BOSTON, Aug.  12, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rapid7 (NASDAQ:RPD), a global leader in AI-powered managed cybersecurity operations, today released new research conducted by Omdia, a division of TechTarget, Inc., revealing

Rapid7-Omdia Research Reveals AI Governance Gap as Executive Security Leaders Show 1.6x Greater Concern Than Practitioners

Rapid7 AI governance study highlights governance as a SOC differentiator

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 <h3>Information</h3>
 BOSTON, Aug. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rapid7 (NASDAQ:RPD), a global leader in AI-powered managed cybersecurity operations, today released new research conducted by Omdia, a division of TechTarget, Inc., revealing
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 <h3>AI Summary</h3>
 Rapid7 published Omdia&#039;s AI governance findings, showing executives worry about data handling more than frontline staff, signaling governance as a board-level issue. The results confirm AI is now core to SOC operations, with high confidence in outcomes and a push for transparent, accountable deployment. This could create demand for Rapid7&#039;s AI-powered MDR that emphasizes governance and human oversight.
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 <h3>Key Points</h3>
 <ul><li>Omdia: execs 1.6x more concerned about AI governance.</li><li>AI in production shows positive impact; governance and transparency rise.</li><li>97% report AI improves operations; 98% say it reduces alert fatigue.</li><li>92% want human oversight; AI augments analysts.</li><li>86% believe AI-enabled MDR offers advantage over traditional MDR.</li></ul>
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 <h3>Companies Mentioned</h3>
 <ul><li>Rapid7 (RPD): Research highlighted AI governance demand; potential tailwind for Rapid7&#039;s AI-driven MDR offerings.</li><li>TechTarget, Inc. (TTGT): Omdia is a division of TechTarget; governance research supports industry narrative favorable to Rapid7.</li></ul>
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 <h3>Industry News</h3>
 Industry News: summarizes third-party research on AI governance in SOCs, relevant to cybersecurity services and Rapid7&#039;s value proposition.
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 <h3>Market-Moving</h3>
 <ul><li>AI governance focus may boost Rapid7&#039;s AI-driven MDR demand.</li><li>Governance concerns could lift SOC budgets toward AI-enabled MDR offerings.</li><li>Executives’ data-privacy worries may favor vendors with transparency like Rapid7.</li><li>Rapid7&#039;s MDR leadership positioning could improve credibility and deal flow.</li></ul>
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 <h3>Key Facts</h3>
 <ul><li>Omdia study commissioned by Rapid7; 500 security professionals; Feb 10–Mar 3, 2026.</li><li>97% report AI positively impacts operations; 98% say it reduces alert fatigue.</li><li>92% agree human oversight remains essential.</li><li>86% believe AI-enabled MDR provides advantage over traditional MDR.</li><li>Respondents geography: NA 40%, EMEA 30%, APAC 30%; industries include manufacturing 25%, tech 23%, finance 16%.</li></ul>
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 <h3>Trading Thesis</h3>
 Over the next 3–6 months, RPD could benefit from rising AI-governance demand as customers seek transparent AI MDR.
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<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/styles/gnw_nitf.css"></link>BOSTON, Aug. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=3oTLqYiPeiCaGcGPehFqQvx2aU2P21nQhagPaJJu59632sri9ke7Qvydyhr0rztT9JXy5JcWzYU_ePZMt2BCAg==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rapid7</a> (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/RPD">RPD</a>), a global leader in AI-powered managed cybersecurity operations, today released new research conducted by Omdia, a division of TechTarget, Inc., revealing that while AI has earned widespread trust inside security operations centers (SOCs), executive security leaders are significantly more concerned than frontline practitioners about how AI is governed. The global survey of 500 security professionals found executive security leaders are 1.6 times more likely than operational security managers to report being highly concerned about how AI vendors handle their organization’s security data. The findings suggest AI has crossed the operational adoption threshold, with attention now shifting toward transparency, accountability, and governance. Among organizations already using AI in production, nearly all respondents report positive operational results, reinforcing that AI has become a core component of modern security operations rather than an emerging technology. Key findings from the report include: <ul type="disc"><li>Executive leaders are 1.6x more likely than practitioners to express strong concern about AI governance, signaling a growing disconnect between operational confidence and executive oversight.</li><li>97% report AI is having a positive impact on security operations, while 98% of organizations already using AI say it helps reduce alert fatigue.</li><li>92% agree human oversight remains essential, underscoring that organizations view AI as augmenting, not replacing, security analysts.</li><li>86% believe managed detection and response (MDR) providers that integrate AI offer an advantage over traditional MDR services. </li></ul> "The conversation has changed," said Dejan Decklich, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Rapid7. "Security teams are no longer asking whether AI belongs in the SOC; they’re asking how to govern it responsibly. Organizations want AI that helps analysts move faster and work more effectively, but they also expect transparency, accountability, and human expertise to remain central to security operations." The research shows AI has become firmly embedded in day-to-day security operations. Organizations report AI is helping reduce alert fatigue, automate repetitive work, and improve analyst productivity – evidence that AI has moved from experimentation into operational deployment. Now, rather than debating whether AI delivers value, security teams are increasingly focused on how to deploy it responsibly and effectively. Governance Is Becoming the Next Competitive Differentiator While operational teams report strong confidence in AI, executive leaders are taking a broader view. The study found executive security leaders are substantially more concerned than frontline practitioners about how AI vendors manage sensitive security data. This is a clear signal that governance has become a board-level issue alongside operational performance. Respondents also identified transparency into AI decision-making, visibility into model performance, and strong data privacy protections among their top expectations for AI providers, reflecting growing demand for responsible AI rather than simply more automation. "Our research shows organizations have largely accepted AI as part of modern security operations," said Dave Gruber, Principal Analyst at Omdia. "The next phase of adoption will be defined by trust. Security leaders increasingly want solutions that combine AI-driven efficiency with transparency, governance, and human expertise." Smarter, Faster, Still Human: Rethinking the Modern SOC The findings also reinforce that organizations are not looking to remove humans from security operations. Instead, respondents overwhelmingly support AI as a tool that enhances analyst productivity while preserving human oversight for judgement, validation, and decision-making. That expectation extends to managed security providers, with 86% saying AI-enhanced MDR services provide a competitive advantage over traditional offerings. Rapid7 combines AI-powered capabilities with expert-led managed detection and response through the Rapid7 Command Platform, helping organizations accelerate investigations, reduce alert fatigue, and strengthen security outcomes while maintaining transparency and human accountability. The full report, AI, SOC Transformation, and How AI-Enabled MDR Providers Are Helping Accelerate Velocity, is available at <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=BUgkBW20d4ZP60vC9ZwRSupIauYFxh1V0vkO6nJ2UORUkj5YbpFswnuOyFFKP2Q9-1H_Ig5SetxuDbJx6Lo3kOCHTf9yuLc_QWeu-sO3RWLPzdog3pC5fGh2Ke37EOmSeQ3fMc2EKz2xdBuUT7ofExUy3QBIHTOEmFam8rYwk_UBXdFsyNjVIBynB97sz7o9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.rapid7.com/lp/ai-in-the-soc-omdia-report-2026/</a> About the Research  AI, SOC Transformation, and How AI-Enabled MDR Providers Are Helping Accelerate Velocity was conducted by Omdia (TechTarget, Inc.) and commissioned by Rapid7. The study surveyed 500 qualified security professionals at a 95% confidence interval. Respondents included executive security leaders (CSOs, CISOs — 41%), security and security operations management (40%), security engineers and architects (13%), and threat hunters and incident responders (3%). Organizations represented spanned North America (40%), EMEA (30%), and Asia-Pacific (30%), with employee counts ranging from 100 to 20,000+. Industries represented include manufacturing (25%), technology (23%), finance (16%), business services (8%), and retail/wholesale (8%), among others. The survey was conducted between February 10 and March 3, 2026. About Rapid7 Rapid7, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/RPD">RPD</a>) is a global leader in AI-powered managed cybersecurity operations, trusted to advance organizations’ cyber resilience. Open and extensible, the Rapid7 Command Platform integrates security data, enriching it with AI, threat intelligence, and 25 years of expertise and innovation to reduce risk and disrupt attackers. As a recognized leader in preemptive managed detection and response (MDR), Rapid7 unifies exposure and detection to transform the cybersecurity operations of more than 11,500 customers worldwide. For more information, visit our <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=pO5OCi1W4jeAepX7cWv1NpaLWOjJxwYE23W1N2YIqJnP4KrepAJTA4IeqGxolZff8qhdmDyz3Ob_cUAGY0FE0g==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>, check out our <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=ZoFR5N_E1s8TxqJhBDVnSpQ-HrjnVsnLfp3yEO8VjuXvngDdU5ltjZ_-4zrkF0f-SD96Dl1BBiEBWRs8aIItzw==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">blog</a>, or follow us on <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=_6rAfSFlD-dzJxxUOqmO4HoplAYA9EWE21iTb5rJtTPQhE8z-toUDwddrsBqU7dxu-Vk8JuP3lmLc4410iR08YTZQ4VqgBoqXJ_xnCYyi1A=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> or <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=Cg03VOuG0_b6ZipsmrqjSk2QbGWJw2KSP66opd81I07rjz41_hmeh6B594l5YInQrU3NTfv7EPSxONrKxdxQbg==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">X.</a> Media Contact  Christine Nurnberger SVP Global Marketing and Growth <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=crPwO2z1H14siaX29mSNcc2mK0oqX1gbmutGXerVMltDxzxudPTNQIITpwdjwzIDaOT-8gKTHoAjZjLe8o4Ywhvu6oIjJBnnoUcMbUBwjig=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">press@rapid7.com</a> (857) 216-7804 Rapid7 Investor Contact  Matt Wells Vice President, Investor Relations <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=8Bj6tcjLGGgEaoPijnZ1_JaNP6eng-vxGNgAk43shvqx98aNQkQv5bQRFLpKWZxgqIpKdLyQGYBCUL9BALVXatZdP8c1zwApzeSrTnYpwFA=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">investors@rapid7.com</a> (617) 865-4277 <img alt="" class="__GNW8366DE3E__IMG" src="https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ti?nf=OTgwODY1MyM3NzcwODM3IzIwMjgwNDg="></img> <img alt="" src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/ZmUxNTM1YzItYmUwOS00M2M5LTlmNDMtZWU3MGRjZGZmMTc1LTEwNDAwODUtMjAyNi0wOC0xMi1lbg==/tiny/Rapid7.png" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></img><a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06ff63c6-b10c-4136-b7b8-ee70f03d0bfd"><img src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/06ff63c6-b10c-4136-b7b8-ee70f03d0bfd/small/rapid7-logo.jpg" border="0" width="150" height="27" alt="Primary Logo"></img></a>

Rapid7 published Omdia's AI governance findings, showing executives worry about data handling more than frontline staff, signaling governance as a board-level issue. The results confirm AI is now core to SOC operations, with high confidence in outcomes and a push for transparent, accountable deployment. This could create demand for Rapid7's AI-powered MDR that emphasizes governance and human oversight.

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Rapid7-Omdia Research Reveals AI Governance Gap as Executive Security Leaders Show 1.6x Greater Concern Than Practitioners

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