State of AI Search: Cybersecurity
Which cybersecurity vendors dominate AI search recommendations?
Overview
Cybersecurity had the broadest coverage of any vertical we studied. We tested 14 buyer-intent queries and analyzed 72 companies. Every single company was cited at least once — a stark contrast to the B2B SaaS study where 53% were invisible. Palo Alto Networks leads with 39 total citations, followed by CrowdStrike and Microsoft Defender at 36 each. The top 5 companies accounted for approximately 40% of total citations across both engines.
Key Findings
All 72 companies (100%) were cited at least once — the broadest coverage of any vertical studied
Palo Alto Networks leads with 39 citations across both engines
CrowdStrike and Microsoft Defender are tied at 36 citations each
26 companies appear on both ChatGPT and Perplexity
The top 5 companies account for approximately 40% of total citations
Companies with strong brand recognition (Wikipedia pages, analyst reports, media coverage) were overrepresented among top-cited results, though correlation does not imply causation
Top 5 Companies by Total Citations
Per-Engine Breakdown
ChatGPT
GPT-4o
Perplexity
Sonar Pro
Methodology
Scope & Testing Window
72 companies in the Cybersecurity vertical were tested across 14 buyer-intent queries using 2 AI search engines: ChatGPT (GPT-4o, OpenAI) and Perplexity (Sonar Pro). Fieldwork dates: May 13 – May 20, 2026.
AI Engines & Configuration
ChatGPT was tested with web browsing disabled to isolate the model's trained knowledge from live search results. Perplexity was tested in its default mode, which retrieves and synthesizes live web sources.
Geography & Account Controls
All queries were run from US-based IP addresses using English-language prompts. Results may differ by region, language, and account history. Fresh browser sessions with no prior conversation history were used for each query batch. No custom instructions or plugins were enabled. ChatGPT was accessed via the Plus plan; Perplexity via the Pro plan.
Query Design
Queries were designed to represent buyer-intent searches — the kinds of queries prospects use when evaluating software or service providers. Informational queries (e.g., "what is endpoint security") were excluded. The full query set is available in the downloadable CSV.
Company Selection
72 cybersecurity companies were selected from major analyst reports (Gartner, Forrester), G2 category leaders, and publicly traded security vendors. Selection aimed for coverage across endpoint, network, cloud, and identity security sub-categories.
What Counts as a Citation
A citation is counted when a company is named as a recommendation, solution, or notable provider in an AI engine's response to a buyer-intent query. Passing mentions in disclaimers, generic lists of alternatives, or follow-up clarification prompts are excluded.
Scoring Rules
Each company received one citation point per appearance in an AI engine response, regardless of position within the response. A company mentioned first and a company mentioned last both receive one citation. No weighting by position, prominence, or sentiment was applied. Total citations = sum of appearances across all queries and both engines.
Repetitions & Statistical Note
Each query was run once per engine per testing session. AI responses are non-deterministic — running the same query again may produce different results. This study captures a single snapshot, not a statistical average. Because each query was run once (not repeated), these results represent a single observation per query-engine pair, not a statistical estimate. Confidence intervals and p-values do not apply. Treat the data as a structured snapshot of AI engine behavior during the testing window, not as a stable measurement.
Engine Coverage Note
This study covers two AI engines (ChatGPT and Perplexity). Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and other AI search products were not included. We plan to expand engine coverage in Q3 2026.
Research Lead
Andrew Swiler is the Founder of AnswerManiac and leads the company's primary research on AI search visibility. With a background in B2B marketing strategy and search optimization, he designed the State of AI Search methodology to give companies verifiable data on how AI engines represent their brands.
Sponsor Disclosure
This research was funded and conducted by AnswerManiac. No company featured in the study paid for inclusion or influenced its methodology or findings. AnswerManiac offers AI visibility optimization services, which creates a commercial interest in the topic studied. The raw data is published to allow independent verification.
Limitations
AI engine responses vary by session, account, and region. Results reflect a specific testing window.
Only two AI engines were tested. Google Gemini, Claude, and Copilot were not included. We plan to expand engine coverage in future quarters.
Citation counts reflect presence in responses, not position weighting or sentiment.
The 14 queries tested cover major buyer-intent categories but do not represent all possible search variations.
Each query was run once per engine. Results represent a single snapshot, not a statistical average across multiple runs.
Cite This Report
Andrew Swiler et al. "State of AI Search: Cybersecurity." AnswerManiac, June 1, 2026. https://www.answermaniac.ai/research/state-of-ai-search-cybersecurity
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Open Data
Full dataset available for download. Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
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