Cybersecurity is evolving rapidly as new technologies, threat vectors, and enterprise architectures reshape how organizations defend their systems and data. The WisdomTree Team8 Cybersecurity Index was designed to track how these developments are shaping the future of cybersecurity through key cybersecurity themes. As cybersecurity innovation continues to accelerate, periodically updating these themes helps ensure the index remains aligned with how modern cybersecurity is being built, deployed, and adopted across the industry.
This is not the first time we have made adjustments; for example, in 2023 we introduced the Layer 8 theme focused on human risk. Today, to reflect the latest developments in the cybersecurity landscape — particularly the maturation of cloud security and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence — we are again making updates to the index’s key cybersecurity themes.
Retiring the Cloud Security Theme
The Cloud Security theme was originally designed to capture companies focused on protecting cloud infrastructure and environments. This included technologies such as Cloud Workload Protection Platforms (CWPP), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP), Container Security, and Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB).
However, as cloud adoption has become universal across enterprises, cloud security capabilities have also become widely embedded across the cybersecurity landscape. Today, most cybersecurity vendors offer products that address cloud environments in some capacity. As a result, in our view, cloud security is no longer a meaningful differentiator between cybersecurity vendors, nor does it serve as a strong proxy for identifying companies aligned with emerging cybersecurity growth themes. Reflecting this shift, the Cloud Security theme is being retired as a distinct category within the index.
To replace the Cloud Security theme, the index is introducing AI Security as the next cybersecurity theme, driven by the rapid adoption of AI systems, the expansion of the AI attack surface, and the emergence of specialized AI security solutions.
Introducing AI Security as a Distinct Cybersecurity Theme
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded across enterprise software, infrastructure, and workflows. While AI is transforming productivity and enabling new capabilities spanning industries, it is also introducing new security risks and attack surfaces that create unique opportunities for attackers. Several major drivers are accelerating the evolution of the AI security market:
Explosion in the adoption of AI systems
Enterprises are rapidly deploying AI tools across software development, knowledge management, customer support, and internal workflows. What began as experimentation with generative AI is increasingly moving into production environments and becoming embedded in core enterprise software systems. Organizations are also beginning to deploy AI agents capable of autonomously interacting with applications, data sources, and external systems, further expanding the operational role of AI within enterprise environments.
New attack surfaces in AI infrastructure
Since AI systems rely on data pipelines, training environments, model repositories, and inference infrastructure, each component represents a potential entry point for attackers. Moreover, the growing use of AI agents introduces new security considerations that make them attractive targets. As a result, security teams are increasingly confronting risks that did not exist until recently. These risks include manipulation attacks, where adversaries craft malicious inputs to bypass safeguards or produce unintended outputs; infection attacks, where attackers poison training data or manipulate model behavior to influence system outputs; and exfiltration attacks, which attempt to extract sensitive information such as training data, model parameters, or proprietary algorithms from AI systems.
Rapid emergence of specialized AI security solutions
Over the past year, a new generation of security companies has emerged focused specifically on the unique security needs of AI systems and AI-native environments. These solutions are designed to secure AI models and training environments, protect data pipelines and model supply chains, monitor and control AI system behavior, detect vulnerabilities and misuse in AI applications, and enforce governance, compliance, and security controls for enterprise AI deployments.
As these risks and technologies continue to evolve, the cybersecurity market is beginning to recognize AI Security as a distinct category within the broader cybersecurity ecosystem, and for these reasons, the WisdomTree Team8 Cybersecurity Index will now formally recognize AI Security as its own dedicated theme.
Positioning the Index for the Future
The WisdomTree Team8 Cybersecurity Index was designed to track cybersecurity themes emerging across the industry, and as the industry evolves, so do the key themes shaping its future. By retiring the Cloud Security theme and introducing the AI Security theme, the index continues to reflect key structural developments in the cybersecurity market, helping ensure it remains aligned with the technologies and themes shaping the future of cybersecurity.
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This Article represents the opinions of Team8 Labs Inc. (“Team8”) and is for informational purposes only. You should not treat any opinion expressed by Team8 as a specific inducement to make an investment in any security, but only as an expression of Team8’s opinions. Team8’s statements and opinions are subject to change without notice. Team8 is not registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), and relies upon the “publishers’ exclusion” from the definition of investment adviser under Section 202(a)(11) of the Advisers Act. As such, the information contained in this Article does not take into account any particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs and is not intended to be, and should not be construed in any manner whatsoever as, personalized investment advice. The information in this Article is provided for informational and discussion purposes only and is not intended to be, and shall not be regarded or construed as, a recommendation for a transaction or investment or financial, tax, investment or other advice of any kind by Team8. You should determine on your own whether you agree with the information contained in this Article. Certain of the securities referenced in this Article may currently, or from time to time, be constituents of an index developed and maintained by WisdomTree Investments, Inc. using data provided by Team8, which has been or will be licensed for a fee to one or more investment funds. In addition, certain officers or employees of Team8 or funds or other persons or entities affiliated or associated with Team8 may hold shares of, be officers or directors of, or otherwise be associated with some or all of the issuers of the securities referenced in this Article or included in such index. Team8 expressly disclaims all liability with respect to any act or omission taken based on, and makes no warranty or representation regarding, any of the information included in this Article.
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