Proofpoint, Inc., a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, released its fifth annual Voice of the CISO report on August 26, 2025, surveying 1,600 global CISOs across 16 countries. The report highlights heightened concerns over AI-driven risks, record levels of CISO burnout, and persistent human-related vulnerabilities in cybersecurity.
Cyberattack Fears: 76% of CISOs anticipate a material cyberattack within the next 12 months, up from 70% in 2024, yet 58% feel unprepared to respond.
Data Loss Trends: Two-thirds of CISOs reported material data loss in the past year, with 92% attributing incidents to departing employees, up from 73% in 2024.
Ransomware Pressure: 66% of CISOs would consider paying ransoms to prevent data leaks or restore systems, rising to 84% in Canada and Mexico.
GenAI Risks and Priorities: 64% prioritize enabling safe GenAI use, but 80% of U.S. CISOs worry about customer data loss via public GenAI tools. 67% have implemented usage guidelines, and 68% explore AI-powered defenses, down from 87% in 2024.
Human Vulnerability: 66% cite human error as the top cybersecurity risk, despite 68% believing employees understand best practices, highlighting a gap in behavior.
CISO Burnout: 63% report burnout, 66% face excessive expectations, and one-third lack resources to meet goals, though 65% note organizational steps to limit personal liability.
Boardroom Disconnect: Alignment with boards dropped from 84% in 2024 to 64%, with business valuation now a top concern post-cyberattack.
“This year’s findings reveal a disconnect between confidence and capability,” said Patrick Joyce, Proofpoint’s Global Resident CISO. “As GenAI adoption accelerates both opportunity and threat, CISOs are navigating unprecedented complexity.” Ryan Kalember, Chief Strategy Officer, added, “AI is transforming how defenders and adversaries operate, placing CISOs at the center of strategic decision-making.” The report emphasizes governance over restriction, with 59% of organizations restricting GenAI use outright.
The $35.5B generative AI cybersecurity market by 2031 underscores the urgency of AI governance, as seen in Wallarm’s API security report and DeepL’s legal AI adoption trends. Posts on X, like @proofpoint’s, highlight the report’s focus on data security and burnout, reflecting industry concerns. Proofpoint’s findings align with the need for context-aware security, as 67% prioritize information protection.
The report surveyed 1,600 CISOs from organizations with 1,000+ employees across 16 countries in Q1 2025, offering a global perspective on cybersecurity challenges.
Proofpoint, Inc. is a leading cybersecurity and compliance company that protects organizations’ greatest assets and biggest risks: their people. With an integrated suite of cloud-based solutions, Proofpoint helps companies around the world stop targeted threats, safeguard their data, and make their users more resilient against cyberattacks. Leading organizations of all sizes, including 85 percent of the Fortune 100, rely on Proofpoint for people-centric security and compliance solutions that mitigate their most critical risks across email, the cloud, social media, and the web.
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