AI security market to hit $4.8 billion in 2027, up 68.7% — Gartner
Synopsis
Gartner projects the global AI security market will hit $4.8 billion in 2027 — a 68.7% leap in a single year — and nearly $7.7 billion by 2028. The most alarming finding: over half of successful cyberattacks on AI agents by 2029 are expected to exploit access control gaps and prompt injections, threats that traditional security tools are structurally unequipped to handle.
Key Takeaways
The global AI security market is projected to reach nearly $4.8 billion in 2027 , a 68.7% increase over 2026, per Gartner .
The market is forecast to grow further to nearly $7.7 billion by 2028 .
AI application security will be the largest spending category in 2027 at nearly $851 million ; AI usage control will be the fastest-growing at 73% .
Over half of successful cyberattacks on AI agents are expected to exploit access control weaknesses and prompt injections by 2029 .
Traditional security tools require significant updates to address AI-specific threats, according to Gartner Senior Principal Analyst Shailendra Upadhyay .
The global market for securing artificial intelligence is projected to reach nearly $4.8 billion by 2027, representing a 68.7% jump over 2026 levels, according to a Gartner report released on Wednesday, 26 August. The forecast underscores the accelerating urgency among enterprises to protect AI systems against a rapidly evolving threat landscape.
Market Size and Growth Trajectory
By 2028, the AI security market is forecast to nearly double again, reaching close to $7.7 billion. The pace of expansion reflects both the broadening deployment of AI across enterprise operations and the parallel growth of attack surfaces that traditional cybersecurity tools are ill-equipped to address.
AI application security will remain the single largest spending category in 2027, forecast to reach nearly $851 million, followed by AI usage control at $749 million. However, it is AI usage control that will record the steepest growth rate at 73%, with the AI gateway segment close behind at 70.9%.
What Is Driving the Surge
'This surge is driven by the urgent need for enterprises to secure AI systems, address emerging vulnerabilities and strengthen defences against sophisticated cyberthreats,' said Shailendra Upadhyay, Senior Principal Analyst at Gartner.
Upadhyay pointed to a compounding factor: growing vulnerabilities and supply chain attacks involving third-party and open-source software embedded in AI projects. He warned that without adequate security and visibility controls, enterprise AI initiatives face a high risk of failure — a concern that resonates across sectors rapidly scaling up AI adoption.
The Threat Landscape: Prompt Injections and Access Gaps
The Gartner report flags a particularly acute risk vector: over half of all successful cyberattacks on AI agents are expected to exploit access control weaknesses and prompt injections by 2029. Prompt injection — where malicious inputs manipulate an AI model's behaviour — has emerged as one of the most difficult threats to counter using conventional security frameworks.
This is compounded by the rise of autonomous AI, which introduces vulnerabilities that go beyond the reach of traditional monitoring tools. As AI agents operate with greater independence, the attack surface expands in ways that legacy systems were never designed to handle.
Why Traditional Security Tools Fall Short
According to Upadhyay, traditional security tools often treat AI applications like any other software, and require significant updates to address AI-specific threats. The Gartner report stresses the need for organisations to identify, monitor, and protect AI models from these unique risks — driving adoption of specialised AI security solutions.
'As defences like AI runtime protection and dedicated gateways become more reliable, organisations will gain confidence in these tools, accelerating adoption,' Upadhyay noted. Businesses are increasingly expected to combine existing security infrastructure with purpose-built AI security layers rather than rely on either in isolation.
What Comes Next
As enterprises expand their AI footprint, demand for specialised security solutions is set to intensify — particularly as autonomous AI systems introduce threat categories that existing frameworks cannot adequately address. The Gartner projections suggest the AI security market is entering a sustained high-growth phase, with spending patterns shifting toward proactive defence rather than reactive patching.
Point of View
And the gap is now measurable in billions. The prompt injection threat is particularly underappreciated in boardrooms — it is not a niche exploit but a structural vulnerability in how large language models process input. More telling is the fastest-growth category: AI usage control, not application security. Enterprises are beginning to worry less about external attackers and more about what their own AI systems are doing with sensitive data. That is a significant shift in threat perception, and it will reshape security budgets faster than most vendors are currently pricing in.
NationPress
26 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How large will the global AI security market be in 2027?
According to a Gartner report, the global AI security market is projected to reach nearly $4.8 billion in 2027, a 68.7% increase over 2026 levels. By 2028, the market is forecast to climb further to nearly $7.7 billion.
What is driving growth in the AI security market?
The primary drivers are the urgent need to secure enterprise AI systems, rising supply chain vulnerabilities involving third-party and open-source software in AI projects, and the emergence of autonomous AI that introduces threats beyond the reach of traditional monitoring tools, according to Gartner.
What is a prompt injection attack on AI systems?
A prompt injection attack manipulates an AI model's behaviour by feeding it malicious inputs designed to override its intended instructions. Gartner projects that over half of successful cyberattacks on AI agents by 2029 will exploit prompt injections and access control weaknesses.
Which AI security category will grow the fastest?
AI usage control is forecast to record the highest growth rate at 73% through 2027, followed by the AI gateway segment at 70.9%, according to the Gartner report. AI application security remains the largest category by absolute spend at nearly $851 million.
Why are traditional security tools insufficient for AI threats?
Traditional security tools typically treat AI applications like standard software and lack the capability to address AI-specific risks such as model manipulation, prompt injections, and autonomous agent behaviour. Gartner recommends combining existing security infrastructure with specialised AI security solutions.
