Hack The Box Report Finds AI Agents Used by 68% of Top 25 Cybersecurity Teams

Three-year benchmark finds median solve times dropped by more than 12 hours, while full-board completions surged from two teams in 2024 to 15 in 2026

NEW YORK, Aug 27 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hack The Box (HTB), the cyber readiness platform for humans and AI, today released its 2026 Global Cyber Skills Benchmark Research Brief. The brief includes a three-year analysis revealing that cybersecurity teams are reaching successful solutions significantly faster, completing more of the challenge set, and increasingly incorporating AI agents into their work.

The strongest evidence of AI adoption emerged among the competition’s top performers. AI agent accounts made up just 2.7% of all registered accounts, yet 17 of the top 25 teams (68%) had one. Those agents accounted for 4.2% of submitted flags and 4.6% of points awarded. The findings do not establish that AI caused teams to perform better. They do, however, show that AI is already becoming part of the toolkit used by many of the competition’s strongest teams.

Performance across the competition has also shifted substantially over the past three years. Median recorded time-to-solve dropped from 26.1 hours in 2024 to 13.8 hours in 2026, a reduction of more than 12 hours. At the same time, the number of teams completing the entire challenge board rose from two in 2024 and three in 2025 to 15 in 2026, even as the board expanded.

The findings come as AI is changing both sides of the cybersecurity equation. Recent industry disclosures, including Hugging Face’s July 2026 incident disclosure and OWASP’s Q1 2026 GenAI exploit roundup, show how AI is creating new risks while also becoming part of both the attack surface and the defensive response. For security leaders, the challenge is not simply adopting AI, but making sure practitioners have the skills and judgment to direct, test and validate its work.

“The question for security leaders is no longer whether AI will become part of cybersecurity operations. That is already happening on both sides of the equation,” said Haris Pylarinos, Founder and CEO of Hack The Box. “What matters now is whether teams have the expertise to use it safely and effectively. Our data shows that AI is appearing most often alongside some of the strongest practitioners, not instead of them. As agents become more capable, human judgment, validation and hands-on technical skill become more important, not less.”

AI is changing how top cyber teams work

The findings build on earlier HTB research examining AI and cybersecurity performance. While the earlier controlled benchmark explored what happens when practitioners work with AI, the latest data provides a view into where AI agents appear when competitors are free to choose their own approach.

Together, the findings suggest that AI is moving from experimentation to the working methods of experienced cybersecurity practitioners. At the same time, the results reinforce the importance of human expertise in directing, evaluating and validating AI-generated work.

The full 2026 Global Cyber Skills Benchmark Research Brief is available HERE.

About Hack The Box

Hack The Box is the leading cyber readiness platform for the agentic era, battle-testing and upskilling both humans and AI agents to enhance organizational cyber resilience. Trusted by the Fortune 500, government agencies, and managed security service providers (MSSPs), the platform delivers threat-informed learning paths consisting of real-world scenarios in gamified labs and live-fire simulations that build and validate offensive and defensive cyber capabilities. With a loyal community of more than 4.3 million members and more than 800 enterprise customers, Hack The Box empowers teams and intelligent systems alike to strengthen cyber defenses and reduce breach risk effectively. Learn more at www.hackthebox.com.

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Contact

Media Contacts

Hack The Box
Sofia Vourlaki
ophiv@hackthebox.com

The Nova Method
Justine Schneider
jschneider@thenovamethod.com

PRPR
Tracey Treanor
traceyt@prpr.co.uk

Source : Hack The Box

--BERNAMA

Born in Riyadh. Sold Out in Paris. stc and EWC a Winning Partnership.

 

^{Fans hold up the stc/EWC banner during the Esports World Cup 2026 grand final at the Accor Arena in Paris (Photo: AETOSWire)} 

 

• stc group was the Founding and Elite Partner of the Esports World Cup for the third consecutive year.
• EWC 2026, the largest edition of the tournament to date, brought together more than 2,000 players and 200 clubs from over 100 countries, competing across 25 tournaments and 24 game titles.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Aug 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- stc group, a leading digital enabler, concluded its third consecutive year as a Founding and Elite Partner of the Esports World Cup (EWC), supporting the tournament as it staged its first edition outside Saudi Arabia in Paris. The largest EWC to date brought together more than 2,000 professional players and 200 clubs from over 100 countries, competing across 25 tournaments and 24 game titles for a prize pool exceeding $75 million.

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The move to Paris marked a new chapter for a tournament launched in Riyadh in 2024, reflecting growing international reach and the increasing profile of esports. stc’s continued partnership through that expansion reflects a broader commitment to the gaming ecosystem, supporting professional competition, amateur players, broadcast access, and the digital infrastructure behind esports events.

Throughout EWC 2026, stc maintained a prominent presence across the competition. The stc Arena hosted VALORANT, League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Rocket League, EA FC 26, Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, alongside the stc Player’s Lounge and stc Contenders.

The partnership also created opportunities beyond the professional circuit. Through the Warriors Cup, more than 10,000 amateur players competed in over 200 tournaments across 16 games, giving emerging talent a pathway to participate in organized competition.

stc also extended the tournament to audiences beyond the venues through a dedicated EWC channel on stc tv. Launched on July 5, the channel delivered 10 to 12 hours of daily coverage, including live matches, highlights and analysis, and recorded more than three million plays by August 23.

Strong demand followed EWC to its conclusion in Paris. Championship Sunday was moved to Accor Arena, one of the city’s largest indoor venues, providing additional capacity for fans and a high-profile finale to the tournament’s first edition outside Saudi Arabia.

The partnership has grown alongside EWC since its inaugural edition in Riyadh. In 2024, the tournament attracted more than 500 million viewers globally, while stc supported connectivity for more than 10,000 players with 99.9% network availability. A year later, EWC welcomed more than 2,000 professional players and three million on-site visitors, as stc increased its network coverage by over 20%.

stc’s contribution to gaming has also been recognized by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission, which has named the group a Platinum Gaming Operator for ten consecutive cycles.

Three years on, the partnership has evolved alongside EWC as it has grown from its Riyadh debut to an international stage. stc continues to support growth across connectivity, broadcasting and competition, helping expand how players and audiences participate in one of the world’s fastest-growing forms of entertainment.

*Source: AETOSWire

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Contact

Mohammad Khan
STC-ME@fgsglobal.com

Source : stc group

SHAPE MEMORY MEDICAL CLOSES US$10 MLN FINANCING FOR CLINICAL TRIALS

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- Shape Memory Medical Inc, a California-based global medical device company, has closed a US$10 million convertible note financing led by new investor August Global Partners (AGP), joined by fellow new investor Taiwania Capital. (US$1=RM4.03)

The financing provides capital to support continued clinical development of the company’s aortic portfolio, including patient follow-up and data collection in the AAA-SHAPE Pivotal Trial, and advancement of the False Lumen Treatment for Prevention of Aortic Growth Using Shape Memory Polymer (FLAGSHIP) feasibility trial.

The company said it is backed by a global syndicate of healthcare investors, including HBM Healthcare Investments (Cayman) Ltd, Earlybird Venture Capital and WexMed II LLC. The financing was also supported by HEAL Venture Lab.

“With enrolment recently completed in our AAA-SHAPE Pivotal Trial and continued progress in FLAGSHIP, we are focused on generating the clinical evidence needed to support the broader adoption of our shape memory polymer technology in aortic applications,” said Shape Memory Medical President and Chief Executive Officer, Ted Ruppel.

He said the company was pleased to welcome AGP and Taiwania Capital as investors and appreciated the continued support of its existing shareholders.

The AAA‑SHAPE Pivotal Trial is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the IMPEDE‑FX RapidFill Device when used alongside endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) to proactively manage the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) sac.

Shape Memory Medical in a statement said the randomised, multicentre study recently completed enrolment and will follow patients for five years.

FLAGSHIP is a first-in-human clinical study evaluating the company’s investigational False Lumen Embolisation (FLE) System for treatment of aortic dissection false lumen. The study is designed to evaluate safety and preliminary signs of efficacy and will follow patients for two years.

AGP is a Singapore-based independent fund management firm investing across healthcare and advanced manufacturing, while Taiwania Capital is a venture capital firm focused on early- to growth-stage companies.

-- BERNAMA

JAPAN MARITIME DAILY TO HOST SINGAPORE SEMINAR ON EMERGING TRANSPORT DEMANDS

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- The Japan Maritime Daily (JMD), Japan’s leading maritime newspaper, will host an international seminar in Singapore on Oct 5, focusing on “Emerging Transport Demands”.

JMD said in a statement the event supported by Singapore Exchange (SGX), will examine major shipping initiatives and the future of maritime transport through presentations and a panel discussion.

Registration is now open for “Charting the Course for the Future of Maritime” seminar, featuring senior maritime leaders from Ocean Network Express (ONE), SGX, Kpler and other international organisations.

ONE Chief Executive Officer, Till Ole Barrelet will deliver the keynote address, while SGX Group Director, Kenneth Ng will give a presentation, and Kpler Principal Heavy Distillates Analyst, Roslan Khasawneh will speak on “How Geopolitical Disruption Is Reshaping Asian Shipping”.

A panel discussion moderated by JMD Principal Editor Yohei Misaki will examine emerging transport demands and key industry challenges amid an increasingly uncertain global environment.

The panel will feature MOL Energia Managing Director, Miki Ogura; Wallem Ship Management Managing Director, Ioannis Stefanou; Tokyo Century Corporation Joint General Manager, Jigo Hayashi; and Baltic Exchange Asia Head, Cheong Jin Yu.

-- BERNAMA

Gradiant Expands US Operations with New Leadership, Office Openings, and Long-Term Services Contracts

 

^{Gradiant Expands US Operations with New Leadership, Office Openings, and Long-Term Services Contracts}


BOSTON, Aug 20 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Every microchip, data center, and megawatt of AI capacity depends on water. Today, Gradiant, the water layer of the AI economy, announced a series of milestones reinforcing its ability to solve that constraint across the United States: a new US leadership hire, three new offices, a new innovation center, and long-term services contracts, including one with a chip major.

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Gradiant named Dr. Nish Vora as Managing Director, Americas, to accelerate its growth momentum in the region. Dr. Vora is a proven growth leader whose career spans senior leadership roles at GE Water, Suez Water Technologies, and most recently Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions. His technical and commercial leadership is an excellent fit with Gradiant’s culture of Innovation with Speed for its customers. Alongside the appointment, Gradiant opened new offices in Phoenix, Syracuse, and Philadelphia.

The company also launched its Global Innovation Center in Houston dedicated to advancing next-generation treatment technologies for North America, and grew its US headcount by 55% year to date.

Underscoring this momentum, Gradiant secured new long-term operations and maintenance (O&M) contracts, including one to run the ultrapure water (UPW) system for a chip major. Gradiant will manage water quality, reliability, and compliance, freeing the customer to focus on its core manufacturing operations.

The win draws on Gradiant's global UPW expertise, including established teams in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, bolstered by a growing local US presence – an approach the company is applying as it scales O&M capabilities nationwide. Gradiant was selected for its customer-centric approach, speed of deployment, and depth of O&M expertise.

"AI infrastructure doesn't get built without solving for water first, whether that's a fab, a data center, or a power plant," said Prakash Govindan, CEO of Gradiant. "Winning long-term O&M relationships like this one shows customers increasingly want a single accountable partner for water, not just equipment or one-off applications. That's exactly the role Gradiant is built to play as we scale across the US."

Gradiant designs, builds, and operates the water layer underpinning the AI economy, across chips, data centers, energy, and applied industries. As AI infrastructure investment accelerates globally, water availability, reliability, and reuse are becoming as strategic as power and land in determining where, and how fast, that infrastructure gets built.

“Our target is to reach US$1 billion in order book in the United States alone next year,” said Dr. Nish Vora, Managing Director, Gradiant Americas. “With the team I am inheriting and the opportunity set in the market right now – the most activity I have seen in my three decades in the water industry – I am confident we will beat that target.”

About Gradiant

Gradiant is the Water Layer of the AI Economy. Founded at MIT and headquartered in Boston, Gradiant builds the water and wastewater infrastructure behind AI's build-out, from chips and data centers to the energy and industries that depend on them. As AI demand accelerates, water is becoming the resource that determines what can be built. Gradiant's technologies reduce what industry withdraws, reclaim what it would waste, and renew clean water to nature, with more than 3,000 treatment plants built across 92 countries. Learn more at gradiant.com.

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Contact

Corporate Contact
Felix Wang
Gradiant, Global Head of Marketing
fwang@gradiant.com

Source : Gradiant

AM Best Withdraws Zhibao Re Credit Ratings Amid Investor Transition

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 (Bernama) -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best has withdrawn the credit ratings of Malaysia’s Zhibao Labuan Reinsurance Company Limited (Zhibao Re), as the company has chosen not to participate in AM Best’s interactive rating process for the time being, in light of an investor transition.

AM Best in a statement said it has placed Zhibao Re’s financial strength rating of B+ (Good) and long-term issuer credit rating of “bbb-” (Good) under review with developing implications.

The status reflects the anticipated change in ownership at Zhibao Technology Inc (Zhibao Technology), Zhibao Re’s ultimate parent, following the announcement of a definitive Securities Purchase Agreement on July 31, under which Zhibao Technology agreed to issue new securities to a group of investors.

The transaction is expected to close in August 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and required regulatory and exchange approvals. Upon completion, the credit rating agency expects the new investors to obtain majority ownership and control of Zhibao Technology.

AM Best said the under review with developing implications status reflects uncertainties in Zhibao Re’s strategic role, the financial condition of the new investors, as well as the parental influence of Zhibao Technology on Zhibao Re.

-- BERNAMA

GMO GLOBALSIGN EXPANDS TLS CONNECT TO APAC, MIDDLE EAST

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- GMO GlobalSign Inc, a global Certificate Authority, has expanded the availability of TLS Connect by GMO to businesses in the Asia Pacific (APAC) and Middle East, following its initial launch in Western markets in April.

TLS Connect is a Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) tool designed for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), automating the deployment and renewal of public trust Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificates to help strengthen security, maintain regulatory compliance and reduce business risk.

GMO GlobalSign said TLS Connect is designed to address the needs of SMEs that rely on TLS certificates but may lack in-house Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) expertise or a straightforward way to implement a CLM solution.

The company said the expansion comes as businesses face a series of reductions in TLS certificate validity periods. The first reduction took effect on March 15, 2026, shortening certificate lifespans from 398 to 200 days, while further reductions to 100 days and 47 days are scheduled for March 15, 2027, and March 15, 2029, respectively.

In a statement, GMO GlobalSign Head of Business Unit for TLS & CLM CA Division, Aditya Anand said shrinking certificate lifespans mean SMEs face greater risks of missed renewals and unexpected outages, often without the tools to manage certificates efficiently.

He said TLS Connect provides automated certificate lifecycle management specifically for smaller enterprises and offers a simple and affordable way for businesses in APAC and the Middle East to manage changing certificate requirements.

The solution is particularly relevant in APAC and the Middle East, where SMEs account for a significant share of businesses, including approximately 94 per cent in the United Arab Emirates, 97 per cent in Australia, and 99 per cent in Singapore and the Philippines.

According to GMO GlobalSign, cybersecurity regulations in these markets are also increasing the management and oversight requirements for SMEs, while a shortage of cybersecurity professionals is adding to the challenge.

The company said TLS Connect includes certificate discovery, a centralised interface and automated certificate management, and can be deployed on premises for centralised management across endpoints.

-- BERNAMA