Cybersecurity professionals reporting higher work-related stress from AI are significantly more likely to spend time validating outputs and deciding when to trust AI recommendations

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ISC2 – the world’s leading nonprofit member organization for cybersecurity professionals – today released findings from its Rethinking AI’s Impact on Cybersecurity Roles report, revealing that artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping cybersecurity roles, workflows and decision-making while increasing the importance of human judgment, validation and governance. Approximately two-thirds of participants spent more time deciding when to trust or act on AI-generated recommendations (65%) and reviewing or validating AI outputs (63%) over the past year.

Based on a survey of 856 cybersecurity professionals who use AI in their roles, the research shows that while AI is improving efficiency and enabling more strategic work, it is also introducing new risks, increasing accountability pressures and accelerating changes to early-career pathways.

While nearly half of cybersecurity professionals (48%) report that AI has reduced workplace stress, almost one-third (32%) say it has increased stress levels. Those experiencing higher stress are significantly more likely than those with decreased stress to spend additional time deciding when to trust AI-generated recommendations (76% versus 57%) and reviewing or validating AI outputs (74% versus 57%). When AI-recommended actions lead to incorrect outcomes, half of the participants (50%) say their organizations hold human decision-makers ultimately accountable. Nearly 9 out of 10 (89%) respondents report having experienced AI recommendations that lead to incorrect outcomes at their organizations.

The research also finds that many cybersecurity professionals believe AI is changing early-career pathways. While 56% of participants say AI has reduced the need for entry-level roles, 53% believe AI is creating new entry-level opportunities and 48% say AI makes them feel more optimistic about their long-term career prospects.

“AI is not replacing cybersecurity professionals; it is changing what the profession requires of them,” said ISC2 CEO Scott Beale, CC. “As AI takes on more repetitive tasks, as well as performing some complex cybersecurity analysis at speed and scale, cybersecurity roles are shifting toward higher-value work, from asking the right questions to validating findings, interpreting outputs and applying human judgment. This evolution is not limited to entry-level roles. It changes how work is distributed across security teams, making continued investment in governance, validation practices, mentoring and skills development essential at every level.”

Additional findings from the report include:

AI’s impact on work-related stress is mixed. 48% report lowered stress due to AI, while 32% say stress has increased. Those reporting increased stress were significantly more likely than those with decreased stress to have spent more time deciding when to trust or act on AI recommendations (76% versus 57%) and reviewing or validating AI outputs (74% versus 57%).AI raises significant concerns. Top concerns include over-reliance on AI (62%), undetected errors scaling across systems (61%) and reduced human judgment at critical decision points (56%).Accountability remains human-led. When AI-recommended actions lead to incorrect outcomes, half of participants (50%) say their organizations hold human decision-makers ultimately accountable. Another 21% say accountability varies depending on the severity of the issue, while others reported ambiguity (10%) or a lack of clear ownership (8%) when AI recommendations are incorrect.AI is changing how cybersecurity professionals spend their time. Over the past year, nearly half (48%) report spending less time on tasks that do not involve AI, signaling a shift toward AI-assisted workflows. Responses on hands-on work are split: 35% report less time, 32% more time and 33% no change.Foundational cybersecurity skills remain essential. Nearly two-thirds (62%) do not believe that AI has reduced the need for foundational cybersecurity skills, compared to just 26% who say it has.Governance and trust frameworks are critical. Around 4 in 5 say it is very important to establish when to trust AI outputs(82%), knowing when to  override decisions (80%) and having clear governance frameworks in place (80%).

For cybersecurity leaders, hiring managers, workforce development teams and HR professionals navigating how AI is reshaping cybersecurity roles, skills and decision-making, read the full Rethinking AI’s Impact on Cybersecurity Roles report here.

Methodology
The ISC2 2026 Rethinking AI’s Impact on Cybersecurity Roles report is based on responses from 856 cybersecurity professionals who use AI in their roles. Conducted in May 2026, the research explores how AI is influencing time allocation, skills development, entry-level roles, decision-making, risk and workplace stress across the cybersecurity profession.

About ISC2
ISC2 is the world’s leading member organization for cybersecurity professionals, driven by our vision of a safe and secure cyber world. Our more than 265,000 certified members, and associates, are a force for good, safeguarding the way we live. Our award-winning certifications – including cybersecurity’s premier certification, the CISSP® – enable professionals to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and abilities at every stage of their careers. ISC2 strengthens the influence, diversity and vitality of the cybersecurity profession through advocacy, expertise and workforce empowerment that accelerates cyber safety and security in an interconnected world. Our charitable foundation, the Center for Cyber Safety and Education, helps create more access to cyber careers and educates those most vulnerable. Learn more, get involved or become an ISC2 Candidate to build your cyber career at ISC2.org. Connect with us on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

© 2026 ISC2 Inc., ISC2, CISSP, SSCP, CCSP, CGRC, CSSLP, HCISPP, ISSAP, ISSEP, ISSMP, CC, and CBK are registered marks of ISC2, Inc.

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SOURCE ISC2

New directors and board observer bring leadership experience across financial services, insurance, enterprise technology, AI, and professional services

SAN DIEGO, July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — FMG, the marketing automation platform trusted by more than 80,000 financial professionals collectively serving over 45 million U.S. investors, today announced the appointment of three independent directors and one board observer to its Board of Directors. John Carter, former President and Chief Operating Officer of Nationwide Financial; Janet Malzone, former CEO of Grant Thornton LLP; and Deanna Mulligan, CEO of Ceres Life Insurance and former CEO of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America joined as independent directors. Steve Sloan, VP of AWS Marketing at Amazon and former CEO of Contentful, joined as a board observer.

These new members join a board that includes Executive Chairman Mark Casady, former Chairman and CEO of LPL Financial; CEO and Founder Dave Christensen; and Scott White, former CEO of FMG.

The strategic appointments coincide with FMG’s ongoing expansion across Registered Investment Advisors, broker-dealers, wirehouses, and insurance organizations, as it continues to advance its growth strategy under GTCR’s ownership. This includes the recent acquisition of Testimonial iQ and the appointment of a new executive leadership team. To guide its next phase of enterprise scale and AI-enabled innovation, FMG is onboarding these leaders to bring deep institutional financial services experience, advanced technology leadership, and world-class corporate governance to support the board.

“FMG is serving a larger, more complex, and more strategic role in the market than it was even a few years ago,” said Casady. “The firms we serve are looking for technology that helps advisors communicate consistently, personalize at scale, meet compliance expectations, and turn marketing into a more measurable growth function. John, Janet, Deanna, and Steve each bring experience that maps directly to where FMG is going.”

“GTCR has strong conviction in FMG’s opportunity to define the next phase of organic growth for financial services firms,” said Michael Hollander, Managing Director at GTCR. “The company sits at the intersection of advisor growth, enterprise fintech, compliance, and marketing technology enabled by AI. This board brings the operating experience and governance perspective to help FMG continue scaling with the discipline and ambition the market requires.”

New Appointments:

John Carter concluded a 40-year career in financial services as President and Chief Operating Officer of Nationwide Financial, a Fortune 100 company and one of the country’s largest providers of insurance and retirement solutions. During his tenure, Carter led Nationwide’s retirement plans, annuity, life insurance and mutual fund businesses to unprecedented growth and profitability. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at Prudential Financial, UBS, and Kidder Peabody, and he has served on the boards of the American Council of Life Insurers, the Insured Retirement Institute, and the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Janet Malzone most recently served as CEO of Grant Thornton LLP, one of the nation’s largest professional services firms, where she oversaw the firm’s audit and assurance practice and served on the Executive Committee. With nearly 35 years of public accounting experience serving companies ranging from early-stage businesses to large multinationals, Malzone has been recognized twice on NACD’s Directorship 100, the annual recognition of the most influential leaders in and around the boardroom and holds NACD Directorship Certification.

Deanna Mulligan currently serves as CEO of Ceres Life Insurance and previously served as President and CEO of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, a Fortune 250 mutual life insurer, from 2011 to 2020, where she led product strategy, distribution, and digital transformation across a decade of sustained growth. Earlier in her career, Mulligan served as a principal at McKinsey & Company, where she helped lead the North American Life Insurance Practice, and held senior executive roles at AXA Financial and New York Life. She previously served as a Director of The Vanguard Group, Trustee of the Vanguard Funds, and Chair of the American Council of Life Insurers. She holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Steve Sloan currently serves as VP of AWS Marketing at Amazon, where he leads the development of marketing teams powered by AI at one of the world’s largest cloud platforms. He previously served as CEO of Contentful, a Forbes Cloud 100 composable content platform, and as Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Twilio SendGrid and Senior Vice President of Product at Marketo. Earlier in his career, he held senior product leadership roles at Amazon Web Services and Microsoft, and he currently serves as an independent board member of AdRoll and previously served as Executive in Residence at Bessemer Venture Partners.

“I started FMG because I believed advisors deserved better tools to grow their practices, and that belief has never wavered,” said Christensen. “What has changed is the scope and speed of what we need to deliver. Whether we are serving a solo practitioner or one of the largest firms in wealth management and insurance, every one of our customers is navigating the same rapidly shifting landscape. This board gives us the experience to move faster and the discipline to do it right.”

About FMG
FMG is the leading marketing platform for financial advisors, insurance professionals, and enterprises, empowering them to scale compliant, client-centered marketing that drives organic growth. Trusted by more than 80,000 financial professionals reaching over 45 million U.S. investors, FMG is consistently ranked number one in market share in the T3 Software Survey Report and has been recognized by WealthManagement.com as Best Marketing Automation Platform. A study conducted by a leading independent consulting firm found that enterprises using FMG achieved Net Promoter Scores nearly four times the industry average, along with improvements in lead conversion, client retention, and time saved on marketing tasks. FMG is defining the future of organic growth for financial services firms. For more information, visit https://fmgsuite.com/.

About GTCR
Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm that invests behind The Leaders Strategy™, finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire, and build market-leading companies through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. GTCR is focused on investing in transformative growth in companies in the Business and Consumer Services, Financial Services and Technology, Healthcare, and Technology, Media and Telecommunications sectors. Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $35 billion in over 300 companies, and the firm currently manages approximately $45 billion in equity capital. GTCR is based in Chicago with offices in New York and West Palm Beach. For more information, please visit www.gtcr.com.

FMG Media Contact
Donald Cutler
HavenTower
dcutler@haventower.com

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SOURCE FMG

Expansion gives banks, payment providers and corporate treasury teams a faster, licensed route for cross-border settlement across four East African markets.

ZURICH, July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SCRYPT, the operating system for digital assets, today announced the expansion of its licensed stablecoin settlement infrastructure across four East African markets, enabling banks, payment providers and corporate treasury teams to move value into and out of the continent in real time.

In most African markets, accessing US dollars remains the biggest friction in cross-border payments. Local currencies can be volatile, bank dollar liquidity is often constrained and correspondent banking remains slow and expensive. Businesses paying international suppliers frequently have to convert local currency into USD before purchasing stablecoins for settlement, incurring FX conversions and spreads before any payment is made.

SCRYPT eliminates this intermediate conversion. By enabling direct settlement corridors for local African currencies into stablecoins, businesses can move from local currency to stablecoin settlement in a single licensed transaction, without first sourcing rationed bank dollars. Local currency in, stablecoin out.             

“Across Africa, stablecoin adoption is driven by economic need, not speculation,” said Norman Wooding, Founder and CEO of SCRYPT. “Businesses here are not chasing yield, they are trying to pay suppliers and manage treasury without losing margin to a banking system that rations dollars. Licensed, fair-rate dollar access is the clearest proof of what this infrastructure is for.”

The expansion adds settlement support across four African currencies: the Kenyan shilling (KES), Tanzanian shilling (TZS), Rwandan franc (RWF) and Ugandan shilling (UGX). Each corridor is delivered through the same full-stack infrastructure our clients already use for trading, custody and treasury operations.

“Until now, reaching stablecoins from local African currencies meant buying scarce dollars and incurring several layers of conversion costs,” said Gabriel Titopoulos, Managing Director, Markets & Trading at SCRYPT. “SCRYPT removes this friction. Firms and payment providers can now settle straight from local currencies through live corridors, with local partners.”

Stablecoins are increasingly becoming settlement infrastructure rather than an investment product. By extending licensed access across African payment corridors, SCRYPT is helping banks, payment providers and corporate treasury teams  move capital more efficiently where it is needed most.

About SCRYPT 

The Operating System for Digital Assets.

SCRYPT is what institutions run on to trade, settle, store, and manage digital assets.

Since 2019, SCRYPT has operated as the trusted crypto partner for firms launching or scaling their digital asset strategy.

By combining deep market access, crypto-native expertise, and proprietary infrastructure, SCRYPT provides the liquidity, full-stack infrastructure, and FINMA-licensed framework that banks, asset managers, fintechs, and payment providers need to trade, store, and manage digital assets, all through a single point of access.

To learn more about SCRYPT, visit: www.scrypt.swiss

Contact: scrypt@wachsman.com

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