Open Text releases GenAI security report

Executive Summary

• Open Text Corp. released a global report, "Managing Risks and Optimizing the Value of AI, GenAI & Agentic AI," developed in partnership with the Ponemon Institute.
• The study highlights a significant gap between the rapid adoption of Generative AI (GenAI) and the implementation of necessary security and governance foundations.
• Key findings indicate that while 52% of enterprises have deployed GenAI, only 20% have reached AI maturity in cybersecurity, and fewer than half have adopted a risk-based governance strategy.

Key Details

• Report Title: "Managing Risks and Optimizing the Value of AI, GenAI & Agentic AI."
• Partnership: Developed in partnership with the Ponemon Institute.
• Survey Methodology:
  • Conducted in November 2025.
  • Sample size: 1,878 IT and IT security practitioners.
  • Geographic scope: North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.
  • Industries covered: Financial services, health care, technology, energy, and manufacturing.
• Adoption vs. Governance Gap:
  • 52% of enterprises have fully or partially deployed GenAI.
  • Only 20% of enterprises report reaching AI maturity (fully deployed AI in cybersecurity with assessed security risks).
  • 79% of organizations have not yet reached full AI maturity in cybersecurity.
• Governance and Policy Deficits:
  • Only 43% of organizations have adopted a risk-based strategy to govern AI systems.
  • Only 41% of organizations have AI-specific data privacy policies in place.
  • 59% of respondents say AI makes it more difficult to comply with privacy and security regulations.
• Operational Challenges and Risks:
  • 62% of respondents find it difficult to minimize model and bias risks (e.g., ethical breaches, discriminatory outputs).
  • 58% say prompt or input risks (misleading/inaccurate responses) are very or extremely difficult to minimize.
  • 56% report challenges in managing user risks, including the spread of misinformation.
  • 45% cite errors in AI decision rules as a top barrier to effectiveness.
  • 40% report errors in data inputs ingested by AI.
• Effectiveness and Autonomy:
  • Only 51% of respondents say AI is effective in reducing time to detect anomalies or emerging threats.
  • 48% rate AI as effective in threat detection and hunting for deeper insights.
  • Only 47% say their AI models can learn robust norms and make safe decisions autonomously.
  • 51% of respondents state that human oversight is needed in AI governance due to the speed of attacker adaptation.

Notable Quotes

• "AI maturity isn't just about adopting AI tools -- it's about doing it responsibly," said Muhi Majzoub, executive vice-president, product and engineering. "Security and governance are foundational to getting real value from AI. When they're built into AI systems from the start, organizations can operate with greater transparency, monitor systems continuously and trust the outcomes AI delivers."
• "The leaders in this next phase of AI adoption will be those who build transparency and control into AI from the start," said Mr. Majzoub. "As AI becomes embedded in day-to-day operations, organizations need secure information management as the foundation; clear governance frameworks, policy-based controls and continuous monitoring that ensure AI systems remain trustworthy and compliant."