Beyond security theater: How automated trust closes the AI readiness gap

Key takeaways

• AI threats are growing faster than security expertise 
• Manual compliance leads to “security theater” 
• Automated trust management is key to addressing risk

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AI is transforming businesses at breakneck speed—but security isn’t keeping up. 

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According to Vanta’s State of Trust Report 2025, which surveyed over 2,500 business and IT leaders around the world, 3 in 5 say AI-related security threats are outpacing their expertise. With a majority of organizations experiencing threats weekly, AI is not just driving the volume, but the precision of these attacks. Half of all businesses say they’ve experienced an uptick in AI‑generated phishing attacks, AI‑powered malware, and AI‑driven identity theft or fraud compared to 2024.

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But AI isn’t just driving malicious attacks externally. It’s also creating vulnerabilities in businesses’ everyday operations. As the pressure to adopt AI increases, many employees and companies are using AI tools without security measures to protect sensitive data. Less than half of organizations currently apply strict data minimization, and only 31% require customers to opt in when their data is used to train AI, increasing the risk of data leaks and reputational damage. 

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Together, these factors have created an AI readiness gap. As AI usage increases, the infrastructure, protocols, and expertise to protect systems and the sensitive data they process are lagging. But this gap is more than technical; it’s also a source of organizational risk that can affect businesses and their customers. By understanding this critical gap, companies can build more robust security postures and compliance programs that effectively reduce risk without impacting growth, trust, and innovation.
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Unpacking the AI readiness gap

Across organizations, the AI readiness gap often comes down to three factors:

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Manual processes

Too often, companies rely on manual processes to manage their compliance and security programs, which is burying teams. Our report found that teams spend 12 weeks a year on compliance tasks—such as policy reviews and evidence collection—and nine weeks on vendor reviews, shifting focus away from higher-value tasks like closing vulnerabilities or bolstering systems. Along with using traditional security controls, like static firewalls, signature-based detection, and manual reviews, companies can’t keep up with the speed and sophistication of today’s AI-related risks. 

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Overly complex programs 

Reliance on outdated methods has also led many companies to adopt overly complex security and compliance programs—backed by the idea that more certifications equal fewer AI-related risks. But while compliance builds trust and strong security is a key differentiator for customers today, almost two-thirds of leaders say they spend more time proving security rather than improving it. With 64% saying today’s security frameworks feel like “security theater,” many businesses are relying on the illusion of security and compliance rather than real outcomes that mitigate risk and reduce vulnerabilities.  

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Agentic AI

Compounding these issues is companies' use of agentic AI. Although 79% of IT and business leaders are actively using or planning to use AI agents, nearly two-thirds of respondents say that their use exceeds their understanding of it. Now more than ever, companies need to actively adapt their security postures for AI or AI adoption will continue to outpace governance.  

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Shifting from manual security theater to automated trust management

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While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to AI's risks, companies can begin proactively addressing them. By acting early, companies can get ahead of AI risks as they evolve, preventing burnout and avoiding backlogs. Being proactive also makes adoption of new regulations easier, as 1 in 3 organizations expect AI to lead to increased legal or regulatory exposure. 

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Effectively addressing AI risks starts with a strong foundation, but it doesn’t mean a complete overhaul of a compliance program. Khushboo Kashyap, Sr. Director of GRC at Vanta, notes that instead of adding new frameworks, controls, or overly complicated processes, businesses need to first establish the right people, processes, and technology to understand AI. This can look like: 

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• People: Tailored AI playbooks and training 
• Processes: Clear policies on AI usage and rehearsed AI incident response procedures
• Technology: Strong access controls, identity proofing, and adaptive email defences

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Without this foundation, compliance and security initiatives will continue to look good on paper, but won’t actually make businesses AI-ready or reduce risks. Khushboo adds, “AI adoption can amplify a solid security and compliance program, but it won’t fix fundamental gaps.”

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Once companies have a strong foundation, they can move on to ensuring their compliance and security programs deliver real value. For Khushboo, keeping up with the speed of AI means shifting away from manual compliance to automated trust management. 

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In practice, this means implementing:

• Continuous monitoring
• Automated evidence collection
• Third-party reviews
• Vendor risk management 
• Real-time risk assessments

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With this, teams reduce the manual burden while bolstering and streamlining compliance and security. It also moves programs from reactive to proactive, closing governance gaps, eliminating security theater, and turning AI adoption a competitive advantage rather than a risk.

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Closing the gap with Vanta’s automated trust management platform

If you’re looking to build a clear roadmap for AI security and effective compliance, Vanta’s trust management platform streamlines operations, reducing AI-related risks by automating compliance, centralizing controls, and unifying security program management to deliver value and build trust. 

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Want to learn more about the state of trust? Download Vanta’s 2025 State of Trust report today.