Wakefield Research

Kirkland, Wash. – October 14, 2026 -- Seventy-seven percent of security leaders expect an attacker to exploit a software vulnerability at their organization within 12 months, while 54% admit their companies knowingly leave high or critical vulnerabilities unpatched at least sometimes, according to a Chainguard report surveying 1,300 security leaders.

The report, titled The AI Exploit Gap, measures the distance between how fast AI-powered tools can find and chain vulnerabilities and how fast human teams can fix them. Ninety-one percent of respondents say AI-accelerated attacks have changed their job more than anything else in the past decade. Ninety-three percent worry their companies cannot remediate AI-driven exploits quickly enough.

Burlington, N.J. – October 12, 2026 -- Eighty percent of U.S. adults expect to spend the same amount or more on holiday shopping this year than last, even as 58% of those respondents worry about exceeding their budgets, according to a Wakefield Research survey commissioned by off-price retailer Burlington Stores.

Budget anxiety peaks among parents and Gen Z parents

Concern about overspending rises to 69% among parents and 77% among Gen Z parents. The Gen Z parent subgroup totals 100 respondents, with a margin of error of plus or minus 9.8 percentage points.

Burlington says shoppers plan to stretch budgets through "dupe" products and in-person shopping.

Deal hunting turns a smaller budget into motivation for 58% of Americans

For 58% of respondents, shopping on a smaller holiday budget is exciting because of the hunt for the best deals. Another 87% say getting a great deal is more satisfying than owning a luxury item.