GTIA Research: AI Accelerates Cybersecurity Growth Opportunities for IT Service Providers

New findings highlight the expanding role of IT service providers in helping organizations adopt AI securely and responsibly.

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., Nov. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AI is now both a top cybersecurity concern and a major growth opportunity for IT service providers (ITSPs), according to new research from Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA).

GTIA’s Channel Trends in Cybersecurity research found that IT service providers in the North America and UK & Ireland communities are expanding their cybersecurity services, with AI shaping both their growth plans and their customers’ priorities.

Additionally, GTIA released its Q3 2026 Quarterly Cybersecurity Tracker, a separate resource focused on North America that identifies AI-generated attacks as customers’ leading cybersecurity concern and highlights uneven deployment of established protections.

“Concern about AI is giving providers an opening to help customers make practical security decisions,” said Carolyn April, Vice President, Research and Market Intelligence, GTIA. “That includes setting rules for how AI is used, protecting the data it relies on and identifying where existing security measures need to reach further. Providers can turn that concern into a clear action plan.”

Channel Trends in Cybersecurity: Providers See Opportunities to Expand

The Channel Trends in Cybersecurity research examines IT service provider perspectives across GTIA’s three global regions: North America, EMEA and APAC. Findings previewed today cover the North America and UK & Ireland communities, with findings for the Benelux, DACH, ASEAN and ANZ communities to follow later this year. Across the North America and UK & Ireland communities, more than three-quarters of respondents said they plan to add cybersecurity services or solutions over the next year.

Key findings from the North America Community include:

• Providers plan broader cybersecurity offerings. Some 76% plan to add new cybersecurity solutions over the next 12 months, compared with 65% in 2025. Areas showing notable increases include identity and access management, data protection and privacy, and AI-related cybersecurity solutions.
• AI creates opportunities beyond adding technology. Nearly 60% plan to add AI-related cybersecurity solutions. The research identifies AI governance, model and data security, and acceptable-use policies as opportunities for providers to develop new services.
• Cybersecurity is contributing to revenue growth. Half of respondents report revenue increases directly related to cybersecurity this year, with gains concentrated in identity, security management, cloud and data solutions.
  
  

In the UK & Ireland Community, the findings show:

• Awareness of the cybersecurity risks posed by AI is increasing. Nearly half (47%) of respondents identify generative AI’s use by cybercriminals as their top cybersecurity concern, compared with 37% in 2025.
• Service expansion remains a priority. Some 78% plan to add new cybersecurity services over the next year. AI-related services and data protection and privacy remain the leading categories. Plans to add cloud security services increased to 47%, compared with 33% in 2025.
• Data privacy and compliance lead growth expectations. Over the next 12 months, 46% of respondents expect this category to drive the greatest revenue growth, followed by cybersecurity consulting and risk assessments at 43% and agentic AI and other AI-related cybersecurity services at 42%.
  
  

Quarterly Cybersecurity Tracker: Strong Customer Demand with Room to Grow

Separately, GTIA’s Q3 2026 Quarterly Cybersecurity Tracker examines cybersecurity offerings, customer priorities and security practices among 309 IT service providers in North America.

The tracker found that 93% offer cybersecurity as a core or complementary service. Yet for each of the six security controls measured, fewer than half of providers report deployment to more than half their customers.

Key findings include:

• AI concerns are driving spending conversations. Some 51% of providers identify AI-generated attacks among their customers’ leading cybersecurity concerns. Attackers’ increasing use of AI is also the most frequently cited reason customers give for increasing cybersecurity spending, reported by 45% of providers.
• Key protections have room to reach more customers. Only 42% report deploying multifactor authentication on all critical systems for more than half of their customers. Just 35% report deploying immutable, air-gapped backups that broadly.
• Customer willingness to pay remains strong. Three-quarters of providers say customers are more willing to pay as cybersecurity costs increase, unchanged from Q2. Meanwhile, 35% cite a lack of budget commitment as the main customer resistance to increased spending, compared with 40% in the previous quarter.
• Cybersecurity helps win and keep clients. Some 87% of providers report gaining a client because they offer cybersecurity services, while 21% say they lost a client because of a cybersecurity incident in the past year.
  
  

Highlights from the research were shared in today’s keynote at GTIA ChannelCon EMEA, taking place Nov. 9-10 in London, with the full report to follow later this year.

The Q3 Quarterly Cybersecurity Tracker is available here.

About the Global Technology Industry Association   

The Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) is the only vendor-neutral, 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership community connecting and representing the worldwide IT channel. We set our members up for success by providing benefits that include trusted resources and networking opportunities. In addition, the association sets industry standards that enable companies to build sustainable, secure, and profitable businesses in an ever-changing technology landscape. With The ASCII Group, which has served North American MSPs, MSSPs and solution providers since 1984, now part of GTIA, the association's community continues to grow. Internationally, GTIA represents hundreds of thousands of professionals from nearly 4,000 ITSPs, vendors, distributors and other companies serving the IT channel.

For more information, visit gtia.org.

Media contact:
Suzanne Collier
WhiteFox Marketing for GTIA
suzanne@whitefoxpr.com