybersecurity readiness?
Governments are assessing AI integration alongside cybersecurity preparedness because advanced AI systems can expand attack surfaces if digital infrastructure, policy frameworks, and crisis response capabilities are not updated accordingly.
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