72% of Workers Say AI Is Giving Phishing a Dangerous New Edge, Sagiss Managed Security Survey Finds

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IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 2, 2026--

Workplace phishing is getting harder to detect as AI improves the tone, grammar and realism of fraudulent messages. New research from Sagiss, a provider of IT and managed security services, finds that many workers are still clicking links, replying to messages or verifying requests only after taking action. The results show phishing risk is being shaped by both message quality and the pace of modern work.

For the 2026 Sagiss Managed Security Report: AI Phishing in the Workplace, Sagiss partnered with third-party survey platform Pollfish to survey 500 desk-based workers who use email or chat as part of their jobs on Feb. 23, 2026. The report examines how employees are responding to suspicious messages as AI makes phishing attempts more convincing and harder to spot in everyday workplace communication.

Sagiss’ findings suggest phishing risk is about more than awareness alone. Even when employees know they should slow down and verify unusual requests, many are operating in environments defined by urgency, multitasking and after-hours responsiveness. As suspicious messages become more polished and harder to distinguish from routine work communication, employers may need to complement training with changes that reduce rushed decision-making in daily workflows.

Key findings include:

• 72% say phishing attempts are more convincing than a year ago because of AI-written language.

• 64% say an AI-generated message could likely impersonate someone they work with, and 57% say AI makes phishing harder to spot because it feels more professional.

• 63% clicked a work-related link in the past year and later felt they should have double-checked it first.

• 57% have verified a message’s request only after taking action first.

• 45% have replied to a work message and later questioned whether it was legitimate.

• 68% check work email or chat outside normal business hours at least sometimes, and 56% feel pressure to respond after hours at least sometimes.

“AI is changing the way phishing looks and feels, but the deeper issue is that employees are making decisions under constant pressure,” said Travis Springer, President at Sagiss. “Cybersecurity leaders need to account for the reality of modern work, where people are moving quickly, responding across channels, and often making judgment calls before they have fully verified what is in front of them.”

Visit the 2026 Sagiss Managed Security Report: AI Phishing in the Workplace on the Sagiss website for the complete survey results and additional insights.

About Sagiss

As Dallas-Fort Worth's first managed service provider (MSP), Sagiss was founded in 1992 to give businesses a better way to handle IT planning, maintenance and support. With origins in the accounting world, Sagiss provides a unique perspective on the critical relationship between an organization's information technology and its bottom line. For three years in a row, Sagiss has been named to the MSPmentor® 200, an annual ranking of the world's most progressive MSPs. For more information visit https://www.sagiss.com.

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260402115530/en/

CONTACT: Idea Grove, on behalf of Sagiss

[email protected]

KEYWORD: TEXAS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SOFTWARE NETWORKS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INTERNET DATA MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY SMALL BUSINESS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SECURITY ONLINE PRIVACY OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OTHER TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING

SOURCE: Sagiss

Copyright Business Wire 2026.

PUB: 04/02/2026 01:51 PM/DISC: 04/02/2026 01:52 PM

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