Firms in France Recast Cybersecurity Strategies Around AI Risks

Rising threats and regulatory pressure push buyers toward unified controls and cyber resilience for measurable outcomes, ISG Provider Lens^® report says

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Enterprises in France are replacing fragmented security initiatives with connected programs that improve compliance, simplify operations and show clearer return on investment as AI changes both threats and defenses, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm.

The 2026 ISG Provider Lens^® Cybersecurity – Services and Solutions report for France finds the country’s cybersecurity services market is expanding while becoming more selective. Rising threats, cloud complexity, AI adoption, tighter regulation, skills shortages and cost pressures are leading enterprises to seek providers that offer a combination of advisory, implementation and managed capabilities.

“Enterprises in France are no longer treating cybersecurity as a set of separate controls,” said Julien Escribe, partner and managing director SEMEA at ISG. “They want security programs that strengthen resilience, reduce complexity and give executives clearer evidence of risk reduction and compliance.”

Regulatory pressure is reshaping cybersecurity strategy in France. Enterprises are consolidating requirements from European cyber and AI regulations into unified control frameworks to reduce audit fatigue and improve reporting. The Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information (ANSSI) also strongly influences provider selection, especially in regulated sectors and critical environments, as enterprises seek ANSSI-certified products and services.

AI is changing both the threat landscape and enterprise security priorities. Organizations face risks from deepfakes, adversarial model attacks, AI-augmented ransomware and phishing enhanced by large language models. At the same time, they are using AI to improve threat detection, automation and predictive analytics. Cloud migration and hybrid infrastructure are contributing to a trend toward zero trust, identity-led security. Enterprises want implementation support that improves interoperability and reduces tool sprawl.

Security operations in France are also becoming more proactive. Enterprises are shifting from reactive monitoring to AI-supported investigations, intelligent automation, continuous threat exposure management and identity-based detection. Demand is rising for co-managed security operations centers and managed detection and response models, along with action plans that connect speed of response with controlled business impact, ISG says.

“France’s cybersecurity market is entering a more demanding phase,” said Benoît Scheuber, principal consultant and lead author of the report. “Providers that combine regulatory strategy, technical execution and managed response will be best positioned to help enterprises turn security investments into resilience outcomes.”

The report also explores other trends shaping the French cybersecurity market, including growing demand for generative AI-based assessments and advisory services, and rising interest in post-quantum cryptography.

For more insights into the cybersecurity-related challenges faced by enterprises in France, plus ISG’s advice for overcoming them, see the ISG Provider^® Focal Points briefing here.

The report evaluates the capabilities of 50 providers across three quadrants: Strategic Security Services, Technical Security Services and Next-Gen SOC/MDR Services.

The report names Accenture, Atos, Capgemini, Orange Cyberdefense and Thales as Leaders in all three quadrants. HCLTech, I-TRACING and Sopra Steria are named as Leaders in two quadrants each. Advens, Almond, Deloitte, IBM, Intrinsec, NTT DATA, PwC, TCS and Wavestone are named as Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, Airbus Protect, Almond and Bechtle/Apixit are named as Rising Stars — companies with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in one quadrant each.

In the area of customer experience, EY is named the global ISG CX Star Performer for 2026 among Cybersecurity providers. EY earned the highest customer satisfaction scores in ISG's Voice of the Customer survey, part of the ISG Star of Excellence™ program, the premier quality recognition for the technology and business services industry.

Customized versions of the report are available from ADVENS and Atos.

The 2026 ISG Provider Lens Cybersecurity — Services and Solutions report for France is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG

ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data and research, in-depth knowledge and governance of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,500 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.