An "AI Exposure Gap" Could Be the Most Worrying Security Issue Your Business Isn't Aware Of

Why It Matters

The gap exposes enterprises to preventable breaches that can damage data integrity and brand reputation, underscoring the urgent need for proactive AI‑focused security measures.

Summary

Tenable’s latest research finds that 89% of organizations are running or piloting AI workloads, yet only 22% fully classify and encrypt AI data, leaving a large “AI exposure gap.” One‑third of AI adopters (34%) have already suffered an AI‑related breach, primarily due to conventional vulnerabilities and insider threats rather than sophisticated model attacks. About half of firms (51%) rely on the NIST AI Risk Management Framework or the EU AI Act, while just 26% conduct AI‑specific security testing such as red‑team exercises. Tenable urges companies to prioritize foundational controls—identity governance, misconfiguration monitoring, workload hardening and access management—to close the gap before attacks occur.