Adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating faster than organizational readiness, as seen in ISACA’s 2026 AI Pulse Poll: 90% of respondents believe employees are using AI in their organization, but less than half (45%) say AI risks are an immediate priority. With the rapid adoption of AI, security debt has become one of the largest threats to enterprise resilience.
Security debt, which represents the accumulated risk created by outdated systems, deferred remediation, unpatched vulnerabilities and under-resourced programs, is tied directly to business risk as it affects trust among customers, partners and regulators. ISACA’s latest white paper, Security Debt: The Unseen Risk Undermining Cyber Resilience, explores where security debt comes from, how it grows and the consequences that arise when left unmanaged.
In addition to examining the types, key drivers, lifecycle and impacts of security debt, ISACA’s paper shares insights into identifying, measuring, and quantifying security debt, including through its new Security Debt Index (SDI).
The SDI provides organizations with a composite score to track whether their overall debt posture is improving or worsening, offering directional indicators that can help support decision-making. The SDI considers three dimensions: severity, duration and velocity.
To make real progress, organizations will need to stay intentional by acknowledging debt, measuring it honestly and taking consistent steps to reduce it.
Access the complimentary white paper at www.isaca.org/security-debt. For more IT risk resources from ISACA, including the new Advanced in AI Risk (AAIR) certification, visit www.isaca.org/resources/it-risk. Additional security resources from ISACA can be found at www.isaca.org/resources/cybersecurity.