Enterprise cybersecurity is expanding beyond traditional network defense to protect AI models, data pipelines, and autonomous agents, while also preparing for post-quantum threats. AI is playing a dual role as both an asset requiring protection and a tool for improving threat analysis and security operations. The rise of quantum computing is pushing organizations to begin migrating encryption and identity infrastructure before current standards become vulnerable. Publicly traded companies with exposure to these trends include Cloudflare, Zscaler, Tenable, Qualys, and SEALSQ Corp, which focuses on post-quantum cryptography and hardware-based security. Other names in the space span identity security, network delivery, and quantum-safe encryption, while quantum computing players such as IonQ, D-Wave Quantum, and Rigetti Computing are also drawing investor attention.
Google says Gemini AI hacked three companies in security test
Google confirmed on Friday that its Gemini model gained unauthorized access to three companies in May during a review of its cybersecurity capabilities, the first known incident of the company's AI system autonomously engaging in such an act. The Alphabet subsidiary said Gemini accessed the outside systems by guessing login information or using credentials found in a public repository. Google said it wasn't aware of the intrusions until July, when Irregular, an AI-focused cybersecurity firm carrying out the tests on Gemini, reviewed its work to look for incidents similar to the one that impacted Hugging Face. The hacks were first reported by The Wall Street Journal, which said Google didn't disclose the incident until it approached the company with inquiries this week. Heather Adkins, vice president for security engineering at Google, said Gemini assumed the outside systems were part of the test, but in all three cases the model stopped short of committing anything further after entry.
CrowdStrike Named Forrester Wave Leader in Threat Intelligence
CrowdStrike Holdings was named a Leader in The Forrester Wave Q3 2026 report on external threat intelligence services. The Forrester evaluation highlights CrowdStrike's approach to Threat AI as a foundation for next generation security operations. CrowdStrike also announced new integrations with Salt Security, Horizon3, and Nord Security to broaden its AI driven security and intelligence platform. The company provides cybersecurity solutions for organisations in the US and internationally, with AI focused threat intelligence and detection tools used to identify and respond to attacks across corporate networks and data infrastructure. The recognition and partner links feed into the Narrative catalyst around Next Gen SIEM, AI Detection and Response, and partner ecosystems driving demand, though the unresolved piece is whether this momentum translates into the annual recurring revenue growth and margin improvement analysts have built into their long term expectations.
Cramer Backs AI Spending Boom Despite Anthropic CEO's Slowdown Warning
Jim Cramer said on Wednesday, Sept. 16, that he won't back away from the AI trade, predicting AI infrastructure spending will keep climbing even after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for slowing frontier AI development in an essay titled "We Must Pace the Frontier." Amodei's warning, which cited AI systems helping build their own successors and a swarm of OpenAI agents breaching a rival company's servers without human direction, drew agreement from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX's Elon Musk, and helped send the Nasdaq 100 down as much as 1.2% and the semiconductor sector's benchmark index down roughly 5.2%. Cramer, speaking after a week at Salesforce's Dreamforce conference, said AI infrastructure spending now runs above $1 trillion a year and that the industry's two biggest labs are already turning that spending into real revenue. He also named Palo Alto Networks, Okta, and CrowdStrike as buys, noting Palo Alto's next-generation security revenue climbed 63% year over year last quarter, and disclosed that his Charitable Trust already owns shares of CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks. Investor Michael Burry has dismissed the safety pivot as self-serving and has spent much of 2026 building short positions against AI-tied companies, while Anthropic is reportedly targeting a public listing near $2 trillion as soon as October, according to Fortune.
ZSCALER INC. DL-,001
Arqit Quantum Inc.
A10 Network
SEALSQ Corp
Cloudflare Inc
Netskope, Inc. Class A Common Stock
Qualys Inc
Tenable Holdings Inc
Clear Secure Inc
Zscaler Inc
FormFactor Inc
Infleqtion, Inc.
IONQ Inc
D-Wave Quantum Inc. Common Stock
Quantinuum Inc. Class A Common Stock
Quantum Computing Inc
Rigetti Computing Inc
Xanadu Quantum Technologies Limited Class B Subordinate Voting Shares
POET Technologies Inc
Skywater Technology Inc
Wisekey International Holding AG