AI May Be the Future—But It’s Also the Biggest Cybersecurity Threat in 2025
SAN JOSE, CALIF., 8TH MAY 2025 –Cisco’s latest report has found a worldwide shortage of cybersecurity preparedness. The 2025 Cybersecurity Readiness Index shows that only 4% of organizations are at a mature level of readiness to defend themselves against threats, and that figure represents only a 1% increase from 2024.
Given the acute and multiplying risks businesses now face, the lack of progress is alarming, especially trends being catalyzed by artificial intelligence. Almost 86% of the organizations surveyed mentioned they had suffered an AI-driven security incident in the last year.
The study looked at a survey of 8,000 IT and business leaders across thirty countries and revealed other concerning patterns. For example, while only 49% of respondents believe their staff have a clear understanding of AI-based threats, 48% expressed that their teams have little understanding of how hackers are using AI to launch next-generation attacks.
This disruptive force of hybrid working is further hindering attempts to create a secure work environment; about 84% say that unsecured/unmanaged devices were increasing risk, and 60% stated they had concerns about shadow AI (unauthorized/unsanctioned implementation of generative AI applications within a business setting).
“As AI transforms the enterprise, we are dealing with an entirely new class of risks at unprecedented scale – putting even more pressure on our infrastructure and those who defend it,”
Said Cisco Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel.
“This year’s report continues to reveal alarming gaps in security readiness and a lack of urgency to address them. Organizations must rethink their strategies now or risk becoming irrelevant in the AI era.”
Consistent with the other challenges presented in the data, 86% of the organizations reported a shortage of cybersecurity expertise, with more than half reporting they cannot recruit for more than ten roles on the team.
This is against a backdrop of 96% of respondents reporting potential IT upgrades, only 45% expect to even fund above 10% of the budget into the cybersecurity space (which is a substantial decline of 8% from last year).
With external threats from malicious players as well as state actors facing organizations, Cisco advises companies and organizations to adopt AI-based defenses, as well as simplified security infrastructures above all else, to avoid major incidents in the next year.
IBM & Oracle Just Changed the AI Game with This Major Announcement
UN Says Human Development Is Stalling—Can AI Save Us?
https://ittech-pulse.com/news/cosmo-ai-gi-strategy-ddw-2025/
