Job pressures have increased as companies run headlong into AI adoption, causing 26% of top security executives to consider leaving their position.
July 20, 2026
The chaotic adoption of AI technologies and the resulting expansion in the cyberattack surface have added stress to the professional lives of many top cybersecurity executives, leading some to consider leaving the industry.
In fact, a quarter of security executives (26%) considered leaving their job in the past 12 months, according a recent column written by Splunk field chief information security officer (CISO) Kirsty Paine. Data drawn from two Splunk surveys found that a mix of fears around legal exposure and the increasing complexity posed by the rapid adoption of AI is leading to a maelstrom of angst. Nearly every CISO (96%) has become responsible for AI governance and risk management, while a full 78% of CISOs have concerns over personal liability that could stem from a cybersecurity incident affecting their business, according to Splunk's "The CISO Report: From Risk to Resilience in the AI Era."
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