A widening gap between artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and cybersecurity preparedness is exposing several economies to heightened digital risk, with a new report by Check Point identifying critical vulnerabilities across multiple countries.
The March 2026 study highlights how rapid AI integration, while boosting productivity and innovation, is simultaneously amplifying exposure to sophisticated cyber threats. The findings point to an emerging global challenge, as governments and institutions adopt AI technologies faster than they can secure them.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is ranked as the most vulnerable among the 38 countries assessed. Despite achieving a 20 per cent AI adoption rate across public, business and technological sectors, the country scored zero across key cybersecurity metrics, including policy frameworks, infrastructure protection and crisis management.
The result shows that one in five organisations is already deploying AI tools, yet the systems designed to defend against AI-driven cyber threats remain virtually non-existent. Approximately 14 per cent of its digital infrastructure is exposed to cyberattacks, with botnet activity emerging as the most prevalent threat vector.
The report underscores a pattern across emerging and developed markets alike. In Kuwait, which ranks second on the vulnerability index, nearly 19 per cent of digital infrastructure is susceptible to cyberattacks; the highest exposure level among the top 10 countries surveyed. While AI adoption in Kuwait mirrors Bosnia’s at around 19 per cent, gaps in critical infrastructure protection and cyber crisis management continue to leave the country exposed.
Similarly, Qatar showcases high AI integration, with 38 per cent of organisations already leveraging the technology. However, the absence of robust cybersecurity protections for critical infrastructure raises concerns about the sustainability of this growth. Although its exposure rate is relatively lower at six per cent, ransomware attacks are increasingly targeting users, reflecting evolving threat patterns.
Other countries identified in the report include Jamaica and Costa Rica, where AI adoption is accelerating without commensurate investment in cyber resilience. Jamaica, with 22 per cent AI penetration, faces a 15 per cent infrastructure risk, while Costa Rica, though currently less exposed, is flagged as a potential future hotspot due to its rapidly expanding AI footprint and weak infrastructure safeguards.
In contrast, countries such as New Zealand and Sweden present a more balanced model. New Zealand leads in AI adoption at 41 per cent but maintains relatively stronger cyber incident response systems, while Sweden demonstrates high resilience through robust infrastructure protection and incident management frameworks.
The report’s methodology evaluates countries across three key pillars: AI diffusion, cybersecurity readiness; including policies, infrastructure, incident response, and crisis management, and overall exposure to threats such as botnets, ransomware, infostealers, and banking trojans. A lower security index score indicates weaker preparedness relative to the scale of AI adoption.
Experts warn that the convergence of AI and cybercrime is fundamentally reshaping the threat landscape. According to analysts at Check Point, AI has transformed traditional cyberattacks into faster, more adaptive and autonomous operations.
“AI now is both a gateway for a cyber attack and a tool. Botnets were dangerous before, and AI has made them fully autonomous. AI agents handle reconnaissance, launch infections, and adapt to defences, compressing multi-day operations into minutes,” a company expert noted.
