AI spurs new cyber risk in hospitality
A CISO benchmark finds AI is driving a new era of cybersecurity risk and investment in retail and hospitality — hotels adopting AI inventory and guest systems face higher breach and algorithm‑error exposure. The report flags the need for governance, audits and staff training as adoption accelerates. (prnewswire.com)
RH‑ISAC and IANS published the 8th‑edition 2026 CISO Benchmark Report, drawing on survey responses from 201 retail and hospitality CISOs collected in December 2025. (rhisac.org) Seventy‑one percent of respondents identified AI as a primary concern, with AI overtaking ransomware and phishing as the top friction point for security teams. (prnewswire.com) The report records security spending rising from 0.57% to 0.75% of revenue in 2025 and IT spending from 3.2% to 3.9%, while 54% of CISOs expect only incremental budget increases for 2026. (prnewswire.com) Nearly 90% of CISOs expect AI‑related security spend to increase—most via budget reallocation rather than new funds—and 35% plan to add full‑time security headcount even as larger firms forecast contractor reductions. (rhisac.org) The report notes AI governance is progressing—only 3% of organizations reported having no AI policy—and finds roughly 70% of CISOs have had AI added to their scope of responsibility. (rhisac.org) Top areas of friction listed include AI (62%) and third‑party/supply‑chain risk (54%), and the executive summary ties those pressures to higher supply‑chain costs in 2025 driven by tariffs and shifting consumer sentiment. (rhisac.org)
