Low economic growth and AI advancement are redefining corporate risk, reports International Data Corporation (IDC) Mexico. The consulting firm emphasizes identity management, infrastructure consolidation, and the security of operational technology as vital measures to protect business margins during the current fiscal period.
The interruption of operations due to security incidents has transitioned from a technical risk to a decisive factor in economic viability, explains Alejandro Florean, Vice President of Consulting Latin America and Country Manager, IDC Mexico. During Palo Alto Networks Ignite Tour 2026, the company explored how fragmented security architectures and unmanaged agent deployments jeopardize organizational resilience.
“Any unrecovered interruption, every unidentified breach, and each poorly managed technological provider in the ecosystem has a direct impact on the business margin,” says Florean.
This correlation establishes that cybersecurity must be integrated into financial planning. Efficiency in threat detection is mandatory since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects a decade of reduced economic expansion for the region.
The Shift to an AI-Driven Economy
The corporate landscape in Mexico is at a turning point defined by the transition from cloud-based infrastructure to an economy centered on AI. According to IDC data, the current period represents the lowest economic growth in recent history. This environment reduces the margin for error for corporations facing cyber threats.
The adoption of AI agents is not merely a productivity trend but a new vector of exposure. Organizations are moving from the “Cloud Economy” to the “AI Economy,” where the complexity of supply chains expands significantly. When companies integrate application programming interfaces (APIs) from various providers and utilize large language models (LLMs), they incorporate external technological components into their internal value chains.
This integration creates a “black box” regarding costs and security protocols. If these elements are not managed under strict governance frameworks, the resulting lack of visibility can compromise the stability of the entire corporate ecosystem.
Modernization of Legacy Systems and Financial Resilience
A critical challenge identified by IDC Mexico involves the persistence of legacy systems. Research indicates that, on average, companies in Mexico must modernize between seven and 10 legacy systems every 12 months. If security protocols are not embedded from the initial phase of modernization, these systems remain open vulnerabilities that attackers exploit using automated tools.
Furthermore, there is a significant lack of communication between information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems. In sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, and distribution, industrial control systems and automation platforms are often isolated from the corporate cybersecurity strategy.
Florean predicts that the next major wave of attacks will specifically target OT infrastructure — such as PLCs and manufacturing automation systems — where monitoring is less frequent and the economic impact of production downtime is immediate.
The statistical reality for Mexican organizations reflects a reactive yet increasing investment. Currently, 67% of the companies surveyed by IDC Mexico allocate 30% of their IT budget to security. Despite this allocation, 57% of these organizations reported financial damages exceeding US$10,000 due to security incidents.
The adoption of Zero Trust architectures has reached 56% in the country, while 62% of organizations plan to invest in security platforms powered by AI in the coming months. This trend responds to the need to balance the “asymmetry of the attack.”
“Cybercriminals currently utilize AI to generate hyper-personalized phishing, mutating malware, and automated lateral movements that frequently bypass traditional, manual defense mechanisms,” says Florean.
Identity as Critical Infrastructure
IDC Mexico identifies identity management as the new paradigm of vulnerability. The use of biometric data for customer onboarding, particularly in the banking, retail, and entertainment industries, has become a primary target for fraud. Generative AI allows attackers to remain two or three steps ahead of traditional authentication by creating sophisticated identity spoofs.
The lack of correct integration in handling these biometrics, combined with fragmented identity databases, exacerbates this risk. Organizations must evaluate next-generation identity platforms that offer orchestration without friction and the ability to respond to impersonation attacks in real time. Identity is no longer an IT project; it is critical infrastructure for the business.
Operational inefficiency often stems from tool saturation. It is common for corporations to operate more than five, and sometimes more than 10, distinct cybersecurity solutions. This fragmentation creates information silos and increases management costs. Florean recommends a consolidation strategy toward unified platforms to reduce the operational gap and improve financial results.
Transitioning to an integrated platform allows for better management of Agentic AI. As companies move toward a future where fleets of autonomous agents handle business problems, a governance framework becomes essential. IDC Mexico proposes a four-step strategy for AI governance:
- Unique Identity: Assigning specific identities to each AI agent.
- Least Privilege: Implementing strict access controls for automated systems.
- Traceability: Ensuring every decision made by an agent is recorded and auditable.
- Human Review: Maintaining human supervision in critical decision-making processes.
The current preparation in identity infrastructure, governance, and provider consolidation will determine the ability of Mexican corporations to compete in a high-pressure technological economy.
