**[Bank of America: Rising AI Security Concerns Bolster Cybersecurity Valuations]** DeepTech TechFlow reports, according to Tide Research, Bank of America’s September 18, 2026 research note highlighted that cybersecurity ETFs outperformed the software sector and the S&P 500 over the past month. HACK and CIBR rose by 7.3% and 6.4%, respectively, while IGV increased by 2.8% and the S&P 500 fell by 0.9%. Bank of America raised the target price for CrowdStrike to $260, Okta to $200, and SailPoint to $22, maintaining a neutral rating for all three stocks. CrowdStrike’s current price is $245.70, Okta’s is $190.02, and SailPoint’s is $20.19. Bank of America believes that AI security concerns are becoming a lasting catalyst for the cybersecurity sector, with the market shifting from fears of AI disruption to addressing new attack surfaces, identities, and governance demands. Identity management is central to protecting AI agents, and leading platform security providers stand to benefit. The bank recommends monitoring whether AI security spending exceeds current expectations as a critical signal for valuation expansion transitioning to profit-driven growth.