Research Note: Networking & Cybersecurity

The criticality of networking and cybersecurity for AI deployments is becoming paramount, with 90% of AI systems requiring dedicated security frameworks by 2025 to protect against increasingly sophisticated threats targeting AI infrastructure and models. The emergence of AI-specific network protocols as industry standards by 2026 will fundamentally reshape how organizations architect their AI infrastructure, requiring significant investments in new networking capabilities but offering substantial improvements in performance and security. The projection that 70% of AI breaches will stem from model manipulation by 2027 underscores the unique vulnerabilities of AI systems and the need for specialized security approaches that go well beyond traditional cybersecurity measures to protect not just data, but also model integrity and training pipelines. The requirement for zero-trust architectures in 80% of AI deployments by 2025 signals a fundamental shift in how organizations must approach AI security, moving away from perimeter-based defenses to more sophisticated, granular security models that verify every interaction with AI systems. The projected 150% increase in AI networking costs by 2026 reflects both the growing complexity of AI infrastructure and the sophisticated networking capabilities required to support secure, high-performance AI operations, making it essential for CEOs to carefully balance their investments in AI capabilities with the necessary supporting infrastructure.